GEORGE NEWS - For most people, going to the shop to fetch a few supplies is a common and hassle-free task, but it is a different experience for handicapped people. Petro Lewies, who is wheelchair-bound and relying on the assistance of her service dog, Derryn, has often experienced hostile incidents and says people aren't well informed about the function of guide and service dogs. 

"I felt like I was a shoplifter," she said about the most recent incident at a chain store. "The security guard wouldn't allow Derryn to enter the shop. I insisted on speaking to the manager. He was very rude and insisted that he would not allow any kind of dog into the shop. He also remarked that he didn't like dogs anyway. He later reluctantly allowed us in, but the security guard followed us everywhere and regularly asked, 'Are you going to leave now?'."

Awful experience
Lewies also had an awful experience at a restaurant when she and a friend, accompanied by Derryn, went for a pre-booked lunch at a restaurant for Mother's Day. The waitress did not allow Derryn into the restaurant and wanted them to sit outside on the veranda. 

"The waitress was adamant and made remarks regarding Derryn's presence in relation to food and hygiene. Eventually the manager allowed us to sit at our preferred table. We also experienced regular condescending glances from other customers. A Mother's Day Meal ruined," Lewies said. 

Government Notice R962 of 23 November 2012 states a guide dog accompanying a blind person or a person with any other disability may be permitted in the sales or serving area of the food premises. 

Lewies hails from Pretoria and has been staying in Hoekwil for the past two years. She was paralysed from her hips down in 1999, when she fell 44m down a mountainside in Newcastle in a motorbike accident. She was in a coma for three months and in the intensive care unit (ICU) for eight months. She has been relying on assistance from service dogs ever since.

All guide and service dogs wear a jacket indicating their function. They are professionally bred, trained and registered by the Guide Dog Association (GDA) and have a legal right of access to all public places and spaces.

'Active interest'
George Tourism Manager Joan Shaw said that, as George hosts the largest road race for disabled in the country, the town takes an active interest in facilities being disabled-friendly and universally accessible. 

Shaw says it is up to businesses to decide on the level at which they want to be disabled orientated and this is difficult to regulate. 

"However, from a public facility point of view, we are proud to say that many of our facilities welcome guide dogs, as well as persons with various disabilities. These include all the tourism offices, beaches and the GO GEORGE bus service. In fact, I had a lovely swim at Herold's Bay with a group of disabled individuals, including a guide dog, the day before this year's wheelchair race, and they could not sing the praises of George high enough. 

"They felt that their needs were catered for and that they were accepted as peers and could enjoy their holiday without prejudice," said Shaw.

The director of Community Services, Walter Hendricks, says the municipality's disability office, in conjunction with Access George, also embarks on community awareness programmes regarding disability.

Derryn is Petro Lewies' s service dog and helps her with duties like fetching her phone or picking up things she had dropped. According to Lewies, Derryn is very sensitive and also looks out for her well-being.

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