MP MATT Western has been hearing about the daily challenges facing staff and guide dog owners during a visit to Guide Dogs National Centre in Leamington.
The state-of-the-art facility in Bishop’s Tachbrook is where all guide dogs begin their journey as puppies, with over 10,000 guide dog puppies passing through the site’s doors since it opened in 2011.
During his visit, Mr Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, met with local constituent, and guide dog owner, Lydia Hayden, who’s currently partnered with her first guide dog Rotary, as well as representatives from the charity’s policy and campaigns team.
Lydia, who lives in Leamington, said: “It was amazing having the chance to talk with Matt. I was able to highlight how vulnerable and anxious pavement parking and access refusals make me feel.
“I was so glad I had the chance to share my negative experiences with Matt and learn how the campaigns team are working to push for changes in the law.’’
Jessica Luke, regional policy and campaigns manager at Guide Dogs, continued: “It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to welcome Matt Western MP to our National Centre, to learn more about our charity and campaigning work.
“At Guide Dogs, we campaign on a range of issues which affect people with a vision impairment, from access refusals to places such as shops and restaurants, to pavement parking and street clutter.
“We hope that Matt has enjoyed his time with us and will be able to take forward the actions we’ve discussed.”
Mr Western added: “It is deeply concerning that individuals who rely on guide dogs for independence and safety continue to face unacceptable barriers in our community. Pavement parking forces people with sight loss into dangerous situations, and access refusals from local businesses are not only discriminatory but illegal.
“We must do more to ensure our streets and public spaces are truly inclusive. I fully support the efforts of Guide Dogs UK and everyone working to make our towns more accessible and welcoming for all.”
