What if I’m denied access to a venue because of my dog?
Do you know your rights and can insist on access?
It can be confronting, aggravating, overwhelming and anxiety provoking to be denied access or asked to leave because of your assistance animal. PADT recommends rehearsed verbal responses as well as having some basic written documentation of what assistance animals do and how they are trained.
It is a good idea to have the Federal Disability Discrimination act ’92 available on your phone or on a print out with you at all times to refer to. PADT promotes the use of small business cards with dot point info. to hand out to those who may question your rights to have an assistance dog with you. Remember, it’s not the DOG that has rights, its’ YOU that has rights with your assistance dog/disability aid.
If you have been accredited under a state Act, such as the GHAD Act09, you can use your ID card to show your ‘accreditation’.
Federal Disability Discrimination Act’92 (DDA’92) Section 9.2, pg.12_v.Feb’19
(2) For the purposes of this Act, an assistance animal is a dog or other animal:
(a) accredited under a law of a State or Territory that provides for the accreditation of animals trained to assist a persons with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability; or
(b) accredited by an animal training organisation prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph; or
(c) trained:
(i) to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability; and
(ii) to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place.
Note: For exemptions from Part 2 for discrimination in relation to assistance animals, see section 54A.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, a disability aid, in relation to a person with a disability, is equipment (including a palliative or therapeutic device) that:
(a) is used by the person; and
(b) provides assistance to alleviate the effect of the disability.
If you feel you are up to the task of submitting a complaint about a venue not allowing you inside due to your disability aid/assistance animal, you can head over to the Australian Human Rights Commission. PADT recommends this as a very last resort. Some written education may be all that’s required to clear these issues up. Remember, not everyone understands that assistance animals are allowed in to public venues. Please take into consideration the cultural history of some folk.
