Disabled woman banned from Asda 'for not showing ID for service dog'

7 hours ago

A woman with a disability was informed by a security guard at Asda that she was not allowed to bring her service dog inside and was subsequently prohibited from entering any of their stores.

The security guard at the branch informed Elanor Maxey that she needed to present identification or a dog license to gain entry into the store located in Bexleyheath, in southeast London.

Elanor shared a video of the event on TikTok and clarified that service dogs are not legally obligated to be licensed.

Elanor claims that she and her dog, Genie, have been prohibited from entering any Asda store nationwide.

Elanor recounted her encounter with the security guard on social media on Sunday, stating, "Today, Genie and I have been officially prohibited from entering any Asda in the UK just because I failed to show her 'Service ID,' which is something that doesn’t actually exist."

I was also asked to show my dog license, which is something I’ve never encountered in my life.

"They also allege that I was impolite (there's a recording of everything) and violated the Data Protection Act by recording the employees."

"I was feeling pretty disoriented, which is why I had stopped by for just a sandwich. Despite my situation, I’m really grateful for the courageous individuals who tried to stand up for me. Even though the store didn’t listen to them, it’s reassuring to know that there are compassionate people willing to speak out against injustice."

Under the Equality Act, it's illegal to deny entry to a disabled individual who has an assistance dog, unless there are very rare and specific situations justifying such a refusal.

Only a court has the authority to determine if denying someone service or access is illegal, and this decision would greatly rely on the unique details and situation of each individual case.

A representative from Asda informed Metro that Elanor's ban has been lifted and stated, "We have offered our apologies to Ms. Maxey for what she went through at our Bexleyheath location."

"This doesn't align with the inclusive atmosphere we aim to create at Asda."

"We want to emphasize that service dogs are permitted in all of our locations, and we will promptly remind our staff about this policy."

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