Feature Writer Romeo Edmead – No Dogs Allowed
When Joel Daze, a legally blind Canadian resident, entered a Subway restaurant, the menu was nothing like he expected. Whether he had a taste for it or not, Mr. Daze was served a foot long sandwich of discrimination. An employee on shift informed him that his guide-dog could not enter, which instantly precipitated a heated argument. “I said to myself, ‘I can’t believe this is happening at a Subway,’” Dazé said, but he was not about to be deterred. The dispute would not be resolved until Mr. Daze stated that he would call the police, which promptly caused the employee to have a change of heart. When the restaurant manager was contacted he was very apologetic, and stated that his worker was new to the store and the country.
Although Mr. Daze never experienced this type of discrimination before, he could just ask Michael Potvin, who could assure him that he is not alone. Potvin, who is the spokesman for the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) said, “There are complaints [about this kind of treatment] all across the country.” Potvin added that the CCB is working on a solution, and hopes that training will be implemented in order to provide better education regarding service animals.
Progress may soon be on the horizon though, because under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, businesses in the province have been given two years to start training all employees to properly deal with anyone with a disability. If they don’t, they could face hefty fines.
To read the original article, please go to http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/03/10/subway-blindman.html