YOUR SAY: Make guide dogs welcome in Warwick
AS WE celebrate International Guide Dog Day (April 29), I'd like to remind the community of the important role you play in ensuring the people who work with these amazing animals get treated fairly at all times.
Our theme for this year is "Guide Dogs can go anywhere" and is meant as a reminder that qualified Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs have the right to enter any location with their handler that a sighted member of the public can.
This includes restaurants, cafes, shopping centres, accommodation and all forms of transport, including trains, planes and automobiles.
As you can imagine, it can be very embarrassing for a Guide Dog handler to be refused entry into a place, or even questioned in front of others as to their right to bring a working Guide Dog in with them.
I'm very pleased to say that incidents in Queensland where Guide Dog handlers face discrimination are low, and that's a great reflection on our inclusive society.
I thank you for your contribution to help make the lives of our Guide Dog handlers around the state a bit easier by ensuring they're always welcome.
