It was good to see Tracey and Steve Ricketts from Llanelli amongst hundreds of guide dog owners at the Guide Dogs charity’s lobby of Parliament yesterday.
They are raising the very important issue of people with assistance dogs being refused access to taxis, private hire vehicles and places like shops, restaurants and hotels. This discrimination is against the law, but unfortunately many businesses and service providers are not following the rules – this has to change.
I have been pushing the UK Government to do more to tackle illegal access refusals and improve enforcement of the existing rules. I will also be doing a sensory walk around Llanelli with the local Guide Dogs team to better understand some of the issues that people with sight loss face.