Forum Brief: Guide Dogs' Access

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has launched a High Street Charter as part of its "Access for All" campaign.

The campaign is aimed at shops, banks, building societies, post offices, restaurants and other food and drink outlets.

Forum Response: Guide Dogs

Robin Hutchinson, head of communications at Guide Dogs', said: "Access for All encourages us to consider how much we take shopping, eating out or going to the bank for granted. If you are blind or partially sighted, though, people's attitudes can make these very stressful experiences.

"Encouragingly, many high street businesses are spot on when it comes to welcoming guide dog owners, but we need this good practice to extend to all businesses across the country. We want to ensure that all vision-impaired people can enjoy the same rights, opportunities and responsibilities as everybody else."

Forum Response: British Retail Consortium

Bill Moyes, director general of the BRC, said: "Retailers pride themselves on knowing their customers and meeting their needs. A lot of progress has been made over recent years catering for blind and partially sighted customers.

"We are delighted to be working with Guide Dogs to both recognise the huge amount of good practice which exists and to urge those who could improve their service to do so as soon as possible.

"With over one million people in the UK who are blind or partially sighted and a total of well over 8 million people who are disabled, it makes not only ethical, but also commercial sense to ensure that disabled customers - and their £40 billion a year spending power - are welcomed."

Forum Response: Disability Rights Commission

Marie Pye, head of policy at the DRC, told ePolitix.com: "It's shameful that guide dog users are still encountering problems when laws preventing discrimination against disabled people using services have been in place for several years.

"It is also a timely reminder that businesses have not only to get to grips with their current duties, but to prepare for new legislation in 2004 which will require changes made to the physical features of shops and other services offered on the high street.

"The DRC's Open4All campaign - launched last week - will help businesses get things right by providing a wide range of advice and help all available from our website at open4all.org."