Renting a property to a guide dog owner

Renting a property to a guide dog owner and other blind and partially sighted people 1

Contents Introduction 3 What the law says 4 Reasonable adjustments 4 How to communicate with blind and partially sighted people and provide sighted guidance 5 Making general provision for blind and partially sighted people within the premises or property 6 Maintenance staff 7 Additional provision and assistance for guide dog owners and their dogs 7 Concerns about allergy 8 Managing allergies 8 Useful publications 9 List of useful contacts 10 Contact details for Guide Dogs 10 2

This booklet provides information and guidance relating to renting a property to a guide dog owner. It sets out the legislative duties that housing providers and landlords of rented property have under the Equality Act 2010 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland which make it unlawful to discriminate against a blind or partially sighted person, including a guide dog owner when renting or selling a property to them. Landlords have a duty to make reasonable adjustments in amending their no dogs policy as guide or assistance dogs are not pets but mobility aids. Other reasonable adjustments such as providing contracts and information in an accessible format, and allocating a spending area where the dog can relieve itself, are also required. The document goes on to provide tips and advice for landlords on how to make their premises more accessible and how to communicate and assist guide dog owners, as well as contact details for more information. Introduction The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (Guide Dogs) aims to enhance the mobility, independence and quality of life of people who are blind and partially sighted by providing guide dogs and other services. Guide dogs are working animals, not pets, and are relied on by their owners for independence and mobility. Guide dogs undergo up to two years of intensive training and receive on-going support throughout their working lives. In addition guide dog owners are responsible for maintaining the health, wellbeing and appearance of their dogs which includes undertaking regular grooming. A guide dog is also checked regularly by qualified vets which include maintaining vaccinations and flea treatments. In practical terms, guide dogs do not disrupt the everyday operation of businesses or premises. They are under the close supervision and control of their owner at all times. They are trained not to bother other people, not to climb up on furniture and not to cause damage or create a mess to a property or its contents. 3

What the law says Disabled people including guide dog owners and other blind or partially sighted people have important rights under the Equality Act 2010, or Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) in Northern Ireland (as extended by the Disability Discrimination (NI) Order 2006 (DDO)). The Equality Act 2010 consolidates and replaces previous discrimination legislation including the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in England, Wales and Scotland. The Equality Act and DDA in Northern Ireland entitles blind and partially sighted people to the same rights in relation to renting or buying a property as anyone else. It is unlawful for landlords to discriminate against disabled people when renting or selling a property to them. Landlords have a duty to make reasonable adjustments in amending their no dogs policy as guide or assistance dogs are not pets but mobility aids. Reasonable adjustments Some examples of reasonable adjustments: Providing information, contracts and associated documents etc. in an alternative format. For instance, audio tapes, large print, Braille, E-mail, Accessible PDF or as an electronic text document such as one in Microsoft Word. Where there is a no dogs policy in place, this should not apply to guide and assistance dogs as they are not pets but are essential aids to daily living. Guide dogs are vital in the support of their owners independence and wellbeing Allocating an area where the assistance dog can relieve itself, as referred to later in this booklet. Guide Dogs can provide advice on this. Websites and internet services If you provide services through the internet ensure that your website, emails and e-newsletters are accessible to all customers. This will include, for example, people with visual impairments who use text-to-speech software 4

How to communicate with blind and partially sighted people and provide sighted guidance Ensure a good level of staff awareness, which could be addressed through disability awareness training for all current and new staff of the property management company. Landlords and management staff should know how to meet and greet a person who is blind or partially sighted and have some knowledge of how to guide a person who requires sighted guidance. When meeting a blind or partially sighted person, introduce yourself and say what your role is. When addressing a person with a guide dog, speak to the person, not the dog. Ask the blind or partially sighted person what assistance is needed rather than making assumptions as to what might be required. If the blind or partially sighted person asks to be guided, stand by the person s side and allow them to take hold of your arm/elbow in order to guide them along. As the guide, you should walk half a pace in front of them. Do not take hold of them and drag or push them along. When guiding a blind or partially sighted person through a building or outdoors, it is important to tell the person where they are going and alert them to any obstacles or hazards might be approaching. They need to be told in advance about doors opening towards or away from them and about steps, kerbs or slopes going up or down, which will allow them time to adjust to their surroundings. This should prevent accident and injury. When approaching steps or kerbs it is a good idea to pause before ascending or descending and to allow the person being guided to feel the first step. When guiding a person with a guide dog, stand by the person s right-hand side (usually the guide dog will be on the left) and adopt the same procedure as above. Never take hold of the dog s lead or harness and, if the owner tells the dog to do something, do not interfere as this may confuse the guide dog. Sometimes the person will be happy to simply follow you with the dog taking responsibility for guiding them around hazards. When in doubt ask them what they would prefer. It is helpful, and may also be legally required as a reasonable adjustment, to explain the layout of the premises to a blind or partially sighted person and when doing this, remember to ask the person what information might be useful before bombarding them with too much detail. 5

Explain the property or room layouts (bedroom, bathroom, lounge, dining room etc.) in a simple way by asking the blind or partially sighted person to stand with their back against the entrance door and then talking them through the picture which is now in front of them. For instance: The master bedroom is the first door on your left and the living room is the second door on the left etc. If there are any potentially dangerous items in the room, tell the person where they are and what they are. Items which may cause a trip hazard (cables, rugs etc.) should be removed where possible or placed against a wall to minimise risk. Good communication is vital for all tenants but even more so for blind and partially sighted people. Where possible, information should be provided in the requested format so that blind and partially sighted people are not excluded. Making general provision for blind and partially sighted people within the premises or property To make your premises more accessible to blind and partially sighted people: Choose décor with good colour and tonal contrast and lighting e.g. ensure that door frames contrast with the surrounding walls so a person who has residual vision can make out where the door is. Make sure that all the circulation routes are free of hazards, e.g. furniture or pot plants in communal areas or boxes left lying around. Ensure that glazed walls and doors have been highlighted appropriately to ensure that someone with reduced vision does not attempt to walk through them. Provide audible alarms and systems. Display good signage which is legible. The signs should have contrasting features i.e. good contrast between the text and its background, and the text should be clear and large enough to be read. The signs should also contrast clearly with the surroundings in which they are positioned. It is useful for information signs to have tactile embossed text and Braille. (See Sign Design Guide in Useful publications section for advice on font and text size; and the use of tactile text and Braille). Provide information in alternative formats for tenants e.g. Braille and large print, an automated telephone message system or online information. 6

Maintenance staff Maintenance staff should be aware if a person who is blind or partially sighted is living within the premises they maintain. All circulation routes must be kept clear and equipment not left along corridors which could pose a potential hazard for someone who is blind or partially sighted. Additional provision and assistance for guide dog owners and their dogs Amend any no-dogs policy to make it clear that assistance dogs are exempt. Never distract, harass or interfere with the dog. Check with the owner before any contact is to be made by you or staff or other residents. The guide dog will require an area to relieve itself in on a regular basis, i.e. a spending area. This area should be outside and away from other residents/tenants. Ideally, provide an enclosed concrete or grass surface area from which the dog cannot escape if it is allowed off the lead to relieve itself. If this is not available, the owner and dog should be shown an appropriate place and the dog can remain on the lead. The designated spending area should be free from litter, glass and other potentially harmful articles including keeping it away from a smoking area. In addition, the pathway to this area should be safe and free from hazards like garden implements or recycling bins. The designated area should be cleaned regularly, by the individual owning the dog, a relative or friend. Alternatively this could be built into the cleaning and maintenance setup to manage the communal areas around the accommodation. For further information on spending facilities see Guidance on the provision of spending facilities for guide dogs and other assistance dogs Remember that a guide dog owner is no different from any other tenant. They should be treated with the same level of courtesy afforded to all tenants. 7

Concerns about allergy The fear of dogs can sometimes produce an emotional or psychological reaction (e.g. a panic attack) which can sometimes be mistaken for an allergic reaction. For those people with allergies to dogs, this is caused by a reaction to certain proteins found in oils secreted from a dog s skin and in their saliva - it is not the hair itself that causes allergies. When a dog sheds hair, or its skin flakes off, these proteins are carried into the immediate environment where they may cause an allergic reaction. Frequent grooming can greatly reduce the likelihood of allergic reactions being triggered; it helps prevent loose hair from getting into the air. Grooming at least once a week is good, more often is better still. Guide dog owners are advised to regularly groom their dogs. Managing allergies There are some simple steps that can be taken to minimise the risk of allergic reactions: It is a good idea to let the guide dog owner know that you suffer from dog allergies so that mutually agreeable processes can be put in place. Avoid physical contact with the dog if you have an allergy. Wash your hands as soon as you can after touching the dog Never touch your face or eyes after you ve touched the dog. This information booklet is purely for guidance purposes. Please tell your local Guide Dogs mobility team when you encounter an access refusal so we can advise you on next steps to take. 8

Useful publications Equality Act 2010 Services, public functions and associations: Statutory Code of Practice (EHRC, 2011) Assistance dogs A guide for all businesses (EHRC, 2013) www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/assistance-dogs-guide-all-businesses What equality law means for your business (EHRC, 2011) www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/documents/equalityact/service_ providers_business.pdf Sighted Guide: How to help blind and partially sighted people (Guide Dogs, 2008) Guidance on the provision of spending facilities for guide dogs and other assistance dogs (Guide Dogs, 2015) Discrimination in housing - duty to make reasonable adjustments Citizens Advice Bureau, 2015 www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/housing_e/discrimination_housing_e/housing_what_ are_the_different_types_of_discrimination_e/hp11_duty_to_make_reasonable_adjustments. htm Disabled people s rights in rented accommodation Shelter Scotland, 2015 scotland.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/advice_topics/renting_rights/disabled_peoples_rights_ in_rented_accommodation Sign Design Guide: a guide to inclusive signage JMU and Sign Design Society, 2000 9

List of useful contacts Equality and Human Rights Commission Website: www.equalityhumanrights.com Equality Advisory Service (EASS) for England, Scotland and Wales Telephone: 0800 444 205 Textphone: 0800 444 206 Northern Ireland (Equality Commission) Telephone: 028 90 500600 Textphone: 028 90 500589 www.equalityni.org Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) RNIB Legal Rights Services Telephone: 0303 1239999 Email: LegalRights@rnib.org.uk RNIB Helpline Telephone: 0303 123 9999 Email: helpline@rnib.org.uk www.rnib.org.uk Law Centre Network The Law Centre Network is unable to give advice, but can help you find a local Law Centre that can: www.lawcentres.org.uk Contact details for Guide Dogs For further information, please contact Guide Dogs Guide Dogs, Hillfields, Burghfield Common, Reading, RG7 3YG. Telephone: 0118 983 5555 Fax: 0118 983 5433 Email: guidedogs@guidedogs.org.uk Website: www.guidedogs.org.uk/accessallareas 10

Registered office: Hillfields, Burghfield Common, Reading RG7 3YG Website: www.guidedogs.org.uk Email: guidedogs@guidedogs.org.uk Telephone: 0118 983 5555 The text of this document is available on request in Braille, audio, large print and electronic formats. Registered charity in England and Wales (209617) and Scotland (SC038979). 8050 04/15 11