Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a member of Assistance Dogs (UK) other members include: Guide Dogs for the Blind, Dogs for the Disabled, Support Dogs and Canine Partners for Independence. All hearing dogs jackets carry the AD(UK) logo, identifying them as a registered assistance dog.

Implications for Hearing Dog recipients and the DDA which is now in force

Since 2 December 1996, goods, facilities and service providers have a duty: "... not to refuse service, not to provide a worse standard of service, and not to offer service on worse terms to someone with a disability".

Now, under the heading Practices Policy and Procedures, service providers will also be required to take reasonable steps to amend policies, procedures and practices which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to access their service.
They state the example of: "...amending a no dogs policy, in cases where visually impaired people wish to enter premises with the help of a guide dog. So a restaurant could not refuse entry to a blind person‘s guide dog, even if it does not allow animals." Hearing Dogs for Deaf People have been reliably assured that this statement is just one example of how the DDA is to be interpreted and therefore also relates to other working dogs, that are registered with Assistance Dogs (UK) and recognised by the Department of Health and Environment.

What must be emphasised however is that there is NOT a law stating that guide dogs, hearing dogs and other dogs registered with Assistance Dogs (UK) have a 'legal right' of access to public places. Members of AD (UK) agree unanimously that we do not wish to go down the same road as the USA where they have written laws on access for assistance dogs, because legislation is not the answer to the problem.

Instead we feel it is preferable to look upon the problem (where access is refused to someone with an assistance dog) as an issue of 'disability discrimination', rather than making the issue the 'refusal of access for the dog'. In this way people are being asked to respect the rights of the disabled person rather than the rights of the assistance dog.

The "reasonable adjustments" should therefore now make it possible for the disabled person to access goods, facilities and services accompanied by their assistance dog.

Of course the Assistance Dogs (UK) organisations must expect the recipients of their dogs to exercise common sense when taking dogs into public places - after all Motor Racing Circuits and Nightclubs are no places for dogs, particularly dogs whose sensitive hearing is so important!

Decal stickers stating "NO DOGS EXCEPT REGISTERED ASSISTANCE DOGS" are gradually replacing the familiar "Guide Dogs Only" stickers on the doors of shops, restaurants and public buildings. If you would like a supply of these stickers for your business, please contact Hearing Dogs for Deaf people at the following address.