PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Service Industries: Assistance Animals (25 September 2019)

The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on businesses and other service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve disabled people’s access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) statutory code of practice for services sets out examples of making reasonable adjustments for assistance dogs and in 2017, the EHRC published their updated guide for all businesses on assistance dogs. The guidance was produced in order to help businesses understand what they can do to comply with their legal duties under the Equality Act.

The Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS), the equalities and human rights helpline, receives about 35,000 customer contacts a year, more than 60% of which concern disability issues. The EASS intervenes directly with or assists the complainant to take the problem up with the relevant service provider in many cases, including those involving assistance dogs.