A young woman shares on Twitter how it can be difficult for people with disabilities to do everyday things like shopping.
On Friday September 11, a young woman named Liel went to a store to do her shopping. An epileptic who cannot take chemical drugs, she is accompanied by Owen, her Beauceron service dog. The animal is trained to detect a seizure before it happens. These animals feel the seizures coming and allow their owner to take shelter. They may eventually seek help or try to appease them.
Problem: the security guard refuses to let them wander through the store. The young woman presents her official card, the store manager intervenes. They let Liel do her shopping, while following her very closely, as if they fear her dog is doing something stupid.
In the face of this annoyance and humiliation, the young woman suffered a seizure shortly after leaving the store.
She decides to share her story on Twitter to speak out about a situation she believes frequent for people like her.
Law n ° 87-588 of July 30, 1987 stipulates that "access to transport and places open to the public is authorized for guide dogs or assistance dogs". In addition, "the presence of a guide dog or assistance dog alongside the disabled person should not result in additional charges for access to services and benefits".
The person in charge of security did not seem aware of these regulations. Yet unfortunate stories like these make the headlines several times a year. We remember the case of visually impaired people turned away from supermarkets, or by a restaurant owner. Hopefully Liel's story will help spread information about the rights of people with disabilities!