[nagdu] News Report Regarding Refusal of Service

Dudley Hanks dhanks at dudley-hanks.com
Mon Dec 8 01:36:39 UTC 2014


Yeah, the flight got a bit rough just before landing, and it took us a long
time to get home because of the bad roads.

The snow was so deep in places, we could hear it scraping on the floorboards
as we crept forward.

But, hey, all's well that ends well....

Cheers,
Dudley, with Michener


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Daryl Marie via
nagdu
Sent: December-07-14 6:08 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nagdu] News Report Regarding Refusal of Service

Dudley:

Nov 27? Eeeeeeeeeek!
NOT a day I would want to stand around waiting for a taxi... snowstorm,
anyone?

Daryl
----- Original Message -----
From: Ginger Kutsch via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: 'Dudley Hanks' <dhanks at dudley-hanks.com>, 'NAGDU Mailing List, the
National Association of Guide Dog Users' <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 17:14:46 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: [nagdu] News Report Regarding Refusal of Service

Edmonton cabbie fired for refusing ride to blind man and his guide dog
 December 7, 2014 azabjek at edmontonjournal.com
Source:
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/Edmonton+cabbie+fired+refusing+
ride+guide/10447197/story.html

Edmonton -- An Edmonton cab company has fired a driver who refused a ride to
a visually impaired man and his guide dog.

Dudley Hanks arrived at the Edmonton International Airport Nov. 27 with his
wife, after returning from a trip to celebrate their 25th wedding
anniversary.

Hanks is blind and the couple was accompanied by his guide dog of five
years, Michener, a German Shepherd.

When a cab from Airport Taxi Service pulled up to the taxi stand, Hanks
heard the cab driver yell to the dispatcher: "The dog has got to go in a
van."

Another couple took that taxi. Hanks said he talked to the dispatcher about
his guide dog and said they didn't require a van. Hanks said the dispatcher
mentioned the possibility of allergies.Another taxi eventually arrived and
the couple and Michener were accepted as customers.

"This is one of those things that, in Alberta in particular, there's a lack
of awareness and I wanted to make sure the taxi service at the airport
becomes aware of their obligations to accommodate guide dogs," Hanks said.

Annoyed at the situation, Hanks contacted the Edmonton Police Service, and
was directed to the Alberta Human Rights Commission, then to the Vehicle for
Hire Commission, and to the RCMP detachment at the airport.

Alberta's Service Dogs Act states it is illegal to discriminate against
someone with a disability based on the fact he or she is using a service
dog. Contravention of the act could result in a fine of up to $3,000.

The act specifically refers to taxi drivers who may have an allergy to dogs:
"It is important that you provide the allergy information to the individual
who ordered the taxi, and order another taxi from your company requesting
that a priority response be provided," says the Alberta Human Services
website.

A spokesperson with Airport Taxis told CTV News on Friday the driver had
been fired after company officials looked at security footage. The company
said it has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to denying rides to
potential customers.

Hanks doesn't know if the driver should have lost his job. A fine might have
done more to change the driver's attitude, he said.

Hanks has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye
disease that has essentially caused his retinas to dry up. His vision has
become progressively worse over the years.

"For all intents and purposes, I've been blind for the last five years," he
said.

It's not the first time he's been told he can't bring his guide dog
somewhere. He's been approached on an LRT train and told that a German
Shepherd cannot be a guide dog. He said he was once told he couldn't enter a
restaurant at Fort Edmonton Park.

"It doesn't happen often but it does happen."



-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dudley Hanks via
nagdu
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2014 12:04 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] News Report Regarding Refusal of Service

For those who are interested, here is a link to a news report regarding the
refusal of my Guide by a cab driver:

http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=506265&binId=1.1203428&playlistPageN
um=1

BTW, I talked to the police officer who is investigating and was told the
driver has been identified, and that they are now in the process of tracking
down the dispatcher.

A decision as to whether or not charges will be laid should be made sometime
next week.

Regards,
Dudley, with Michener


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