Monday 7 August 2000
A furry thigh brushes against a leg, and both animal and human stop at the
curb edge. Inches away, a large truck roars by, buffeting those at the curb with wind. Seconds later, it is time to step into the road that was such a hazard before the traffic light changed. Obeying a soft “forward” command, the guide dog confidently steps out and leads the blind person straight
across the six-lane road. The dog’s tail swishes back and forth, gently
touching the back of the person’s leg. They are perfectly in tune with one another.
Nearing their destination, the guide dog is asked to “find the door.” It is not long before his nose is just under the door handle so his partner does not have to feel around for it.
It is common to see these gentle leaders finding the way for their blind partners. Guide dogs help them surmount the environmental hazards of our modern urban environment: Navigating around a bicycle lying across a sidewalk or a sandwich board advertising the luncheon special; avoiding a child playing in front of her home; skirting an unbarricaded hole in the path. Whether it is jogging down a park path for exercise or going to see a
hockey game or a play, these devoted helpers are eager to lead their
partners towards daily new adventures.
Given how much good work guide dogs do, it is difficult to understand why
those with dogs still face so many denials of access. Our guide dogs are
just as much a part of us as a person’s wheelchair or hearing aid. Being denied entrance to convenience store, service at a restaurant or a taxi ride, or facing an illegal hotel surcharge because of the guide dog have all happened within the last 12 months in Ottawa. The law doesn’t permit any of
this.
People increase our vulnerability when they block crosswalks or sidewalks with their vehicles. Petting or trying to feed a guide dog distracts the animal from its work, causing a very real safety hazard. Other people’s unleashed dogs pose a particular danger. Too many guide dogs in our community have been attacked on the street by pets running free, suffering
injuries and trauma.
Authorities’ response can be described as indifferent at best. Police and animal control officers are reluctant to lay charges. When guide dog users do it themselves, Crown attorneys, justices of the peace and judges alike use their legal skills to avoid vigorous prosecution, treating these matters
as nuisance complaints. Guide dog teams who come to court to see justice done have too often been disillusioned, as the legal system ground away their protections through the application of stereotypes, insensitivity and
lack of awareness for their access rights.
These concerns were what started a new charitable organization called Guide Dog Users of Canada (GDUC). “We needed an organization which would represent our interests and point of view,” said Valerie Collicott, president of GDUC.
“We need a support group when our dogs are sick, retire or die and when we are looking for a school to train a new dog. We want an information and support network to assist us when we have access problems. We want to
educate the public and service providers on how guide dogs work, the
benefits they offer to our mobility, freedom and independence, our access
rights and how to help us when we need it. We want to get together to
socialize, have fun, share experiences and get to know one another better.”
We now have a chapter in Toronto, and the local Ottawa group is working hard to become a credible community partner.
For example, as a result of a denial of access to a guide-dog team last
year, several GDUC members from Ottawa have been the catalyst behind an innovative awareness training program supported by the regional police services board. Members such as Ian Martin trained more than 450 regional police officers on the work of guide-dog teams, their access rights and how to provide assistance. We hope that similar sessions will be offered to
other regional organizations such as ambulance and fire services.
Also, as part of the settlement of this same denial-of-access case, a store owner was ordered by the court to give GDUC 120 hours of community service. With his assistance, GDUC is producing a brochure in Arabic to increase awareness of guide dogs within the Muslim community. We are currently looking for a sponsor to help publish this brochure.
It is against this backdrop of growing community awareness and support of guide-dog teams that the Ottawa Citizen published a cartoon that horrified and discouraged many. The cartoon showed a security guard wearing dark glasses and saying, “U.S. nuclear secrets have never been safer, and if you
don’t believe me, I’ll sic my guide dog on you.”
The cartoon conveyed a negative image of blind people as incapable, and guide dogs as aggressive. GDUC President Collicott says it will undo a lot of our hard work over the past few years.
These images couldn’t be further from the truth. People who are blind are citizens like everyone else. They go to school, they work, they go shopping, they have fun and they pay taxes. Lack of acceptance and lack of respect for our capabilities is the biggest challenge we face.
We need the encouragement and support of the community. Our needs are not different from those of our neighbours, fellow worshippers, recreational sports team, choir members, and work colleagues. It is also good business, as the owner of the Little Turkish Village Restaurant in Orleans can attest.
A few weeks ago, 20 people came for supper, with six guide dogs who rested unnoticed under the table while all had a merry jolly time.
As for guide dogs, they are carefully selected for their gentle temperament, willingness to please and socialization skills.
They live for their first year with families in the community called
puppy-walkers, who teach them basic obedience, socialize them and
familiarize them with different public places and life situations. They then go to live at the guide dog school for four to six months of intensive training. Finally, they train for up to a month with their new blind partner. The two learn to work together and trust one another.
Frequently, new teams, accompanied by professional trainers from Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, can be seen honing their skills in the Glebe, on country walks and night walks, going through obstacle courses, and, finally, walking and crossing Ottawa’s busy streets such as Elgin or Bank. They learn
how to use buses, elevators, escalators and revolving doors safely and efficiently.
Guide Dog Users of Canada has many plans for the future. We want to harness the good will of the thousands of volunteers, puppy-walkers, people who care
for retired guide dogs or those dogs that do not qualify, professionals
working for people who are blind, as well as friends, relatives and
guide-dog users themselves, to make Ottawa a welcoming and friendly place
for both residents and tourists accompanied by guide dogs.
GDUC projects needing help and sponsors include: A guide for visitors with guide dogs; an awareness brochure; an informational Web site; a taxi-driver awareness package; and financial support to help sick or injured guide dogs.
We also need volunteers to help with the care of retired guide dogs still
living with their partners, their transportation to and from the vet, and much more.
If you want to help, or obtain more information, contact Guide Dog Users of Canada
The law
The Blind Persons’ Rights Act, 1990 makes it illegal for any person to:
a) discriminate against any person with respect to, or deny to any person,
the accommodation, services or facilities available in any place to which the public is customarily admitted, because the person is a blind person accompanied by a guide dog;
b) charge extra for such services;
c) discriminate against any person through any terms or conditions, or deny to any person, occupancy of any self-contained dwelling unit, because the person is a blind person accompanied by a guide dog. Including bar restaurants, , inns, hotels, stores, public
carriers and employees thereof.
Violators may be fined up to $5,000.