Alberta woman filing human rights complaint after saying taxi denied ride to her and service dog | 24CA News
A girl says she is submitting a grievance with the Alberta Human Rights Commission towards a taxi firm, saying its drivers denied a number of rides to her and her service canine in Leduc, Alta., final month.
“It feels like I’m being discriminated against because I have a disability and I have a service dog,” Karen Almond informed Global News on Friday. “It feels like a slap in the face.
“It feels awful. It feels like you’re no longer a human being.”
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Almond alleges the incidents occurred on Dec. 5 and two extra on Dec. 23. She stated all of them concerned Sunrise Cabs and that she known as them even after being denied service as a result of she assumed one other driver could give her a journey.
“I had a broken wrist, I had a lot of heavy groceries,” she stated of one of many incidents.
“There’s no way I could get home without a taxi.”
She stated in that occasion, she informed the dispatcher when she known as that she has a service canine and that she had certification to show that. Almond added that her canine has an official service canine vest.
She stated she was informed the corporate will give rides to service canine however when the driving force arrived he wouldn’t drive her together with her canine Burnley. She stated she informed the driving force the canine just isn’t a pet after which he cursed at her earlier than driving away.
“So I went back inside (the grocery store) in tears,” Almond recalled, noting a pair noticed what occurred and gave her and her canine a journey residence with their groceries.
Global News spoke to a consultant with Sunrise Cabs by cellphone on Friday. He declined an interview request however stated the corporate does give rides to service canine and was unsure what occurred within the occasions described by Almond.
Almond stated she felt compelled to succeed in out together with her story after seeing the story of one other lady on Global News final month who stated she had issue getting a journey together with her service canine in Edmonton.
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Greg McMeekin, the province of Alberta’s advocate for individuals with disabilities, stated his workplace has acquired an “uptick” of comparable studies.
“It’s becoming more prevalent in the last few weeks,” he stated Friday. “It’s becoming more and more of an issue.
“I think it has to do with general awareness and confusion. I’m not sure if people are aware of the Service Dogs Act in Alberta which allows people who use the services of a service dog to access everywhere basically.”
McMeekin stated he’s disillusioned to listen to of such tales.
“What our office is able to do is educate and support and provide information to Albertans,” he stated. “As far as next steps, that would be up to the individual to decide what to do next. But generally speaking it’s disappointing.
“By not providing the service, you’re not only not following the (Service Dogs) Act, but you are also potentially putting both the person and the service dog at risk, and nobody wants to see that.”
When requested concerning the elevated variety of individuals reporting being unable to get rides with their service canine, a spokesperson for the province stated the federal government is “committed to ensuring all Albertans have access to accessible transportation in their communities.”
“Albertans with disabilities who use a qualified service dog have guaranteed public access rights under the Service Dogs Act and must be allowed access to any location where the general public is allowed,” Lisa Shankaruk wrote in an e-mail. “A taxi driver unable to transport an individual and their service dog can order another taxi from the company, requesting a priority response be provided.
“Businesses discriminating against qualified service dog teams are liable to a fine up to $3,000. To report an offence, individuals can file a report on the alberta.ca website or contact their local authorities.”
“There are two issues at play here: the issue of individuals with service animals not being able to access services, however, there is also a large issue of accessible transportation… across the province,” McMeekin stated. “That continues to be an issue and that speaks to the need for broader, both Alberta legislation dealing with accessibility and also an enhancement of the existing (Accessible Canada Act)… which deals with everything under federal jurisdiction.”
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“I feel very badly about these stories because I’ve experienced them myself in the past, and all you can do is either advocate for yourself at the time or make alternative arrangements.”
McMeekin stated his workplace has a strategic plan to additional tackle accessibility points in Alberta and that he hopes there shall be “meaningful progress within the calendar year.”
He added that challenges with regard to individuals with disabilities having the ability to entry transportation are significantly evident in additional rural areas.
Almond stated Burnley is ready to detect low blood strain and seizures.
“He saved my life four times already,” she stated. “He’s my family. He’s my service dog. He has helped me immensely.”
–With information from Sarah Komadina, Global News
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
