EO Club Login
EOC Chairperson reminds public to embrace guide dog users in HK01 article
In an article published in HK01, EOC Chairperson Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau called on the community to welcome guide dog users to ensure they can enjoy equal participation in society. The article followed recent media reports alleging that a restaurant denied entry to some guide dog users and their guide dogs. The restaurant subsequently issued an apology for the incident, emphasising that it welcomes guide dog users, and promising to enhance staff training.
In the article, Ms Lam highlighted that guide dogs play a crucial role in assisting people with visual impairments, ensuring that they can travel around safely and lead independent lives. She highlighted that the use of guide dogs in some designated public domains, such as access to food premises, and boarding of the MTR, franchised buses, and the Peak Tram is currently under legal protection. While the Disability Discrimination Ordinance does not specify that refusing the use of guide dogs amounts to direct discrimination on the ground of disability, people with disabilities may lodge a discrimination claim if they have been indirectly discriminated against while using a guide dog in areas such as access to premises, provision of goods, services and/or facilities, education, and employment.
To enhance public understanding on ways to support guide dog users and their service animals, the EOC published Guide Dogs: A Practical Guide last year. The guide provides practical tips for stakeholders in different sectors to create inclusive environments for guide dog users and their guide dogs. It also highlights a set of etiquette for interacting with guide dogs. The How to Support Persons with Disabilities: Practical Guide on Universal Design for Catering Services, published in 2023, provides tips for the service and catering sector on supporting guide dog users as well.
“For people with visual impairments, guide dogs provide support for their social participation, independent travel and daily living. Society should welcome these service animals with greater acceptance. Through publicity and education initiatives, the EOC will continue to enhance public understanding of guide dogs, thereby transforming Hong Kong into a guide dog-friendly society,” Ms Lam wrote.
