page_title: Guide dog
section_title: Accessibility
hierarchical_section_title: Guide dog / Accessibility
caption_attribution_description: English: Training guide dog puppy in Israel
context_page_description: Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles. Although dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are red–green color blind and incapable of interpreting street signs. The human does the directing, based on skills acquired through previous mobility training. The handler might be likened to an aircraft's navigator, who must know how to get from one place to another, and the dog is the pilot, who gets them there safely. In several countries guide dogs, along with most service and hearing dogs, are exempt from regulations against the presence of animals in places such as restaurants and public transportation.
context_section_description: Despite regulations or rules that deny access to animals in restaurants and other public places, in many countries, service animals are protected by law and therefore may accompany their handlers most places that are open to the public. Laws and regulations vary worldwide:
  In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits any business, government agency, or other organization that provides access to the general public from barring service animals, except where their presence would cause a health or safety risk. However, religious organizations are not required to provide such access. Whether service animals in training have the same rights or not usually falls on each individual state government. In addition, the Fair Housing Act requires that landlords allow tenants to have service animals, as well as other types of assistance animals, in residences that normally have a No Pets policy and that no extra fees may be charged for such tenants. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity investigates complaints from the public alleging denials of reasonable accommodation requests involving assistance animals.
  In the United Kingdom the Equality Act 2010 provides for people with disabilities to have the same right to services supplied by shops, banks, hotels, libraries, pubs, taxis and restaurants as everyone else. Service providers have to make "reasonable adjustments" to accommodate service animals and assistance animal owners. Under Part 12 of the EA it is illegal for assistance animal owners to be refused access to a taxi or minicab with their assistance animal, but medical exemptions are available if drivers have a certificate from their GPs.
  In most South American countries and Mexico, service animal access depends solely upon the goodwill of the owner or manager. In more tourist-heavy areas, service animals are generally welcomed without problems. In Brazil, however, a 2006 federal decree requires allowance of service animals in all public and open-to-public places. The Brasília Metro has developed a program that trains service animals to ride it.
  In Malta, the Equal Opportunities Act 2000 (Cap. 413) states that it is illegal to discriminate against a disabled person who needs an assistant, in this case, a service animal. The few exceptions are restaurant kitchens, hospital special wards, toilets and premises where other animals are kept.
  In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 protects service animals handlers. Each state and territory has its own laws, which may differ slightly.
  In Canada, service animals are allowed anywhere that the general public is allowed. Service Animal laws by province:
  Alberta: Blind Persons' Rights Act, Service Dogs Act
  British Columbia: Guide Animal Act
  Manitoba: The Human Rights Code, The Service Animals Protection Act
  New Brunswick: Human Rights Act
  Newfoundland & Labrador: Blind Persons' Rights Act, Human Rights Act
  Northwest Territories: Human Rights Act
  Nova Scotia: Blind Persons' Rights Act, Human Rights Act
  Nunavut: Human Rights Act
  Ontario: Blind Persons' Rights Act, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Human Rights Code
  Prince Edward Island: Human Rights Act
  Quebec: Individuals with Disabilities Act, Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
  Saskatchewan: Human Rights Code
  Yukon: Human Rights Act
  In South Korea, it is illegal to deny access to service animals in any areas that are open to the public. Violators are fined no more than 2 million Korean Won.
  In Portugal, service animals are allowed anywhere that the general public is allowed. The Law - Decreto-Lei n.74/2007 - Establish their rights.
  In Switzerland, service animals are allowed anywhere that the general public is allowed.
  In Russia, service animals are allowed anywhere that the general public is allowed. Guide dogs are exempt from the fare charges in public transportation.
caption: A guide dog-in-training Israel
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