Uproar over restaurant’s treatment of guide dog trainer
BRYANSTON – An incident involving a puppy trainer for the SA Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind allegedly being forced out of Tasha’s restaurant in Nicolway Mall on 12 August, has highlighted the ignorance and difficulties many people with disabilities face.
The puppy trainer, Liz Falconer, alleged that she was forced to find a more dog-friendly restaurant, after she was told that she was not allowed to have a dog with her inside the establishment as she was not blind, and had to move outside.
Falconer said, “I have never had trouble before, this is the first time at Tasha’s. People were shocked. A manager asked me to move outside as I was not blind, and that in terms of policy I was not allowed to sit inside with the dog.”
Completely disgusted by the restaurant’s behaviour, Maggie Houseman, who was dining at the restaurant at the time, expressed her shock on Tasha’s Facebook page.
“This morning I accompanied my son to visit Tashas Café in Nicolway expecting a pleasant visit,” she said.
“However, upon arrival we were disgusted to have found that the people sat next to us had been deterred by the manager because they had a guide dog in training sat indoors of the restaurant. The manager asked them to move outside after asking them, ‘Where’s the blind person?’…”
Speaking on behalf of Tasha’s, Tessa Graham explained that the restaurant did their best to accommodate dogs, especially guide dogs for the blind. “We always provide our dog-accompanied customers a place in our exterior seating if allowed by the shopping centre we are located in.”
Pieter van Niekerk, marketing manager for the association, explained that although South Africa didn’t have a national disability act, there was a regulation that stated guide and service dogs were permitted in places where food was prepared and served.
Van Niekerk added that being denied access to shopping centres, restaurants and other venues was a constant battle for blind people with dogs.
Also read No fly zone for guide-dog
Hayley Cummings, a dog trainer at the association said, “We spend our life fighting to get access into places and it’s affecting clients.”
She urged management, particularly security companies, to educate staff about guide dogs.
Falconer added that puppy walkers played a vital role in the early socialisation and education of guide dogs. “The aim of the training is to create socially well-behaved, friendly dogs,” she said.
“Ultimately the dog will need to be someone’s eyes, and as a result it’s vital that the dog is at ease in all environments. A guide dog isn’t born, a guide dog you have to teach.”
Share your views on this story in the comments section below
