article_detail

A year and a half after the proposal was originally made as part of Spain’s revolutionary Animal Welfare Law, the Council of Ministers has ruled that people with disabilities who require a service dog will be allowed to bring it into any and all public and private spaces.

 

While it is already technically law, the reality is that most local authorities throughout Spain have been picking and choosing where to apply the regulations, so the aim is to end this discrimination by unifying the rules across all autonomous communities.

 

Once it’s passed by the Council on Tuesday May 27, the law will “guarantee access to all spaces without restrictions, ensuring their mobility and participation in society,” according to Secretary of State Rosa Martínez. So, from now on, guide dogs will be freely allowed in all retail establishments, supermarkets and other shops and markets, hotels, restaurants, schools, museums and theatres.

 

They will also be allowed access to beaches and recreational areas, swimming pools and water parks, as long as they do not enter the water. Furthermore, disabled people will be permitted to bring their service animals to work and crucially for many, guide dogs will be allowed to travel on all public transport, even planes, without incurring an extra seat charge or requiring an additional ticket.

 

This change will apply throughout the country, thus unifying the legislation of each region and updating the regulations in force until now, which dated back to 1983.

 

“This will therefore be a regulation that will have a fundamental impact on the rights of people with disabilities, since assistance dogs are an element that contributes to promoting not only their autonomy and independent living,” highlighted the Ministry for Social Rights.

 

 

One major change brought in through the Assistance Dogs decree will recognise the relationship between a person with a disability and their guide dog as a unit and will stipulate that these animals may only be trained by persons accredited “or officially recognised in the education, socialisation and training of assistance dogs.”

 

Another new feature introduced in the text is that these dogs will now have a “right to rest,” meaning they can retire from service after 10 years, without losing their right to continue accessing public spaces.

 

The royal decree will ultimately benefit any blind or visually impaired person who needs an assistance dog in their daily life. However, it will also apply to people with other disabilities who need these animals, such as those with hearing impairments or deafblindness who require dogs trained to alert them to sounds and their origin.

 

Likewise, it covers people with physical disabilities who have a service dog to support and assist them in daily activities; people with autism spectrum disorders who must be assisted by trained dogs to promote their personal autonomy; or people with conditions that involve recurrent seizures with sensory disconnection and who need a trained dog to alert them to a medical emergency.

 

Any impediment or denial of access will therefore be considered an act of violation of the right to accessibility, equality and non-discrimination.

 

 

Image: Pexels