Victorian woman Kathryn Beaton says repeated, illegal denials of service from drivers refusing to allow her guide dog into their vehicles have left her effectively housebound.
Edited to add: “anxious and in tears” is some shit tier headline writing when the real problem is the loss of independence and freedom, and the hours she has had to spend waiting just to be actively discriminated against.
In the USA this would be illegal. You can’t deny a person with a disability that is accommodated by a service dog unless the dog is not obeying the handler or pees/poops inside. Doesn’t matter if someone has allergies, a phobia, or is religious. There are fines but it takes a very long time to get anywhere.
It probably shouldn’t include allergies…depending on how bad those are sneezing while at the wheel would be very dangerous…
Obviously it should be confirmed by a doctor…but still that sounds dangerous.
Might also be considered a disability in this case.
It certainly would be if it prevents people from breathing or driving or other parts of their job. Disability is a very inclusive concept, even if many people understandably don’t enjoy being counted as being included.
Illegal here too. Law is an empty threat when it’s not enforced and the right people/companies aren’t sufficiently penalised.
Just like Steve Bannon was sentenced to 4 months jail in Novermber, but has served 0 days in custody.
That sounds like bullshit, how can that not be a factor? How would, for example, a fear of dogs not be a factor?
I can absolutely understand having medically recognized allergies be an acceptable reason to refuse the service.
A fear of dogs doesn’t cut it for me. A fear of black people doesn’t mean you get to refuse service to them. A person has a right to have their service dog with them.
Not true. Service animals can be denied if they pose an immediate threat to human health or safety. An allergy could certainly be a threat to health, and a driver having an allergic reaction is definitely a threat to safety.
Also, the federal law only applies to public accommodations, I don’t think “ride-shares” would count as that. An Uber driver doesn’t stop and pick up the first person they see, they have a private agreement with a specific person.