Wheels & Paws

Coco has been on TV today!

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2008-11-15T16:47:00.005Z

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Assistance Dog or Service Dog?

2008-05-26T15:51:00.005+01:00

Following on from a comment by Kim in response to my Confused? entry, I thought I would try and explain the difference in terminology here.

One of the common differences between the UK and USA is the terminology used to describe the dogs that help humans with disabilities. In USA it is commonplace to call those that are not guide or hearing dogs, service dogs. Although in the UK we do have guide dogs, hearing dogs and dogs for those with other disabilities, the generic term here is "assistance dog". Some still persist with "guide and other assistance dogs" but the generic term "assistance dog" is becoming more commonplace.

Whilst I can see the merit in calling those dogs which are not guide and not hearing dogs, service dogs, it would never work here. Principly because here in the UK "the services" usually refers to the armed forces and a service dog is one who is connected with the armed forces. For example, in parts of London, these signs are quite common.

In the news!

2008-05-22T22:18:00.008+01:00

I got a call from a local journalist last week asking if I thought owning a dog or cat could be good for ones health! Here's the result.

Click on the picture for a fuller size to enable you to read the article.

I was telling a friend about this article, and the research that animals can be good for your health, and it reminded her of a recent article by Giles Coren in The Times recently, which is hilarious! Thanks Susan!

Confused?

2008-05-17T02:08:00.005+01:00

It seems clear to me that it is little wonder that the general public are confused about assistance dog access sometimes. We're a generation who have been brought up collecting bottle tops for Guide Dogs but things have moved on. The law now clearly states that any person with a disability accompanied by an assistance dog trained to mitigate their disability should be treated equally.

So, it goes without saying, that shops would want to welcome all assistance dog partnerships doesn't it? Yeh, right! Literally, within five minutes in a town centre (Windsor) recently, we saw four different "welcome" or "not welcome" signs.

Come on Waitrose, you can do better than that, surely?

Lots of information on show at Starbucks, but no generic sign for assistance dogs!

Brilliant! Well done The King & Castle!

... and well done to Boots too!

Probably bad luck but uncomfortable nonetheless

2008-05-17T01:32:00.007+01:00

We recently had occasion to take several journies using South West Trains,
and would you believe it, three out of the four trains we took, had the toilet closest to the wheelchair space out of order? Thumbs down!

For folks able to walk this isn't such a big issue as they can simply walk to the next carriage, but for wheelies it is a bigger issue. Thankfully, at the start of a three hour journey we noticed this and at the next stop the guard assisted us to move up the train to another area where the toilet was working. Phew! Thumbs up!

On the last leg of our return journey, the toilet was working, but alas it was one of the hottest days of the year and the airconditioning wasn't! Thumbs down! As soon as we boarded the train at the start of its journey we felt the difference in temperature, thumbs up to the guard who gave me his cup of cool water for Caesar, and then took his bowl and returned with a bowlful of icy cold water for him for the journey.

About three quarters of an hour into the journey, at the first stop, the train took on water for the human passengers too, trays of bottled water were made available in every carriage free of charge. Thumbs up! I've travelled on a few trains with broken airconditioning before now and only ever have I been offered water for Caesar and not myself ... well we are a nation of animal lovers after all!

Boy were we glad to receive this!

Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down!

2008-04-27T15:23:00.003+01:00

Well this week has been one of those up and down weeks, meetings in London meant that we needed to stay in another hotel and use the public transport in the city.

Firstly, a huge Thumbs Up to The City Inn, for not only having all their alarm cords easily accessible, not only for removing unecessary furniture from our room, but also for providing Caesar with a wonderfully comfortable bed to sleep in and nice big dog bowl. Great stuff!

Welcome to The City Inn!

Thumbs Down to the people on the Jubilee Line train who thoughtlessly stood in the doorway, acting like lemmings, preventing easy access to the doors at our stop, in spite of being asked politely to move and make a clear gangway, causing my wheelchair to become caught in the doors of the train and a few missed heartbeats!

Thumbs Down to the woman with a pushchair at London Bridge underground who tried to insist I remove my dog from the lift, and almost immediately rammed said pushchair into my knuckles ... great community spirit!

And finally, Thumbs Up to the staff at Westminster tube station, who in spite of a broken lift, ensured I caught my train and offered to phone ahead as well!

I guess you win a few and lose a few, but the bruised knuckles and stuck in a train door episode rather coloured the trip!

Snakeproof?!

2008-04-16T16:48:00.004+01:00

Imagine our surpirse as we turned into our driveway a couple of evenings ago and saw this!

It was originally basking in the centre of the driveway, but moved as we had clearly disturbed it. Thankfully, Caesar took two steps backwards and sat down behind me, looking at me as if to say, you deal with it! A very concrete resut of my attempting to proof him against snakes! Well done Caesar!

It was an adder, sometimes called a viper, the only UK venomous snake presumably from the nature reserve at the back of the house.

They are at their most venomous is March / April, so all dog walkers would be wise to keep their eyes open in heathland areas from now until they hibernate again in the autumn.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

2008-04-16T16:24:00.007+01:00

Well, we have finally caught up with ourselves after all the excitement of Torch Relay weekend!

A couple of days ago I did another radio interview; but it was so early in the morning, Caesar slept though it all! Funnily enough, the interviewer asked if I would do it again, and although I don't think the opportunity is likely to come my way again, I had no hesitation in saying yes.

Ironically, because the relay was rerouted, and we ran a leg across London Bridge which had no demonstrators, the footage may have been seen in China. I have had a few emails from around the world from people who saw it. I hope that our participation has sent a message that not only are people with disabilities included in our society, so are their assistance dogs!

Here's some footage of our leg of the Olympic Torch Relay!

A couple more photos from Torch Relay weekend

2008-04-10T22:06:00.006+01:00

The day before the relay, getting a feel for the torch!

With Ed Coode, Olympic Rower, who handed the torch to me in the relay, at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel
With Matthew Pinsent, Olympic Rower at the finale event in Peninsula Square, Greenwich

Photo from London Bridge

2008-04-09T21:16:00.002+01:00

Here's one of the first photos through of us on London Bridge with the Olympic Torch.

Truly a day to remember!

2008-04-07T21:44:00.005+01:00

Well, after an absolutely exhausting and eventful weekend, we are safely home and relaxing.
In spite of all the protests, the torch relay was completed, we did run, not in the place we were planned to run, but in a much safer location ... so we got the honour of transporting the flame across part of London Bridge.

More details later, but here's a couple of photos to be going on with ;o)

Wendy & Caesar with Police and BOCOG flame escorts in blue tracksuits, moments before handing the flame to Brian Thompson a fellow Samsung Everyday hero contest winner.

Note: at least thirty minders!

One day closer to the torch relay!

2008-04-02T18:09:00.003+01:00

Today Caesar went to the groomers for the full works! Very kindly, Erin, his groomer gave up a day of her holiday to work and groom Caesar for his big day. Thank you so much Erin, we really appreciate it. :o)
Now all we have to do is hope it doesn't rain so Caesar can have dry walks and not get too wet until after the weekend ;o)

Meanwhile, Wendy did another radio interview!

Tainted Terminal 5 proves too hot for Olympic torch arrival

2008-04-01T22:40:00.001+01:00

Olympic Torch to get VIP arrival in London! It arrives at Heathrow Saturday night in readiness for the Torch Relay through London on Sunday.

read more | digg story

Getting Ready for Our Big Day

2008-04-01T20:30:00.006+01:00

The past couple of days have been a bit hectic with media interviews and preparations for our big day next Sunday.

Caesar and I are carrying the Olympic Torch during the London leg of The Olympic Torch Relay! Woo Hoo!

Last autumn, Wendy was nominated by a friend (Karen) in a competition run by Samsung to find "better life heroes", people who had triumphed over diversity. To our surprise we won, and the prize is to carry the torch in London and also later in the year travel to Xi'an in China to support the relay there too. Both Wendy & Caesar will be carrying the torch, Caesar is so much a central part of Wendys' life and a catalyst for her achievements, it would not be the same without him.

We attended a star studded bash in London last autumn, where we were presented with a certificate and a super Samsung phone, and met Kimberley Walsh from Girls Aloud and Olympic Legend Sir Steve Redgrave.

The event was reported in The Daily Mirror

I have scanned another couple of nice articles from The Daily Echo and The Sun.

Wendy & Caesar with Sir Steve Redgraves 5 Olympic Gold Medals

The Olympic Torch Relay will run from Wembley to Peninsular Square in Greenwich and Wendy & Caesar will be running along Cannon Street from the junction with New Change to just east of Mansion House. To see a view of our route, click here. We'll be expecting to run at about 3.06pm.

A Sad Day

2008-03-30T21:22:00.004+01:00

Today was another one of those days when we were touched by the Circle of Life. I previously wrote about this here in December.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the unexpected and sudden death on Caesars' mother, Rosie earlier today. At 12 she wasnt old for a Golden but was suddenly taken by an infection which got the better of her.

Rest in Peace Rosie.

Mum to

2 Dogs for the Disabled, 2 Guide Dogs, 2 Guide Dog stud dogs and Millie.

Wheelchair woes continued!

2008-03-22T21:16:00.004Z

It's been an interesting week, I have been stopped in the street a few times with people wanting to tell me how dangerous my wheekchair trike is, after having seen it on the BBC Watchdog programme!

What;s really bothering me though is that my wheelchair still is not right and it is now well over two weeks since the company assured me they would call me back in 10 minutes! That's customer service for you!

I mean, how difficult is it really to make a wheelchair that will carry someone about town without collapsing?

I saw a fantastic video today, and thought not only were the stunts incredible, the chair must be too ... take a look ...

Kudos to you Aaron, and kudos to Colours Wheelchairs!

Crufts

2008-03-21T20:30:00.003Z

Our trip to Crufts was pretty much hassle free with regard to access problems!!! Three exclaimation marks, as that really is something of a record!

Our train journey was fine, the Cross Country staff very helpful the Virgin staff at Birmingham International Station are always very welcoming and helpful, a minor grumble from the taxi driver followed but nothing we couldn't handle ;o)

The first hicccup was that our fully accessible hotel room wasn't fully accessible! Having phoned them several times to check and booked months ahead we were extremely disappointed to discover no roll in shower and a high sided bath! Hmmm. We deftly negotiated a hefty discount for the misinformation that secured our booking, as there was no possible way we could find accommodation elsewhere at that late stage.

As far as the N.E.C. goes, things are so much better than there were a few years ago, the revamp has meant that there are now so many toilets that normals don't even have to occupy the accessible loos to avoid queues anymore. There are adequate lifts and ramps at strategic points, and ringside seating to watch the show was ample for the number of wheelies who required space.

We had another slight hiccup on the Friday morning when we needed to use a lift to access the railway station as we were due at a press briefing and photocall, only to discover the lift out of order! Thankfully a nearby member of staff called for further assistance and we were shown to an alternative lift (which we never would have found on our own) and made it to the station with a couple of minutes to spare! Pheeeew! Of course a lift going out of commission is unforseeable, but it brought home exactly how inaccessible a place can become in a moment when one thing goes wrong!

The N.E.C. certainly botched up the ticketing for the Best in Show event. They handle te ticket sales for The Kennel Club. Ours were booked back last autumn but about a month before the show they wrote and asked for them back ... the paper was tacky, poorly photocopied and not even signed. It looked like a fake so I phoned the N.E.C. to check its validity, they didn't know what was happeneing so I hung on to the tickets and waited for what came next ... they sent new tickets. When we arrived at The Best in Show event, we discovered that I had been given a ticket in one place and my two companions were to be seated some distance away (possibly 50 seats between us). Hardly a good advert for equality and inclusion N.E.C.!

Thankfully, the ladies who were charged with showing us to our seats had more sense and seated us together, but that was nowhere near the seats that we had booked and paid for last September!

It was brilliant to see and meet so many assistance dog partnerships at the show, to share experiences, and chat over common ground.

We took part in a couple of press briefings and photoshoots, one to promote the launch of The Year of the Assistance Dog and one which involved Virgin Trains being awarded a Dog Star Award for their helpful service to all assistance dog partnerships. We also received a very generous cheque from Samsung on behalf of Dogs for the Disabled and chatted to many people our role in the upcoming Olympic Torch Relay.

Let sleeping dogs lie!

2008-03-03T18:16:00.001Z

After a bath and full grooming session there's nothing else for any self respecting assistance dog to do than settle down and catch up on some sleep before the busyness of Crufts later in the week!

Mixed Messages!

2008-03-02T17:10:00.004Z

Followers of this blog will know my feelings about shops and other premises displayng "Guide Dogs Only" signs on their doors when in reality UK law allows all Registered Assistance Dogs Access. To be fair, a lot of places do allow all assistance dogs, but the signage is behind the times and doesn't always reflect this.

I was quite surprised recently to find a sign at our local shopping centre entrance, they not only had the "Registered Assistance Dogs Only" sign that is promoted by Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) but right underneath it the words "NO DOGS except Guide Dogs"... I am still trying to work that one out!

Equality for footie fans with disabilities?

2008-03-02T16:50:00.004Z

Well, I guess the answer to that is not always! I was really surprised when visiting the Madejski Stadium in Reading recently to watch the match with Manchester United, that the Reading fans who are wheelchair users get not only a wheelchair space but that their companion may sit on a seat beside them. No such luxury accorded to visiting fans, I had a place in the wheelchair enclosure, but my companion had to take a seat on the terraces below! Nice one Reading ... NOT!

This sort of provision is not really acceptable in that it endangers some people with disabilities, should their health take a sudden turn, or should they need assistance with feeding or adjusting their position and so on. It was impossible for the companions to get out of the terrace easily to get back to the wheelchair enclosure.

Before the game started there was a quite ironic announcement over the tannoy to please inform a steward of you felt discriminated against whilst at the stadium ...

Other than this blatant second class treatment for visiting supporters, our experience of using public trabnsport to and from the game was second to none, very impressive rail and accible bus services to get us to and from the ground, so thumbs up for that.

Overall and enjoyable day, delightful to see R&R (Rooney & Ronaldo) in great form and both making the scoresheet. Reading 0 - Manchester United 2.

Manchester United & Reading limbering up before the match.

Yet more wheelchair woes!

2008-02-28T19:25:00.001Z

Well, the wheelchair came back from the manufacturers again, new frame and reinforced fittings on the casters, I wish I could be delighted, but alas! Sadly, there is still something wrong with the folding mechanism which is impeding the efficacy of the backrest ... watch this space!

Access Denied!

2008-02-19T20:00:00.003Z

Why is it that just when things seem to be going along smoothly something always happens to bring one up with a start?

Last week I was asked to leave our local hospital because I was accompanied by my assistance dog. I'd gone there to collect someone who had been in for a days tests.

I was asked to leave as apparently "it is the Trusts policy not to allow dogs in clinical areas" mention of disease and the fact that it wasn't essential for my assistance dog to be there was made. Then the killer blow, "it would be different if you were the patient". Well how on earth would the health risks (their words not mine) from my assistance dog be different on a day when I am the patient as opposed to a day when I am collecting my next of kin from a days treatment? Hmmmm, odd that.

It wouldn;t have been so bad if I had just turned up, but I did present myself at the reception and ask to see the patient concerned, and indeed was shown in! It also begs the question of an exact definition of a clinical area, and who decides it is so ... clearly the member of staff who allowed me in wasn't sure either! Then of course there is the fact thast other patients were allowed to have visitors in the area ... even with noticeable coughs and colds, most probably a far greater risk to everyones health than a well groomed, working assistance dog.

Of course I agreed to leave immediately, but asked to see someone in authority and also to see the "trust policy" that apparently barred my Registered Assistance Dog and thus discriminated against me as a person with a disability. Needless to say, the next member of staff up the supply chain could not produce the policy either ... they just knew that the presence of an assistance dog was a health risk!!

Inevitably, this is very much a watch this space ... I have made a verbal complaint and am taking advice ... in the meantime, I had no option but to cancel my own appointment two days later and have been sent a new one for May!

I've now had two phone calls from the hospital and it now transpires there is no "trust policy" in place and have had an apology ... maybe that policy is way overdue!

Thank goodness for common sense

2008-02-10T16:04:00.000Z

I met someone this week with an assistance dog from another UK training organisation, one of the main differences that I can see, between the rules of that organisation and the one my dog comes from (Dogs for the Disabled), is that we are allowed to travel abroad.

All the assistance dog organisations in the United Kingdom have been in existence since before the Pet Passport Scheme (PETS) was introduced for dogs and cats travelling from certain European countries on 28 February 2000. The Scheme was extended to Cyprus, Malta and certain long haul countries and territories on 31 January 2001. Bahrain joined on 1 May 2002. Mainland USA and Canada joined on 11 December 2002.

Naturally, there are health considerations with travelling abroad, but with common sense and enough reasearch and advice one can travel into and out of the UK with very little trouble at all. Caesar and I first travelled abroad in 2004, and the ability to have him with me, working in various countries that I have wished to travel to has enabled me to become truly independent and for both of us has been a very validating experience.

I cannot imagine how I would feel, ably assisted by my assistance dog within the confines of the UK but as soon as my advocacy work took me abroad we'd have to part company.

Surely, the whole object of becoming independent with the help of an assistance dog is freedom ... freedom to choose where one travels being included in that?

Naturally, all our travels are undertaken after a full assessment of the risks involved to both Caesar and myself, and of course we would not travel together if it meant he would suffer in any way ...

I'm really glad to have a dog from an organisation that understands the autonomy of partnership and doesn't treat partnerships in a paternalistic way, making rules which deny freedom.

Food for thought.

2008-02-10T15:53:00.000Z

It's been an interestng and thought provoking week ... I was told to expect my (rebuilt) wheelchair to be returned on Friday, needless to say, it's not back yet! Just as well I wasn't holding my breath! Ironically, on Friday I had a conversation with someone who told me about another mobility product being the subject of legal action because it was not deemed fit for the purpose ...

I had to travel to London for a meeting and duly booked the wheelchair space in the train well ahead of time ... only to find my pre-booked space was occupied, by a mother with a pram ... thankfully, there was another wheelchair space unoccupied, so I removed my reserved slip from the original space and moved to the vacant space. Fair enough, parents with prams need somewhere to sit, but what if the other wheelchair space had not been vacant, where would that have left me? This is a tricky one, the railway company advise people using wheelchairs to book ahead of time to reserve the space, yet someone with a pram can board the train with no notice and occupy it anyway ... perhaps if there was more room on the train for prams elsewhere we wouldn't see them occupying the disabled persons seats.

Assistance Dog featured on First Class Stamp!

2008-02-05T13:47:00.000Z

There was a certain poignancy this morning as Caesar, my assistance dog brought the post to me in bed ... amongst the post was a first day cover featuring an assistance dog!

The dog in question is Rowan, a fellow Dog for the Disabled (who works assisting Melissa) and he is featured on the first class stamp. Great stuff!

The whole set of stamps features working dogs, the series having been launched to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the police dog. The dogs featured are an assistance dog from Dogs for the Disabled, a mountain rescue dog, a police dog, a customs dog and a second assistance dog from Guide Dogs.

Although in the Year of the Assistance Dog it would have been nice to see a whole set of stamps dedicated to assistance dogs in their own right, I think this set will do a lot to bring assistance dogs more into the consciousness of the general public, and hopefully that will have a knock on effect with regard to access and inclusion for people with disabilities partnered with these fantastic dogs.

More wheelchair woes!

2008-01-29T21:57:00.000Z

The week before Christmas, my wheelchair, yes, the new one, went kaput again! After some negotiations, it was taken back by the manufacturers for checks and was returned apparently repaired.

All was well whilst I only used the chair indoors over Christmas, however on my second outing with it, the same front wheel buckled under again and rendered the chair pretty much useless.

I really don't understand what the problem is, young wheelchair using guys do all sorts of acrobatics in theirs and they are fine, but as a middle aged woman I don't seem to be able to hit the smallest of stones before it buckles under ... considering the chair was meant to have been built for me, to suit my size and so on, it doesn't really make any sense whatsoever.

So, back to the manufacturer for the fourth time (I think it is the fourth, starting to lose count), they have now apparently found a problem with it they missed last time and also finally have acknowledged my feeling that the frame was twisted. So, I have been without it for a fortnight and it isn't likely to be ready for at least another week.

I'm starting to feel like I have a lemon of a chair ... my previous ones have been made in Sweden and Switzerland but this time I was determined to buy British ... hmmmmmm!

Welcome 2008!

2008-01-02T00:30:00.000Z

2008 has been designated the Year of the Assistance Dog in the United Kingdom!

Five charities which train assistance dogs in the United Kingdom have announced plans to designate 2008 Year of the Assistance Dog, campaigning for the rights of assistance dog partnerships.

The five organisations that comprise Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK); Dogs for the Disabled, Support Dogs, Canine Partners, Guide Dogs, and Hearing Dogs, will work together to promote rights of access to services for all assistance dog partnerships. Partnerships will be encouraged to nominate retailers, leisure facilities, public premises, parks and transport operators for Dog Stars, giving service providers with an incentive to make their premises assistance dog friendly.
Dog Star Awards will be symbols of service excellence, given in recognition that premises and services meet the needs of all assistance dog partnerships. For example, provision of wheelchair access, Braille menus for blind and partially-sighted people, induction loops for customers with hearing impairment, and of course – water bowls for assistance dogs!

On the whole access in the UK for assistance dog partnerships is good, but there remain challenges which can lead to disadvantage and unlawful discrimination towards partnerships, by highlighting good practice with Dog Star Awards it is hoped that such good practice will become the norm from service providers.

The Institute of Environmental Health Officers advises that assistance dogs should not be a risk to hygiene. These dogs are regularly groomed to the highest standard and the health and condition of every dog is checked regularly by a vet. It is the responsibility of the person partnered with the dog to ensure that their dog meet the highest level of hygiene.

Background

Since December 1996, it has been unlawful for hoteliers and restaurant owners to refuse to serve a disabled person or offer a lower standard of service for reasons related to the person’s disability. Since October 2004, the law also requires that service providers make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their premises to overcome barriers to access.
Taxi drivers – since 31 March 2001 (31 March 2003 in Scotland) – are required to carry, free of charge, assistance dogs travelling with their owner. A similar duty has applied since 31 March 2004 to drivers and operators of private hire vehicles (private hire cars in Scotland).
Additionally, since 4 December 2006, under Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), it has been unlawful for them to refuse service to a disabled person, or offer a lower standard of service for reasons related to the person’s disability. The law also requires them to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people in the way that their services are provided – though that does not include physical alterations to the vehicles.

Spare a thought for those vital animals as new year approach

2007-12-31T23:42:00.001Z

Fireworks put fear into assistance dogs, please think of the consequences of letting them off in urban areas this new year.

read more | digg story

Muslims break taboo to allow guide dog into mosque -Times Online

2007-12-26T16:12:00.001Z

Interesting article about Guide Dogs for the Blind in the UK planning to place a guide dog with a Muslim teenager. Many different angles here as to what might be right and what might not be so good for the dog, certainly an interesting development.

read more | digg story

It's almost Christmas!

2007-12-22T23:00:00.000Z

The loss of a great man.

2007-12-22T22:54:00.000Z

A light, a shining star in the world of assistance dog advocacy has gone out. It was with great sadness that we learned of the untimely and sudden passing of Michael Osborn, a guide dog partner and leading player in the world of advocacy, earlier this month.

Michael was key to the breakthrough in legislation that led to assistance dogs being allowed to travel in the airline cabin from North America to the UK; something which we, as a partnership have benefited directly from.

When I won the IAADP scholarship in January 2006, Michael arranged my flights and that's how I got to know him and gained the courage to travel to California and back with just my assistance dog Caesar as my companion.

At the IAADP conference in San Diego, I was asked to deliver the keynote speech, and to my horror and embarrassment, named Michael as Michael Hastings (the name of his guide dog) instead of Michael Osborn, I need not have worried, I was told afterwards Michael was highly amused and flattered by my faux pas!

It was with great trepidation that I accepted co-option onto the IAADP Board at that conference to fill the space left by Michaels' resignation follwoing his taking up other committments.

Hastings loved the pheasant Caesar had brought him from the UK!

A message from Ed Eames the President of IAADP:

To honor the memory of Michael Osborn, whose advocacy effortsmade it possible for assistance dog partners to travel to theUnited Kingdom accompanied by their guide, hearing and service dogs in the airplane cabin, the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) will be dedicating its 2008 conference in his name. Michael, a former IAADP Board member, anticipated with relish attending the conference on June 25 at the Renaissance Hotel at Heathrow Airport, London. Those of us travelling from North America to the UK are deeply indebted toMichael for all of his efforts on his and our behalf. His tenacity and persuasiveness paved the way for all of us desiring to travel internationally with our canine assistants. The conference luncheon will provide an opportunity to celebrate his life and achievements. For conference details, check http://www.iaadp.org/.

Imagine the reactions I get ...

2007-12-22T21:43:00.001Z

... when I phone up a hotel and ask where the nearest grass is! "What sort of grass ma'am"? "Well, the lawn type of grass, it's usually green, or a bush or some shingle or other soft surface ..."

The conversation usually degenerates into laughter when the person on the other end of the phone realises I need somewhere for my assistance dog to relieve himself! During the day it doesn't really matter as I am quite resourceful in finidng a park or somewhere else for him to have a run, but first thing in the morning and last thing at night we need somewhere close.

It surprises me how often the person on the end of the phone can't immediately think of what grass is nearby! I often find myself asking something like, "I can see from Google Earth you have some greenery on the far side of the hotel car park, can you tell me if that is accessible or fenced off please"?

Coincidentally, assistance dog relieving areas came up in at least two of my meetings recently, the whole thing isn't as simple as one might think, soft surface, wheelchair accessible (for pick up), safe so the dog can releieve off lead and so on ...

I suspect increasingly, under the new Disability Equality Duty we shall see dog relieving areas at major venues. Which will only be a good thing :o)

More hotels, more taxis, more problems!

2007-12-22T21:17:00.000Z

A couple of weeks ago I had a very hectic schedule, four meetings in four days in London, and three separate hotels were booked on my behalf.

First hotel, the bed in the accessible room was against the wall, no recognition that a person needing an accessible room might only be able to transfer to and from the bed one way. Second hotel, wow an electric door opener, saved a lot of faffing around entering and leaving the room, but alas it made such an awful elctronic buzz all night it kept me awake ... shower next morning, something wrong with the accessible shower and it flooded the whole bathroom! Last hotel of the week was the best, even had electric sockets reachable from the bed and access wise was top of the list. Sadly all three had at least one emergency alarm cord tied up "out of the way".

I really do wonder who advises all these places as somehow something goes wrong between having a great idea and it being practical for everday use by people with mobility disabilities.

While on the subject of hotels, what is it that makes folk think that people who need an accessible room wouldn't like a view? Having had the need to use hotels across the UK, Europe and USA I have frequently asked for an accessible room with a view, even at Niagara Falls, this was impossible. The third hotel listed above has rooms overlooking the River Thames and at the back the main rail line into London Waterloo, yes, you've guessed it, their accessible rooms back onto the railway line! One has to then make the decision, a lower floor accessible room for easier evacuation in an emergency but more railway noise, or a higher room, take your chances with evacuation but a quieter environment! A bit of a no brainer really!

By far the biggest disappointment of the week was the number of times I was refused a ride in a London taxi! Grrrrrr, people with disabilities need to get to work as well you know! One morning, I was trying to get a cab for almost half an hour on a main road in Kensington, numerous taxis with their lights on to declare they are for hire, but I guess sitting on the pavement in my wheelchair with my assistance dog beside me makes me invisible! Several taxis literally turned around, turned their lights off or took someone else after I had hailed them. The prize has to go to the two taxis that refused to pick my up right outside the Dept for Transport ... it really is time the Carriage Office got out and about and did some spot checks and filming of such disgraceful behaviour.

Of course there is the option to take the number on the taxi and report them, which I have done on several occasions now, but unless there is clear committment from the legal department of the Carriage Office to prosecute, there is little point, disabled people will remain at the bottom of the heap when it comes to hailing cabs in the street in London.

Just this morning I received notification that a complaint following such an incident late at night in London is not to be taken forward for prosecution, I had a witness and the driver even admitted he was there ... what more does it take to prove discrimination?

It really is tempting to undertake a filming project to prove this point as so many people don't appreciate the problems involved unless they witness it first hand.

It is such a shame as it reflects on all the cabs, and probably 90% are run by decent helpful people.

Our 7th Anniversary!

2007-12-07T22:35:00.000Z

Today, Caesar and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary together as a partnership ... it doesn't seem like half that time at all!

When I look back now at how we both were the day we met, we've both come a looooooong way!

This afternoon I made dog biscuits and Caesar enjoyed eating them. I tried one, it's still repeating on me now, hours later!

We've had seven fantastic years together and I hope we'll have many, many more.

The Circle of Life

2007-12-07T22:11:00.000Z

Quite frequently, people stoip me and ask how old Caesar is, and often they'll go on to ask how long will he work for, who will have him when he retires and so on. Sometimes the more blunt ask: "Exactly how long do Golden Retrievers live for"?

Well, in spite of good healthcare, preventative medicine and a good diet, there is no exact science about how long a dog will live, or even work.

This is something that all assistance dog partnerships live and wrestle with. On the one hand so grateful for the new lease of life partnership with their dog has given them, while all the time knowing that anything can happen and that oneday, even the best partnerships will come to an end.

One day this week I was online early in the morning, and saw an online pal who lives in New York, some five hours behind me timewise was already online. Up late or up early, I enquired. Cyndy replied up all night, today was the day her new guide dog was due to arrive and she was so excited ... my mind immediately raced back to the day Caesar was new ... ooooh exciting! Almost two years since her last guide dog had retired, so it was a big day. Cyndy and I spent some time chatting and then parted company to get on with our days on either side of the pond.

Then the postman came, I was delighted to see a Christmas card with a tiny puppy, it was one of Millys', Caesars' niece who is a Brood Bitch for Guide Dogs. News inside said all 11 puppies, born in the summer are now in training to become guide or assistance dogs. Fantastic news. Great Uncle Caesar ... whatever next!

There are actually three and a half pups in this picture, the black ones almost blend in!

Just after lunch on the same day, I opened an email from a fellow Dogs for the Disabled partner. Devastating news, her beloved Golden had passed away ... they were such a perfectly matched couple it seemed so unfair.

And so there it was the circle of life in a day, certainly focussed my mind onto the joys and sadnesses of partnership with an assistance dog. The joy of partnership, the new found freedom and eventually the sadness at the parting.

In my mind, the most fitting tribute anyone can pay to their assistance dog is to cherish the good times and continue with the freedom gained rejoicing in what was gained, but it certainly isn't easy. My big Golden boy absorbed more than a few tears that day :o(

I am trying to decide what I think about days!

2007-12-06T01:04:00.000Z

November 14th was World Diabetes Day, December 1st was World Aids Day and December 3rd was the UN International Day of Disabled Persons. The first two days were covered very well in the news and it is easy to see how the causes can benefit from the coverage, and really raise awareness, but with the IDDP not many people knew about it ... I didn't see any mention on the news and only when I googled it I learned about events taking place, mostly seminars and so on.
This year for World Diabetes Day, monuments all round the world were lit up in the blue colour associated with the organisation, I was lucky enough to be in London and see the London Eye lit in blue for the event and also to see the awareness messages projected onto The Shell Centre on The South Bank. In my hobby of geocaching there was even a special Diabetes awareness geocoin minted and distributed to geocachers to travel with the message all around the world.

On World Aids Day many performers and celebrities on television wore the red ribbons associated with the aids awareness campaign too.

It seems there were quite a number of events worldwide for IDDP, which was set up by the UN in 1992 to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities at both national and international levels. Handicap International give a good resume of what the day is all about. It's a sobering thought that The World Health Organisation have stated that about 10% of the worlds population are disabled and of them 80% live in developing countries.

Willkommen in Deutschland ... or are we?

2007-11-24T19:17:00.000Z

We recently spent alost a fortnight in Germany, the main purpose of the visit was to attend and speak at the annual conference of Assistance Dogs Europe. We flew to Frankfurt with British Airways and once again received excellent service on the way out and back. Caesar always seems to enjoy flying and is very relaxed.

After landing, enjoying the view while we await ground assistance.

Our hosts in Frankfurt were very kind and the conference was excellent; so much to hear and see, so many people to catch up with and so much to learn. We took the opportunity to advertise the IAADP conference which is due to be held in London in June 2008 and got more European members too.

After the conference we spent time with friends in Frankfurt city, and it wasn't too long before we realised that access for people with disabilities and assistance dog partnerships wasn't what we had hoped.

I'd booked us into a four star hotel which had an accessible room, roll in shower, the lot! Unfortunately though, the front entrance looked like this!

Then there was the extremely heavy door to the corridor of our room, it couldn't be opened by a wheelchair user alone, and the roll in shower ... the floor was so slippery it was a danger to use!

As if all that wasn't bad enough, we thought we'd get a few supplies at the local Lidl supermarket. We hadn't gotten beyond the door before being accosted by a couple of members of staff, almost an impasse; they didnt speak English and my German isn't up to much. I did understand "keine hunde" though. Cue, my handy letter of introduction written in German from a local assistance dog training program to explain the very special training and essential role of Caesar ... they went away, they made phone calls, they got a customer who spoke English to ask us to leave! She explained, you do not appear to be blind, I proffered he is an assistance dog, a similar type of thing ... she wasn't listening ... she said it was against the law to allow us in ... we had no choice but to leave.

Later on we checked, and although there is no law to say assistance dogs have rights of access, there is also no law to say they are not allowed ... Lidl should be ashamed of themselves!

Thankfully, McDonalds, Burger King, Woolworths and several other shops allowed us in.

What a mess!

To put all this into perspective, it is widely accepted that the modern guide dog movement was started by Dr Gerhard Stalling, in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany in 1916. 91 years later and an assistance dog partnership still cannot buy a pint of milk!

I guess this illustrates the work ahead of us in Europe to gain pan-European access for all assistance dog partnerships and not just guide dog partnerships.

People cycle far more in Frankfurt than perhaps some other parts of Europe, and there are great cycle lanes; often these are to the edge of the pavement so that the pavement becomes a shared space, marked by white lines. I was very interested to see that on the cycle lane, when there was a junction there were dropped kerbs in place so that cyclists didn;t have to dismount to cross; whereas, almost without exception there was no dropped kerb on the pedestrain bit of the pavement. This means wheelchair users and people pushing baby buggies etc have to cross into the cycle lane to use the dropped kerb ... running the gauntlet of some of the cyclists who have very efficient bells and aren't too keen on slowing down!

Something access wise, which we saw in Germany and have never seen before, was provision within the accessible toilets. Like this one in Frankfurt airport arrivals area.

Not only a multi level monkey pole by the toilet but note the handrails alongside the sink and the adjustable angle mirror. Thumbs up!

So, access and inclusion provision in Germany was very mixed, ranging from the excellent right through to the poor ... I guess the difficulty was that one could never really relax, not knowing whether or not one would be welcome.

More tall people required!

2007-11-24T18:46:00.000Z

Oh dear! Another hotel, another set of alarm cords tied beyond the reach of any average height wheelchair user. 4 star hotel, £212 a night and they still can't be bothered to make an accessible room accessible!

Unreachable from the bed!

Unreachable from the bath or shower!

Unreachable from the toilet!

Clearly anyone falling on the floor wouldn't be able to summon help, which would be such a shame considering there has been the financial investment in accessibility.

When checking out of this hotel, I flagged up the problem to the front desk staff, "...they are tied up as they get in the way for our other guests" ... errr, HELLO! This is an accessible room, when it is booked as such it should be ready for guests who need the room to be accessible ... anything less is careless and a total waste of the facilities.

Disabled Lift!

2007-11-15T23:03:00.001Z

I just couldn't pass by this sign seen last week in the Trocadero Centre, just off Picadilly, London.

A disabled lift, does that mean it doesn't actually work properly? Actually, I used it, wasn't bad considering it is disabled!

Emergency Alarm Cord ... only for the very tall!

2007-10-20T11:40:00.000+01:00

The good thing about the Physical Features duties of the Disability Discrimination Act (Oct. 2004) becoming law is that service providers have to take reasonable steps to overcome physical barriers which stop, or make it difficult for, people with disabilities using a particular service.

There has been a steady increase in the number of hotels which have rooms suitably adapted for people with disabilities. Of course this has to be appluaded but one thing that really gets my goat is that these rooms are not always ready for use by a person with a disability.

Many hotels pride themselves in having accessible rooms with emergency call systems in them. Usually beside the bed, beside the toilet and in the shower area.

I have lost count of the number of times I visit hotel rooms and have to lower the emergency cords in the bathroom because someone else has tied them up to keep them out of the way!

There seems to be absolutely no point at all in having them if they are out of reach, and certainly they should be reachable from the floor, as if one has a fall that;s pretty much where one is going to end up!

So, if you see and emergency system cord tied up "out of the way" and indeed out of reach, please join me in:

a)bringing this to the attention of the proprietor

and

b) untying the cord and allowing to hang at its full length.

This cord wasn't easily reachable from my wheelchair let alone by someone who had fallen to the floor! The photo was taken in a hotel I stay in regularly, apart from untying the cords, I alerted the staff to this problem, it will be interesting to see what postion the cords are in upon my return!

Thumbs Up for the O2 Arena!

2007-10-15T01:11:00.000+01:00

Back in July, I recorded here that the O2 Arena (formerly known as The Millenium Dome) had had a change of thought with regard to charging for the P.A.s / companions of people with disabilities attending shows there.

Finally, on 5th September, we got to attend the show we'd booked up for months ago, Elton John brought his Las Vegas Red Piano Show to London for one night only.

I realised with just a few days to go before the show that I would be in London overnight and of course Caesar, my trusty assistance dog would be with me. There's no question of Caesar not liking Eltons' music, but he doesn't quite like it at the volume it would be offered at during a live concert. So I hastily sent off an email to the O2 Customer Services Dept with a Special Needs request; viz, a dog sitter for during the show. (This type of thing is pretty commonplace in theatres and larger music venues in the UK). My email was sent at 15.20 on Saturday 1st September, and their reply arrived at 15.46!! 26 minutes to get a reply, very impressive! Pleasingly, it was a positive response and they said they'd be happy to look after Caesar in the Customer Services Dept.

When we arrived at the venue, somewhat later than planned (as we had mistakenly thought a riverboat from Westminster was the most efficient way to travel there), we made ourselves known at Customer Sevices and in no time someone was available to take Caesar to be looked after in a quieter area of the venue.

We went off to get something to eat, and then to find our seats, the wheelchair platform had a fantastic view of the stage, so much so it felt like when Elton was looking our way he was singing right to those on the platform. In fact we had such a good view the bouncers had to try and stop a few "normals" poaching places on the platform!

Thankfully the staff were very on the ball and ensured that the accessible toilets (which also usually get encroached upon at events like this) were only used by those who genuinely needed them.

It was a toe tapping, sing-a-long, packed with visual stunts kind of show that was very different to anything I have seen from Elton in the twenty odd shows I have seen before. Great stuff!

After the show we went to collect Caesar and his trusty Teddy from the Customer Services office and found him to be fast asleep ... no better assurance that he was content with his evening I'd say. Of course he was pleased to be reunited with us, and we all headed off back to our hotel, via another awful inaccessible riverboat experience.

Thumbs up and thank you O2 Arena, great customer service, we'll be back, but maybe next time on the tube ;o)

This picture shows the front rail of the wheelchair users platform and of course Elton on stage.

Thumbs up too for Elton as he didn't mind the audience taking photos throughout the show.

Disabled persons parking facilities, why abuse them?

2007-10-07T19:53:00.000+01:00

One thing that is really close to the heart of many people with disabilities is the commonplace abuse of parking facilities. There are precious few accessible parking places within close proximity to the shops and banks in Broadstone, Dorset and this vehicle was seen occupying one of them ... there was no Blue Badge displayed on the vehicle and one can only imagine why they are parked there. Notice the clear road marking for the parking bay and also the fact that the parking signs are in clear view of the cab of the vehicle!

This is a classic example of the need for the Baywatch Campaign which is supported by Disability Now, Mobilise, The British Polio Fellowship and Time to Get Equal.

You took the parking place, will you take the disability too?

All's well that ends well ... or is it?

2007-10-04T21:57:00.000+01:00

Finally, the right sized replacement wheels arrived on Wednesday ... so back in action and able to use my new wheelchair again. As Elton John sang, "Sorry seems to be the hardest word" not one word of apology that my chair let me down so badly has been uttered!

Aparently the wheels I have now been supplied from Spinergy via my wheelcahir supplier are non faulty types with reinforced hubs ... well see chaps won't we? The average length of life of a wheelchair is meant to be 3 years, so I'll have plenty of time to find out! Forgive me if I seem a tad cynical, but this new chair does seem to be a bit of a lemon, I'm hoping I have had all the teething problems in the first two months and it will be plain sailing from here on in.

The problem is, when a wheelchair fails, especially away from home, one is left up the creek without a paddle, or in this recent case, in the gutter in a dark street, miles from home on a Saturday night!
Pictures of the wheel hub showing where the spokes ripped the hub, and also showing how the wheel buckled under the chair.

The new wheels arrived ... elation turned to despondency!

2007-10-02T22:04:00.000+01:00

I was delighted that my replacement, non faulty hub wheels arrived from the wheelchair supplier today, only about 26 hours after I had flagged the problem up to them. Good job, I thought as I eagerly opened the box ... oh dear, they sent the wrong size wheels! Now this is the company that sold me the "just a smidgeon under" £3000 wheelchair only 8 weeks ago, you'd imagine they of all people would know the size wouldn't you?

Several phone calls later, I got a promise of another new wheel delivery tomorrow ...

We ended up in a Police Car!

2007-10-01T21:25:00.001+01:00

On Saturday we went to Birmingham to watch Manchester United play Birmingham City, our first away match as United fans. Caesar had the day off as he has told me before football isn't really his cup of tea ;o) There were a few access hiccups en route but nothing major; the trains weren't running on the first part of our journey and were replaced by inaccessible buses, so the rail company had to pay for a taxi the first thirty miles or so! They also had to provide a taxi the last thirty miles on the way home.

We enjoyed the match and had a good vantage point once we had moved, originally we were sat just alongside the goal mouth but it became clear the photographers would block our view as the ground level was actually about eye level for me while sitting in my wheelchair. I always think you can tell a lot about an orgainsation by the way they treat their disabled patrons!

United won 1-0 and and all that was left was a quick stroll the couple of miles from the ground to Birmingham New Street station for our train back to Dorset.

We were making good speed behind the Coppers in riot gear (kind of slipstreaming) when I went down a kerb and CRUNCH ... a wheel on my eight week old, "just a smidgeon under" £3000 wheelchair collapsed beneath me. Utter shock ... apart from realising we'd miss our train, I was now rendered helpless in the gutter. One of the riot gear clad Coppers said "wait right there, I'll get help to you". (Maybe he realised two Utd shirt clad fans in the gutter of a dark sidestreet were sitting ducks)!

In minutes we were rescued by a police car, darn, the wheelchair plus us two wouldn't fit into the car, so they summoned a white police van as well. We were soon on our way in the back of the police car and my wheelchair and trike followed in the van. What a way to arrive at the station! I've never been in a police car before ...

We arrived at the station just as our train was due to leave. Thankfully, there was another train an hour later and the railway staff were very helpful in assisting the police get us to our train in a borrowed station wheelchair. We finally got home around 2am, but at least we, if not the wheelchair were in one piece!

Today I called the w/c company and heck, would you believe it, after some enquiries they discover that Spinergy supplied a duff batch of wheel hubs where the spokes are threaded too close to the edge and they hadn't done a product recall! I can imagine before too long someone is going to get really hurt coming out of a chair due to this. Needless to say the air in my house this morning was blue, but sanity was restored when my supplier promised to deliver 2 new wheels tomorrow with new (non faulty hubs).

So a big thanks is due to the West Midlands Police & Virgin Trains for their quick thinking and sensible help!

Detroit Zoo

2007-09-26T20:55:00.001+01:00

While in the vicinity, we decided to visit Detroit Zoo with a couple of friends. One has a Labrador Retriever assistance dog for mobility assistance, and the other has a Yorkshire Terrier psychiatric assistance dog.

So, we cut quite a sight, four women with three dogs wanting to visit the zoo. (Not something too unusual, we'd done the same together in San Diego some 18 months previously). Entry was straightforward, we were informed that staff would be informed of our party and know that the dogs were bona fide assistance dogs. Fair enough.

Not twenty yards into the zoo we were challenged by another member of staff, asking if the dogs were all assistance dogs. We gave suitable assurances and were allowed on our way. Sometime later, we were aware that we were being followed and after exiting one of the reptile houses were challenged again ... and again when the member of staff following us joined in.

They made disparaging remarks about the size of the Yorkshire Terrier suggesting anyone could put an assistance dog vest on a dog and claim it was such. No such challeneged were made of the Labrador or of my dog, Caesar.

This set the tone for the whole visit and we were constantly followed and watched, so much so that we decided to split up in the end so the staff would have to decide who to follow.

Staff seemed to want to see certification of the Yorkshire Terrier, which in USA under the Americans with Disabilities Act is illegal. Not once did they ask for certification of the Labrador or my own Golden Retriever ... it was a salutory lesson in the harassment of people who have non standard breeds for their assistance dogs.

I wish I could say there was a positive outcome when we complained before leaving, but alas, no.

Customer Service? Or a promise not to sue?

2007-09-26T20:41:00.000+01:00

While in USA we had occasion to fly, with NorthWest Airlines from Chicago to Detroit, and quick hop, no biggie, or so we thought!

Having booked months ahead and having requested assistance to board we arrived at the gate early and I presented myself to the apropriate member of staff and requested pre-boarding (as is usual for anyone with an assistance dog or disability). I was asked if I had someone with me, which I was happy to confirm. We waited and were beckoned forward to pre-board. At the end of the jet bridge there was the aisle chair which I need to transfer, but no member of staff. My companion boarded with Caesar and I sat and waited ... and waited ... and waited. I was in tears.

Unbeknown to me, the staff on the plane were asking Karen was I actually travelling or not! Eventually, the other passengers arrived and I was still sat there after they'd all boarded.

My heart sank, even the cabin crew and captain couldn't explain what was going on. Eventually, 10 minutes before take off the special assistance arrived. I was boarded, but in a rather humiliating way, being lifted in front of all the other passengers!

During the flight, I enquired of a member of the cabin crew if there would be assistance at the other end to disembark; "Oh they knoooow" he said in a rather loud and patronising way, so much so that several other passengers turned to look who he was talking to.

Thankfully, assistance was available upon our arrival in Detroit, and after we had cleared baggage reclaim, I decided to let Customer Services know of my disatisfaction. Almost immediately after the arrival of the CRO (Conflict Resolution Officer) I was offered a $200 voucher for furture travel, on condition that I sign a waiver stating this was my only claim against the company in repect of that flight.

An interesting state of affairs, I was so shocked (having never been offered such a deal with nmore appalling treatment in the UK) that I accepted, I still can't decide if it was excellent customer service or a pay off not to sue for the distress that had been caused!

Kerb Cuts / Dropped Kerbs

2007-09-24T21:32:00.000+01:00

Obviously for a wheelchair user in an urban environment, dropped kerbs are an absolute must if one is to be able to cross the road safely.

I have on occasion been in places where there is one on one side of the road and you get across only to discover there isn't one the other side (puzzling as to why this is done), and more frequently, and infuriatingly you find a car oparked right across the dropped kerb preventing wheelchair users crossing.

In some places in Michigan I saw that the dropped kerbs were clearly marked so as to deter drivers from parking across them.

Here's an example from the car park of Wal-Mart in Troy, Michigan.

Thumbs up!

Leash Laws

2007-09-22T16:31:00.000+01:00

One of the most striking things about being visitors in Chicago with a dog was the leash law. It seemed that a dog had to be on a leash (of less than six feet) at all times in a public place. It was very hot and so we researched taking Caesar to the beach, two dog beaches in Chicago but neither allows a dog off the leash unless it has a permit from the city! So, no opportunities for a visiting assistance dog there!

Living on the edge of the second largest natural harbour in the world, we are able to take Caesar to the beach year round and allow him to free run and swim in the sea. Of course the main tourist beaches have dog bans in the height of the season, usually Easter to the end of September, but there remain places where dog owners can exercise their charges year round.

Something else I noticed in Chicago was that the local dogs, presumably not allowed off lead unless they have a city permit for the beach or are taken to a dog park were not that well socialised. The number of smaller dogs straining at the end of the lead as we walked by was far more than normal, I am guessing their lack of mixing with other dogs off the lead has led to this nervousness and agression when they encounter other dogs in the street.

It's difficult for assistance dogs, I happen to believe if they work hard, they should be allowed to play hard and have a daily opportunity to free run. Caesar will also not toilet while on the lead unless he is absolutely desperate, so that leaves me in a dilemma, wait until he is desperate or find an out of the way place and allow him off the lead for a few minutes, under strict voice control to toilet. I usually try the latter and on one occasion we were in a grassy park on the outskirts of Chicago, not a manicured lawn or anything, in fact the grass was longer and left to grow a bit, it also had some tyre tracks in in from maintenance vehicles. So, at the edge of the park we let Caesar off the lead to toilet, (pick up bags in hand). Would you believe it, a police car appeared form nowhere! "Put the dog on the leash ma'am" came ringing out over the police car loud haler. Caught, well and truly, and poor Caesar hadn't even had the chance to relieve himself!

I certainly hope that the Dog Control Orders we are seeing increasingly implemented by councils here in the U.K. don't lead to a similar situation where a dog can't relieve itself off a lead for fear of the police showing up, and that the socialisation of the dog community suffers as a result.

Rats!

2007-09-14T17:05:00.000+01:00

Travelling around quite a bit as we do, we get to see quite a variety of dog associated signs, nearly always the prohibitive ones of course!

I was surprised to see this one in a park in Chicago, it had never occurred to me that rats would thrive on dog mess that wasn't picked up. I really don't know why I hadn't thought of it, they do live in sewers after all!

It's been a good summer!

2007-09-14T13:35:00.001+01:00

It really has been a great summer, we spent almost all of August in the American mid-west.

We loved Chicago, and had a great time there. We took a "ganster tour" to learn about the checkered history of the city ... well we were oin holiday after all! After our tour we realised that the Roman Catholic Cathedral of The Holy Name was just along from our hotel and took a walk there to take a closer look at the bullet hole in the cornerstone. It dates from the days of Al Capone et al and is still there (top right of the photo below).

Afterwards we went inside the cathedral for a look around. Inside this unpretentious cathedral, built in the Gothic revival style we were in for an even more interesting sight. I was fascinated to see that not only was the altar / sancuary area wheelchair accessible but also they have a wheelchair accessible confessional. Brilliant!

Glasgow Airport becomes PETS registered

2007-07-30T23:34:00.000+01:00

Unitl last week, anyone with an assistance dog living in Scotland or the north of England who wished to take their assistance dog abroad had to return to the UK via either Heathrow, Gatwick, Doncaster or Manchester Airports and then continue their journey further north. Not only was this a great inconvenience but meant additional costs.

Glasgow Airport has now joined the list of airports registered with the PETS scheme. Whilst this is great news for all assistance dog partnerships registered with Assistance Dogs UK, both the press articles I have come across appear to be indicating it is for guide dog partnerships only.

The language is confusing ... guide dogs are simply a sub group within the assistance dog movement, so by mentioning them and not mentioning hearing dogs, mobility assistance dogs or medical alert dogs, it rather gives a false picture of the status quo.

It really makes me wonder just how the press get it so consistently wrong ...

Take a look at the articles on the Just The Flight and Cheapflights websites and decide for yourself!

Paper talk!

2007-07-29T23:57:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine was featured in a newspaper this week with her wonderful assistance dog. It's an inspiring story of how a dog and a person can work together in partnership.

I just wish I could get my head around some of the phraseology though, it always seems to be the same, and rather detracts from the story.

Take the headline for example, the assistance dog is called a pet, which as he is a working dog is rather an insult. Pets, by and large can curl up at home while everything goes on around them, assistance dogs really earn their living. Also, the fact that the reporter used the word tricks to describe Ajs very special and highly trained tasks is rather tacky. The references to Aj as a mutt and pooch are plainly insulting.

What a shame this wonderful dog has been sold short!

I have seen this happen before and have asked a couple of reporters why they do it ... "it's what sells" or some close variation is usually the answer. Are the newspaper reading public really that out of touch that they cannot understand "working dog" instead of mutt and pooch?

Today's the Day!

2007-07-26T22:29:00.000+01:00

Well today is the day when new European legislation comes into force concerning people with disabilities who wish to travel by air. No longer will it be possible for an airline with Europe to turn someone away by reason of their disability ...

Just recently there have been several well publicised instances where airlines have been very high handed in their treatment of people with disabilities, and for that reason, I welcome this legislation.

Full details can be seen here.

Only articles three and four of the regulation come into force today (26th July 2007) with the entire directive due to be in force in one year on 26th July 2008. There is a fuller explanation of the directive on the website of the European Disability Forum.

Thankfully, I have had a refusal once at the airport but have had some experience of discrimination from a well known holiday firm refusing to carry my assistance dog. Their reason? "Dogs aren't meant to fly!" Yeh, right, tell that to my dog who has accumulated over 50,000 miles in flight!

Assistance Dogs need to go to the toilet too you know!

2007-07-24T16:32:00.000+01:00

Ok so it is raining. In fact it has been raining for days. So much so that many towns and villages in England are flooded. Thankfully our area isn't too bad and hasn't suffered badly.
Nevertheless it took a few minutes to get garbed up in waterproofs to walk the dog today, and off we went. Practically had the heath to ourselves though, that is until we bumped into a somewhat infrequent visitor there with their dog. "I didn't expect to see you today!" they offered.
"Why ever not?" "I asked,
"Well it's very wet and I thought you would be indoors this weather"
I was stiffling back my laughter and replied "Well assistance dogs do need to go to the toilet too you know, no matter what the weather".
She clarified, "Yes I know that, but what about you in the rain? You'll get wet and you might sink!"
Aaaah, now I was starting to understand where she was coming from but then realised that if she walked her dog in the rain a little more often she would already know that I walk my dog come rain or shine! Thanks to my trusty all terrain Tramper buggy I haven't been caught out yet!

The O2 have seen the light!

2007-07-20T17:01:00.000+01:00

Background: Many public entertainment venues offer reduced price or free tickets to essential companions of people with disabilities. This often helps offset poorer seating for the companion or a reduced view, or simply recognition that they will assist the person they are accompanying in case of emergency evacuation and so on. In short it benefits both the venue and the disabled person (who oftentimes ends up paying for the companion ticket as well as their own).

When the O2 phone company bought the Millenium Dome and renamed it as The O2 Arena, I was quite excited. That excitement somewhat waned when I tried to book tickets for a Barbra Streisand concert and learned that not only do they charge wheelchair users full price but also charge full price for essential companions and additionally charge £20 for Blue Badge parking! After learning it would be £250 each and that the wheelchair area was right at the back, it didn't take much thought before we turned down the Streisand tickets. I also phoned customer services and told them that they had priced themselves out of my market and that many people wit disabilities could not afford to pay for a carer / companion and pay for their ticket too. (We subsequently saw Streisand in Manchester for much less)!

A couple of weeks later I booked tickets to see Elton Johns' Red Piano Show also at the O2. Again, full price tickets for wheelchair user and companion. I reluctantly paid up but couldn't help thinking that a company as large as AEG who own O2 doesn't really need to be squeezing people with disabilities like htis, totally out of step with many other major London venues. I've seen one or two similar comments in the disability press recently too.

Earlier today I got a phone call from Ticketmaster, the company that sells the tickets on behalf of the O2. I was surprised and delighted to hear that they have had a policy turnaround and that the money I paid for my companion for the Elton John concert is to be refunded.

Presumably the groundswell of opinion changed their minds somehow, I guess I should have asked about the parking too but was just so excited to be told to expect £110 to be credited to my card I completely forgot!

The Millenium Dome, as seen from the offices of the Olympic Delivery Agency, 23rd floor, One Churchill Square.

What does it look like?

2007-07-20T00:18:00.000+01:00

Here in the U.K. there is a thing called the National Key Scheme . Accessible toilets for people with disabilities are often locked with an NKS key (otherwise known as a R.A.D.A.R. key). Havng recently, albeit temporarily mislaid my key I thought I could do with a spare.

I went to the Welcome Centre in my home town to buy a spare. What should have been really straightforward with me signing a declaration about being disabled turned into a really hilarious conversation when the young guy behind the counter asked me "are you disabled?"

So, there I am sitting in my wheelchair, accompanied by Caesar, my assistance dog and the guy wants proof! "I can assure you I am not a fake" I offered, he reddened a bit, qualified his statement and then several other people joined in, "How disabled do you have to be to go to the toilet?" one asked!

The guy was getting more embarrassed by the moment, I was laughing so much I could hardly write my name on the form!