Following on from my final trip with Barney,
@British_Airways
have very generously selected
@seeing_dogs
as a charity they want to crowdfund for. This means so much. They’re even offering to match all donations!
Please consider a few quid if you can.
Cardiac arrest on our flight. Defibrillator out and oxygen + hot towels everywhere.
It was in my row too.
@british_airways
on flight 0248 from Buenos Aires to London - absolutely outstanding crew remained calm when other passengers got involved.
Patient survived. 1/2
As guide dog Barney arrived at
@HeathrowAirport
from
@GLA_Airport
yesterday on his last flight, I got a tip-off
@British_Airways
crew were about to do something. Here’s what happened.
Thank you BA for making Barney’s last flight very special. Transcript to follow 1/
I have some amazing news.
Following my trip,
@British_Airways
got in touch and have paid for Barney’s replacement Ava from cradle to grave. That’s a whopping £20,000 donation to Seeing Dogs!
Thanks BA, you’ve been beyond amazing! 1/2
As guide dog Barney arrived at
@HeathrowAirport
from
@GLA_Airport
yesterday on his last flight, I got a tip-off
@British_Airways
crew were about to do something. Here’s what happened.
Thank you BA for making Barney’s last flight very special. Transcript to follow 1/
2/2 ‘defribulators save lives’ just went from a mantra to a reality in my mind. To see someone die, albeit for 10 minutes, is deeply distressing.
This will take time to process but for now the BA crew deserve every ounce of credit. The lady (now in hospital) is in my prayers.
@AngieBeatDown
@StarbucksUK
@StarbucksUK
come on guys. It’s been law in the UK for 27 years, there is simply no excuse for this.
Besides the harness isn’t invisible so it’s not exactly hard.
Please do better. Disabled people shouldn’t be humiliated like this, ever.
Mr. Ahmed refused to carry me and my now retired guide dog Barney back in May.
He was fined £810 at City of London Magistrates Court.
Thank you to
@TfLTPH
for prosecuting.
@Uber
May this be an opportunity to learn and improve.
I’ll try and provide a transcript shortly. 1/2
Some of you will remember that I was kicked out of a McDonald’s in Baker Street. I have just received £1,000 compensation from them for their conduct to prevent action.
Sadly they refused me again a few days ago so I’m suing them again for much more, but it’s a start.
Just FYI.
This morning I was told of successful prosecution number 12.
Mr. Mohamed Waberi was found guilty of refusing to take me because of the presence of my guide dog Barney.
Fine - £375.
Costs - £250.
Victim surcharge - £150.
Compensation to me - £100.
His license is also gone.
1/4
I have noticed a very worrying trend when I, and dare I say other Disabled People, get compensation we are asked how much of it we will donate to charity.
Let’s get one thing straight - The compensation was awarded to the person, not a charity. 1/2
Mr. Khan refused to take Mr and Barney on 12th May 2023.
Today he was found guilty at City of London Magistrates Court.
No fine, no victim surcharge, but £1,000 costs and £150 compensation.
For those in our community who need someone to stand up for them, this one’s for you.
Hi
@HeathrowAirport
following the refusal of staff to assist me this morning on booked assistance simply because I politely declined to go in a wheelchair (I’m not a wheelchair user), how can I register a complaint? I would very much like to speak to a human about what happened.
@KatiePennick
It’s also fair to say that you were put at much greater risk because it made social distancing impossible as you were having to squeeze right up to tables with people on them.
This is not ok.
Just over an hour ago I was asked to leave
@McDonaldsUK
at Liverpool Street station because I had my guide dog (Barney) with me. Disgusted doesn’t even cut it. This needs to stop - it’s 2019!
Any
@LUFC
fans out there, ideally disabled ones. I was in the
@WatfordFC
section yesterday and found my matchday experience to be up there with the best (off the field anyway). I’d like to thank the club but want to know where to email (some stewards deserve particular praise).
Massive shoutout to the
@TfL
driver arriving in at Bond Street at 16:27 (I boarded at Shepherd’s Bush).
Boarded the train with my guide dog and he made an immediate announcement saying he knew which carriage I was in and I could take my time getting off. 1/2
Thought I’d pop into
@TheThreeColts
with
#GuideDog
Barney as a ‘thank you’ for
@EssexPR
keeping me sane on Twitter this last year.
Nothing to complain about, at all!
Image of me sat at a red bench with yellow lab smiling at the camera. I’m on the Guiness (he’s on water).
My
#GuideDog
Barney just stopped me from stepping out in front of a car that had no lights on when I thought the road was clear. It’s this type of situation that reminds me that all assistance dogs are utterly priceless and can on occasions be life savers.
As many of you know me and my guide dog (from Seeing Dogs UK) Barney are regularly refused private hire vehicles. In total the number stands at 32 incidents, 12 of which have resulted in a prosecution. This is a criminal offence in the UK with a max fine of £1,000. 1/15
Just left court.
Driver who refused to take me and Barney found guilty a short time ago.
Once I’ve had time to catch my breath I’ll be releasing full details.
But for now, I simply rejoice!
Today a private hire driver was prosecuted for refusing me and Barney in May of this year as I was leaving work.
It was the most blatant refusal of all time.
Who wants to see it?
Barney getting off a plane for the last time yesterday.
You may detect it gets to me right at the end.
Cabin crew consented to recording though I kept their heads out of sight for courtesy.
An employer has offered to meet me at the nearest train station and walk me to their offices for an interview.
Now I really feel lucky because I never thought anyone would offer that!
2/2 it is not anyone’s business what happens to compensation, no matter where it comes from.
Besides since 2016 I’ve raised £27,000 for
@seeing_dogs
so I will take no lessons.
Rant over.
2/2 for the next few stops the time we stayed in each stop was noticeably longer, meaning there was no chance of me getting stuck in the doors.
Well done to him, and thank you!
It’s important to critique, it’s equally vital we praise!
On Saturday 15th April, Barney will be attending his last ever football match as a working guide dog. Thank you to
@WatfordFC
for enabling me to bring him and be part of the action.
If you see him after the game, feel free to say goodbye as he leaves his role. 1/2
Fair play to the
@TfL
bus driver who announced on the 140 to Hayes a few minutes ago ‘please be careful and mind the guide dogs paws as you get off’. Never had that before, and tbf 50 kids got off at South Harrow station very carefully. Thank you to the driver!
When you go somewhere for lunch and a member of the public questions your right to be there. They objected to a guide dog in a café.
Only for the guy behind the counter to robustly defend me.
I will definitely be writing in (they’re not on Twitter).
But well done Kind Café!
I can now reveal who my new guide dog is.
Barney knows her rather well.
Her name is Ava and is the same dog my parents raised as a puppy.
The fact we are compatible on the harness is a remarkable coincidence.
She’s 18 months old.
We start training Monday.
Hi
@TheO2
. Your access team have just told me that a) my guide dog Ava can’t sit next to me during the darts and b) that I have to prove she’s a guide dog which the
@EHRC
have ruled out of order.
Is discrimination official policy? I’d be grateful to know. Thanks.
Two further prosecutions for failing to take me in a Private Hire Vehicle because of Barney being present.
Both cases at City of London Magistrates Court last Wednesday.
Mr. Bestani who drove off on me on 17th April this year. Proven in absence. Fined a total of £750. 1/2
Me and guide dog Barney ran
@parkrunUK
Harrow this morning. I was wondering whether he would need encouragement to get round, but in the end he dragged me round!
A new personal best of 47:58!
Here we are recuperating afterwards.
I wonder if they got any photos of us today?
4/4 finally, Barney comes from Seeing Dogs. It costs £20,000 to train and maintain one partnership, and I would be so grateful if you could consider donating to them if you are able to. Thank you so much.
My guide dog Barney had a very violent seizure at Harrow-On-The-Hill
@TfL
Station tonight.
Barney is now ok and receiving the care he needs.
Thank you so much to Gosha and Kat in the control room who let Barney recover in their office before my parents arrived. 1/2
Ok this tweet blew up far more than I expected. Thank you so much.
If you are able, please consider making a donation to the fabulous people that trained Barney at and click on the donate tab.
It takes £20,000 to train one dog so any help is fab.
4/5 So on behalf of everybody at BA, all the crew who absolutely love and adore Barney, and his owner Mr. Anderson, we’d like to wish Barney a happy retirement and thank him for all his service. thank you Barney. Much love to you.’ APPLAUSE.
In court again tomorrow for hopefully prosecution number 9 of a cab driver who refused to take me and Barney. I’m fine in myself but I’m aware of the importance to the blind community to ensure our rights are protected in full. I aim to achieve exactly that, again.
Completed my first ever
@parkrunUK
today. Did it in under an hour - a great place to start!
After a turbulent few days I feel amazing!
Thanks to Mike and the team, but especially Diana my guide runner. For a first time guiding she did amazingly.
Parkrun is free! Check it out.
@benn_elisbenn
@KatiePennick
This is the thing. I fear that nobody will report it because it happened to a disabled person. I really hope I’m wrong about that though. Deserves everything he gets.
Being disagreeable and being aggressive is not just morally wrong but illegal.
2/2 Mr. Hussain actually turned up and, following legal advice, changed his plea to guilty. He was fined a total of £246 which is very low.
Both of them have had their license revoked.
this now brings my total number of prosecutions to 13.
I hope it makes a difference.
Barney attends his last ever
@WatfordFC
game with me at Vicarage Road today.
In 7 years he’s never seen Watford win. Not once! Come on boys, sort it out for him!
Another prosecution.
12th June I was refused an Uber from outside my nearest tube station.
Mr. Ali Zada admitted that he told me he wouldn’t take a guide dog and drove off immediately.
For that he got fined £125, £125 costs, £34 victim surcharge and imminent license revocation.
Hi
@British_Airways
. I’m hoping to take my guide dog Barney on a last flight with you. Heathrow to Glasgow in mid-late July is on my hit list. Is there anything special that you might be able to do to give him a special sendoff? He’s done nearly 10,000 miles with you.
Guy on the platform refused to let me come down the stairs at Baker Street. I asked him to move 5 times, passersby asked twice too.
Eventually he became aggressive, started swearing at me and told me my disability was fake. Both me and Barney are badly shaken. 1/2
@NoContextBrits
My 6 month probation is reviewed this week.
He follows me on here.
This has been noted :).
Seriously though, my boss is great and I’ve been made to feel very welcome in my new job.
3/4 I couldn’t do this without the incredible support of
@TfLTPH
who have been nothing short of amazing. The work of their investigations team means people like me have their rights and freedoms defended. That is service indeed.
@homofilm
I’m going to deal with this bluntly, the Royal National College for the blind
@RNC_Hereford
has a thriving performing arts department. Indeed, one of their students featured in
@DrWhoOnline
tonight! The biggest hurdle to our success and equality is, frankly, people like YOU!
@TheRehn
As part of the agreement they assured me all staff had been reminded of the obligations.
That’s what I wanted to test, and they failed spectacularly, so they clearly haven’t taken it seriously.
@David60208092
@TfLTPH
@Uber
Let me rephrase your point.
‘It’s a bit unfair for a disabled person to challenge someone who’s committed a criminal offence’.
Why should I tell them in advance? So they can choose to discriminate?
This happened a few minutes ago. Man (very drunk) has been escorted off the network. I’ll be reporting this for hate and causing alarm/distress later on.
I shouldn’t have to put up with this just to go to work.
3/5 He has been a loyal customer with British Airways and has done over 10,000 miles with us.
And today, very sadly, is his last flight as he’s going to retire.
As a
#GuideDog
owner I’ve been repeatedly asked to consider those with ‘allergies’. I’ve even been asked about the ‘rights’ of those with allergies.
This is a thread to put that argument to rest. 1/6
I have a meeting with McDonald’s about the two refusals I had at Baker Street a few months ago.
I will be polite but firm and won’t buy any nonsense they try to throw at me.
Let’s see how this goes.
2/4 the prosecution succeeded thanks to the above video showing him turning up and conveniently driving away when he saw me. This is why I and some other disabled record everything. The camera doesn’t lie. He was so frit he failed to appear - a true sign of guilt.
@flowergirl_lon
I’ve always said to people that good access facilities are great, it’s not the single most important thing. A good attitude and a willingness to accommodate is more critical.
This is precisely why I say that.
As many of you know I’m registered
#Blind
(though I do have some useful vision).
A friend spotted a while back that when station staff ask where I’m going I never answer it directly. Today, it’s time I tell you why. A thread. 1/7
Train manager just announced that all wheelchair places must always be kept clear. ‘They’re for wheelchair users, not your suitcases. Even if no wheelchair user is there right now, it doesn’t matter’.
I nearly punched the air with joy! We should hear this more!
#AccessForAll
2/5 ‘I wondered if I could take a few moments of your time to tell you about one of our most loved passengers who is flying with us today. Many of you may have seen him in the departure area and that is Barney the guide dog.
Barney has got very old in recent weeks. He’s not interested in going out much now and is having little accidents occasionally.
He’s served with distinction and he’s earned his rest.
The call to retire him when we did was spot on.
Well, I survived!
Dressed 6 aisles, spotted 1 (basically picking up deliveries and shoving them into gaps on the shelves if there’s space) and stocking from 2 pallets.
Apparently the aim on shift 1 is to survive. Apparently I did very well!
Train companies get A LOT of flack online. It’s time I publicly praised one.
@TLRailUK
have been DMing me the service details for the week to get me to and from work. I’m registered blind so this is harder to find online.
They’re genuine superstars!
Thanks to them all.
Some people have an impact on disability Twitter that is bigger than maybe they realise.
Assistance at Manchester Piccadilly today, lady explains she follows a few disabled people to improve her awareness and to be a better assistant. Turns out one of them is
@blondehistorian
!
Been talking to the Disclosure and Barring service office as I’ve been struggling visually with the form.
The best they have right now is ‘have you got a friend who can help you?’
They forget there’s something called the Equality Act and they must adjust. This could be fun.
This
#Blind
person would like to remind car drivers of something.
If you see a blind person and want them to cross the road, DO NOT HOOT. Hooting means danger. Nothing else.
You will confuse or unsettle the person.
It’s that simple, but it’s so important.
Thank you.
I’ve just discovered that my local mental health service has been discussing my circumstances, without my consent, WITH MY PARENTS!
Let’s just say I’ll be unleashing the forces of hell this afternoon.
Refusing Barney into their centre, now this. Disgusted.
Just asked for assistance at Tottenham Court Road because I was having trouble getting on the trains and getting a seat. Pressed the
@TfL
help point and asked for help. They refused because of ‘Sunday minimums’.
What happened to Turn Up And Go? Blind customers deserve better.
Ava at her first ever football game tonight. She stayed quite still apart from when goals went in.
@StevenageFC
were absolutely superb! They offered ponchos, dog bowls and a blanket. Genuinely right up there with the best.
Obviously this is an extreme situation, but it shows you how much power and influence staff can have. If I say no, that’s an ok answer. But let me decide what help I want. Don’t impose your so called ‘goodwill’ on me as sometimes it looks rather sinister. 7/7
Tonight is my very last shift at
@sainsburys
, my first ever full time job comes to an end.
I want to thank them for judging me on what I can do, not on what some might perceive/assume I can’t. In my experience they’re a good place to work, especially for disabled people. 1/2
2/2 this is despite other passengers asking him to use his voice as I’d asked.
When I finally located it (public helped me not staff) he made no acknowledgment of the problem at all.
I worry about more vulnerable passengers who would’ve been stuffed.
I’m now in a position to say some words I never thought I’d say.
In a few weeks time I move into my own home.
A large annexe is to be constructed at the bottom of my parents garden and is comparable to a 1 bedroom council flat + 60% if not more! 1/2
Yesterday on the way home something happened that I’ve never experienced before.
On a tube train a child kicked, yes, kicked, my guide dog Barney.
I’m still shocked that a child would do such a thing. Barney is fine, but it’s not the point.
WTF is our world coming to?
I’ve just had cab refusal number 25. I’m getting sick and tired of this.
This is not an anniversary I wanted to celebrate.
I deserve better. Disabled people deserve better.
I won’t be letting this driver off the hook.
Ok now for more detail on this.
Today, I successfully prosecuted Mr Gnanakaran for failing or refusing to take me in his vehicle because of the presence of my guide dog Barney. We both live in Harrow. Part 1.
Just left court.
Driver who refused to take me and Barney found guilty a short time ago.
Once I’ve had time to catch my breath I’ll be releasing full details.
But for now, I simply rejoice!
Fab moment on the train.
‘Mummy, what’s that dog?’
Followed by mum explaining that I’m visually impaired.
I nearly snort my drink when the kid says ‘how come he’s looking at his phone?’ I’m obviously bang to rights. Mum tries to shush him but I explain many have some sight.
@JackstaGT
And if she wanted to donate to the hospital, she could, but that’s entirely her choice and she is under no legal or moral obligation to do so.
I’m very sorry to hear about that accident.
@RoadsideMum
@easyJet
I wonder if what they need is a journalist to make them poo their pants?
I won’t tag them as it’s your call not mine, but BBC Watchdog and the Disability News Service might be very interested in applying some pressure.
Very odd moment at Kings Cross at the
@LNER
ticket office.
Got to the front of the queue with my guide dog. When ‘cashier number 7’ rang out I called for the attendant to call me (so I could locate where cashier 7 was.
He continued to press that button 1/2
There was a pram, a wheelchair user and a guide dog on a bus.
No this isn’t the start of a hilarious joke. It’s what’s just happened on our bus. When the wheelchair user got on, the pram was collapsed immediately,; I (guide dog owner) was already seated.
It’s that simple folks!
This got worse.
Wheelchair user tried to get on, nobody moved.
Fair play to the driver who said this bus isn’t moving until people give the user space.
They moved, pronto.
Ok now I’ve seen everything.
Someone has bags all over the bus seat next to them.
They refuse to move it when an elderly person explicitly asks for it.
I should’ve said something but others fortunately did - she is now seated.
Reminder to those using their horn to encourage assistance dogs and their handlers to cross the road:
1. If we’re waving you on, this might be part of their training so please respect it.
2. Your horn means danger and nothing else, otherwise it’s improper use of a horn. 1/2
I just love it when people state in writing that they’d refuse access to me because Ava will be with me.
Makes it really easy to chuck at the solicitors.
Discrimination isn’t fun, though I do laugh at how stupid people can be.
Had the Police round at my house.
Don’t worry, I’ve been a good boy, but they’re taking the abuse me and Barney were subjected to earlier this week extremely seriously.
The officers in question have been superb and I thank them for their kindness.
@alandra09
@British_Airways
Hot towels came out when she came round as apparently she’d gone incredibly cold.
It was to get the blood flowing.
In the end she walked off the plane so whatever they did it worked.
Sainsburys are a great employer and the customers have been very friendly too…
On the latter my luck ran out tonight.
4 weeks into working there and I’ve been shouted at for doing wrong. I’m fine, but I really get now how rude a tiny minority of customers can be.
#BeKind
The dog my parents used to care for, also called Barney, who I nicknamed ‘guide dog reject’ died today aged 16.
As a laugh I tried other Barney’s harness on him years ago and he outright refused - a reject level offence.
A kind boy who hurt nobody and was loved by all.
You may recall that last week someone unleashed a tirade of abuse at me and Barney in a local supermarket.
Following my Police statement I’ve been assured by the store they know who she is. The police have confirmed she’ll be arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1/2
@MsJenniRegan
Firstly fair play for adding Alt text.
I do think guide dog puppies should have legal rights, because if they are not able to train the places where they will be serving their future owner, what’s the point?
That’s my soapbox moment for the day :).