Blind woman desperate to work ordered out of Milton Keynes Jobcentre because of guide dog

7 May 2016

A blind woman desperate to work was forced to leave the Jobcentre because her guide dog was not allowed in the building.

Elaine Maries walked into the CMK Jobcentre with retriever-cross Inca sporting her official yellow Guide Dogs harness.

They had only walked a few metres into the doorway when a member of staff asked them to leave, said Elaine, who is 48.

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"He said no dogs were allowed in the building. I pointed out that Inca was a fully-trained assistance dog and even showed him documentation to prove I am registered blind.

"But it made no difference at all. He actually said: 'That doesn't mean anything to me' and still insisted I left."

Elaine, who is worked all her life and has a string of qualifications, was so shocked that she retreated quietly with Inca.

"Afterwards I was fuming. What this man did was against the law and I knew I had to complain," she said.

A qualified counsellor who is training to be a psychotherapist through the city's Convergence College, Elaine was fully sighted until she contracted the rare Meibonian gland disease three years ago.

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She now has no vision in her right eye and severely limited sight in her left.

Until she was paired with Inca almost four months ago she was reliant upon a white stick - but says it made her a target for muggers.

"I was mugged three times in three years. Criminals see a white stick and think you're easy prey. The last time, last August, I was stabbed in the hand by robbers who took my purse.

"With Inca I feel safe and she's given me the confidence to look for a job. I am really keen to work."

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Senior staff at the Jobcentre have since apologised to Elaine about Friday's incident and they have promised to help her find employment.

A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said; "All people with assistance dogs are welcome in our Jobcentres."

But the Guide Dogs charity is still outraged at the treatment. A spokesman said;

Meanwhile plucky Elaine, who lives on Brooklands estate, has appealed for help in solving another problem - finding a taxi driver willing to take Inca in their cab.

"I've lost count of the times I've booked a cab, then the driver has turned up, taken one look at Inca, and driven off saying dogs are not allowed in his vehicle," she said.



Read more: http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/blind-woman-desperate-to-work-ordered-out-of-milton-keynes-jobcentre-because-of-guide-dog-1-7342062#ixzz47yiC8RJw

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