Access Rights

Certified Assistance Dog partners who experience discrimination and exclusion are being denied their rights to access and participate in society under both Irish equality legislation, the Equal Status Acts, 2000-2018, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Irish equality legislation gives certified Assistance Dog partners the right to access businesses and services without discrimination.

This includes access to:

• ALL forms of public transport, including bus, train, tram, taxi, plane or ferry

• ALL forms of hospitality accommodation, including hotels, Airbnbs, hostels or holiday rental properties

• ALL establishments that provide food, including cafes, restaurants, pubs, delis, staff and school/college canteens, and supermarkets.

Under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, of which Ireland is a signatory, Articles 19, 20, 29, and 30 on accessibility and participation, place an obligation on public and private service providers to be inclusive.

The lack of access experienced by certified Assistance Dog partners is a clear breach of the human rights of a person with disabilities under the Convention.