Restaurant refused blind friends

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7153072.stm

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Two blind people who were turned away from a restaurant because they had a guide dog have been awarded £1,000 each in compensation.

Andrea Hope and Jamie Coady phoned ahead to the Imperial City Chinese restaurant on Belfast's Botanic Avenue.

However, they were told by staff they could not sit in the main restaurant with the dog.

The incident took place in December 2005. The friends were told they could leave the animal tied up outside.

They were also told they could have a take-out meal or sit in a private room.

They took their case to the Equality Commission and were awarded the money in an out of court settlement.

The restaurant owners apologised and admitted a breach of the Disability Discrimination Act. The Imperial City is now under new ownership.

The friends had been out to celebrate Mr Coady's birthday and said their night had been ruined.

"We had planned to go out for a quiet meal just to celebrate and got refused and had to find somewhere else," said Mr Coady.

"We stood outside in the cold for 10 minutes trying to find somewhere else."

Ms Hope said: "When we went into the restaurant a woman came up and said we can't accept your dog.

"I said: 'Look, we phoned you. We told you there was a guide dog'.

"But they said we would have to tie the dog up outside while we ate in the restaurant. I told them I needed the dog.

"Then they said maybe we could take our food away with us, that they'd give us a takeaway. "I told them we'd come out to eat. If we'd wanted a takeaway we'd have ordered one nearer to us."

The new owner of the Imperial City, Eileen Li, said the incident was regrettable.

"Everyone is welcome in here," she said.

"Nobody would ever be refused entry because they're blind or anything, that would be just terrible."