A blind man says has said he was denied entry to a restaurant because of his guide dog.
Paul Castle claims the incident happened in a restaurant located in his hometown of Seattle in the US. In an Instagram post earlier this month, Paul detailed how he entered the eatery to be met by a waiter who told him no pets were allowed - not even "emotional support dogs".
Keen to clear the misunderstanding, Paul showed the waiter his dog's harness and even offered to fetch his papers to show he was a service dog. But he says he was threatened with the police should he return with his furry friend, Mr Maple, leading him to ditch his dining plans.
He returned later to the restaurant only to discover that the previous incident was due to a prior 'unpleasant' encounter the waiter had with an unruly service dog. According to Paul, the manager explained that the waiter mistook his situation for a similar scenario simply because he maintained eye contact throughout their conversation.
Paul says he has been driven to inspire change following his experience (No credit)
He suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable eye disease (No credit)Challenging ignorance towards blindness spectrum, Paul says he has been driven to inspire change following his experience. He suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable eye disease that has robbed more than 90% of his sight. In a a post under his video, he wrote: "Thank you everyone for having my back! When this happened to me (and Mr Maple) I felt really sad and alone - but it's obvious we have an army of people behind us! The support means so much. I just hope this experience serves as an opportunity to learn."
Man fined £165 after outraging the internet by dying puppy to look like Pikachu
Paul posts educational material about blindness on his social media (No credit)
He is now calling for an ID card for people with service dogs in the US (No credit)"Not just for the server and the manager, but for anyone watching this who was unaware of the spectrum of disabilities and the distinction between trained service dogs and the growing problem with fake service animals. I personally believe there should be a nationally recognised ID card (like a driver's license) for people with certified service animals. It's hard to believe this doesn't exist yet! Perhaps this is a change we can all get behind?".
In a response on Instagram, Guide Dogs for the Blind said: "We're so sorry you had to go through that. Per the Americans with Disabilities Act, guide dogs (and all service animals) are allowed anywhere the general public is allowed, including restaurants. Handlers do not need to show paperwork, and business owners are only allowed to ask a few select questions regarding the nature of the service animal and the work they perform."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
