A blind person has claimed they were assaulted in a toilet in Gateshead after being told they couldn't go in with their assistance dog.
Traxion Bell, a retired artist and LGBTQ+ disability rights campaigner, 53, was using the disabled toilet at Trinity Square in Gateshead on the afternoon of Tuesday March 7 when they say they were told that assistance dog Nutmeg was not allowed in the bathroom. Traxion says Nutmeg is always clearly marked as an assistance dog with a bright blue harness, and that was no different on Tuesday.
Assistance dogs were given the same protection in law as guide dogs in the Equality Act 2010, and refusing to allow entry to disabled customers, whether or not they have assistance dogs, is considered direct discrimination. However, whereas the majority of guide dogs are Labradors or Golden Retrievers, assistance dogs can be any breed - such as a dachshund cross, like Traxion's.
