Visually impaired people using guide dogs should be treated like regular patrons in restaurants and taxis, Hong Kong’s equality authority has said in new rules issued to foster public acceptance of the animals.
The Equal Opportunities Commission on Thursday released “Guide Dogs: A Practical Guide”, which offers tips for protecting the rights of guide dog users in various settings, including on transport, in restaurants, hotels and property management spaces, as well as in the workplace.
The recommendations asked service providers to allow guide dogs and their users to enter facilities, premises and transport vehicles, post notices or stickers to clearly indicate the allowance of their entry, provide reasonable accommodation for them and avoid imposing extra fees on them.
It also suggested operators develop measures to handle conflicts between guide dog users and others who are allergic to the animals and offer comprehensive training to staff to raise awareness of the issue.
“Some people don’t understand the use of guide dogs, and they also don’t know how to handle some situations. Therefore, this guide is helpful,” said Ferrick Chu Chung-man, executive director of operations at the commission.
Official statistics showed that there were about 47,600 visually impaired people in Hong Kong in 2020.
As of April this year, there were more than 50 trained guide dogs, which help perform tasks for people with visual impairments.
The commission said it had received seven discrimination complaints over the past five years from people with visual impairments who were accompanied by a guide dog, including being refused services or access to some premises, as well as being unfairly treated during job recruitment.
According to the watchdog, discrimination against the use of guide dogs by people with disabilities without justification may be unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance.
The commission said that although the ordinance did not specify that a refusal of the use of guide dogs was direct discrimination, a claim of indirect discrimination might be lodged by users.
Chu said that despite the small number of complaints, public understanding and knowledge of guide dogs remained limited, which prompted the commission to create the suggestions.
“We need these guidelines because when the law cannot handle it, we need to understand each other,” he said, adding it would be up to authorities and the public to consider whether new legislation was needed for the protection of guide dog users.
Mark Ma Cheuk-kin, senior policy, research and training officer of the commission, said the body conducted interviews with four guide dog users last October to collect opinions.
He said some of them noted experiences of unfair treatment, including being refused service by taxi drivers or charged HK$5 (64 US cents) in extra fees, as well as being turned away by restaurants.
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The new suggestions urged restaurants and hotels to provide equal access to the same areas as their other patrons and allow users to reserve any available room without limiting them to those designated as “pet-friendly”.
It also urged taxi drivers to suggest guide dog users sit at the back of the vehicle, keep their animals in the footwell underneath them, as well as ensure the ventilation and temperature were suitable for them.
The guide also asked property managers to handle problems related to guide dogs the same way as other issues at the premises, and urged employers to provide a proper working environment and schedule for staff with guide dogs.
Koonie Chan Koon-ha, who is severely visually impaired in both eyes, said her nine-year-old guide dog named Happy had been a great help to her daily life since the Labrador came to her home seven years ago.
Chan said her dog helped her ride public transport and guided her along roads, stairs and escalators.
But she also recalled some unpleasant experiences, including being refused entry to some restaurants, unfair treatment by bus drivers and being the target of complaints from other passengers.
Chan called on service providers to step up education for frontline staff to increase their awareness and acceptance of guide dogs.
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