Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD boy and his mother have received an “unreserved” apology from Lidl Ireland after they were told to leave a store with their autism assistance dog.
The mum and her son, who has autism and requires the presence of the specially-trained dog for support in public situations, had just arrived in the Lidl store in Nutgrove, Rathfarnham, Dublin with the dog earlier this month when they were approached by a staff member and asked to leave.
The mother told TheJournal.ie that the dog was wearing an official Guide Dogs blue jacket, as is the recommended protocol with autism assistance dogs. The dog was trained, vetted and supplied by the Irish Guide Dogs association as part of its Assistance Dog programme.
The young boy is connected to the dog by a black belt which prevents the child from bolting, as is a danger with his condition. Assistance dogs act as an emotional and physical anchor for a person with autism in public and potentially stressful situations.
Appalled
“On entering the shop, a staff member, who was cleaning the floor with a machine, told me that I couldn’t bring the dog into the shop,” the mum told TheJournal.ie. ”I replied that I could because he was a guide dog.”
“The staff member repeated that I couldn’t bring the dog into the shop. I continued up the aisle with my child and his assistance dog. On coming back down the next aisle we were approached by the same staff member who had returned with another member of staff.”
She continued:
I was appalled and dismayed that we were now being approached by two members of staff. I said that I couldn’t believe they were coming back to hassle us. The second staff member started to say that we were not allowed in the shop with the dog. I interjected and showed him the dog’s blue jacket, pointing to the Irish Guide Dogs sign on the jacket, and explained that my son has enough challenges in his life without having to deal with further hassle.
The mother said that she had felt “humiliated and embarrassed” by the confrontation and that while her son had remained calm in the shop, “he went to bed that night biting his own arms in a distressed state”.
Lidl Ireland told TheJournal.ie: “We are aware of the incident that took place and apologise unreservedly to the customer for the inconvenience and any distress it caused.”
On receipt of her complaint in the wake of the incident, the mother says she was offered a free teddy bear and a €30 voucher by Lidl Ireland customer representatives. She refused both, telling TheJournal.ie that she felt the company was trying to “fob us off”.
Education
She has since spoken to a regional manager about the experience, asking for details from Lidl Ireland on the education currently in place for staff members to prevent discrimination of access to their stores and services for people with disabilities. She has also asked what steps will be taken to prevent a similar incident recurring and confirmation of those steps.
“I explained to the customer service manager and the regional manager that the reason I’m not letting this lie is that I want to ensure that my son, and other people with disabilities, can lead the most normal life possible. They have a legal responsibility to educate their staff about equal access rights,” she told TheJournal.ie.
Lidl Ireland did not respond to a request from TheJournal.ie for comment on the offer of a teddy bear and a €30 voucher.
The company said that its current policy allows guide dogs in stores and “unfortunately in this instance, a human error was made on our part”.
Lidl Ireland also told TheJournal.ie that it is “taking the matter very seriously and an investigation is currently under way”.
The mother of the eight-year-old boy has filed an Equality Status Act complaint to Lidl Ireland on behalf of her son and is awaiting a response.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) says that food business operators, a sector that includes supermarkets, should allow entry to guide dogs for those whose vision is impaired, for assistance dogs for families of children and adolescents with autism and companion dogs for people who have other disabilities. This exemption to autism assistance dogs has been in place for three years.
“The reasoning,” according to FSAI guidelines, “is that these dogs are specially selected and highly trained animals that receive comprehensive training and together with their owner become a mobile team.”
Equal Status Act
The Irish Guide Dogs association published a fact sheet for supermarkets which outlines that such businesses are legally obliged under the Equal Status Act to not discriminate against persons with disabilities.
The fact sheet states: “Supermarket owners and food premise owners provide reasonable accommodation when they facilitate guide dogs and assistance dogs on their premises when the guide dog or assistance dog is assisting its owner.” The fact sheet includes an image of an assistance dog wearing its distinctive official blue jacket.
Lidl Ireland this week announced a phased introduction of a two-hour ‘Autism Aware’ shopping experience one evening a week to all its stores across the island of Ireland. This rollout is to begin on 2 April.
The company told TheJournal.ie: “Our store teams are in the process of being trained to gain a greater understanding of autism and our customer’s needs. In addition, sensory adjustments are being made to stores which include reduced lighting, no in-store announcements, no music, priority queueing for customers dealing with autism as well as extra assistance upon request and lowered till scan sounds.”
An initial trial of the autism-friendly evenings – which are to run every Tuesday from 6-8pm – was deemed a success by the company, and positive feedback was received from customers. It is hoped that the rollout will be complete by the end of May.
Autism awareness
On a Facebook post about the rollout, a Lidl Ireland customer said that her son’s assistance dog had been refused entry to a Co Cork Lidl store and that she was told by a manager that “only dogs for blind [people are] allowed”. Lidl Ireland told TheJournal.ie that it has urged this customer to get in contact should they wish to make an official complaint, and reiterated that the company policy is to allow all guide dogs in stores.
A number of companies and stores in Ireland have announced autism-awareness initiatives and projects in recent years. SuperValu has a list of stores that provide “autism-friendly” shopping evenings around the country and is introducing a trolley dubbed ALF (Autism Lifeskill Friend) to 50 of its stores nationwide. Designed by a SuperValu employee and his wife, inspired by their son who has autism, it features a visual guide that gives a young person a task to focus on as they move through the shop.
Shannon Airport won plaudits last year when it launched Europe’s first sensory room tailored for passengers who are living with autism.
Some cinemas and theatres have also introduced autism-friendly sessions which see lights raised in auditoriums and sound systems lowered to make entertainment experiences more suitable for those with sensory sensitivities.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Probably just go with the flow at this stage. Great idea lads. Good use of resources. Well done. Can’t see these being wrecked at all. 10m to install, ex vat, the add on extra for added costs rising so that’s 100m, then 400m to remove them when they’re wrecked in 6 months.
@Rafa C: this is a DCC project, many of us would avail of them as we don’t have space indoors or safe places to lock bikes outside. it isn’t going to affect you out past leixlip or wherever you said you lived the other day so don’t fret too much.
@Rafa C: The ones near me in Stoneybatter have been in several years and work great. But don’t let that stop you having a good aul moan.
@eoin fitzpatrick: I never said they wouldn’t be availed of, and I never said you don’t have space for storing bikes.
Does it affect me? And others? Yes. I think it does.
Let’s just wait and see the final cost for this project, and the inevitable removal of these due to thievery, vandalism, anti-social behaviour and probably a few other things.
They won’t last long.
Out where I live, they put a cycle pump and bike repair kit at the entrance to the canal – it was only put in 2 weeks ago and it’s already wrecked and unusable.
@Sal Paradise: Great to hear Sal, but with many others being put in the risk rises for thievery, vandalism and other anti-social situations.
I’m delighted it works for you in your area. But there’s a bigger picture, additional costs, and inevitable removal due to issues.
@Rafa C: in case you dont realise it Rafa , most citizens of our fair city dont go around wrecking facilities provided by city council Fingal, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown or SDCC. In fact most of the great public facilities of our country are in Dublin
@Peter Byrne: We clearly have not experienced the same Dublin. Time will tell.
@Rafa C: The same was said when Dublin Bikes was launched. Vandals will destroy them. It never happened and it turned out to be a great success.
@Rafa C: Ah, I don’t know Rafa. I see winter potential right there, bikes having been stolen the shed shell can then be covered in tarpaulin; sort of accommodation for ‘visitors’. Safe spaces, like…
@Rafa C: yes but please do think of the effect of the green stamp it will have for every person who’s on a bike for those 6 months who uses it. The reduction in emissions from not using vehicles for that limited time will have tremendous results. The air quality will be absolutely wonderful altogether there.
Great news. Addresses the problem of keeping a bike in a small or terraced house.
I use the one in Stoneybatter as I live in a third floor apartment, they have never been vandalised due to their solid structure.
@Áine G: C’mon now. Can’t be having that sort of positive reaction to a story.
Great news. I have friends who have been using these in a couple of locations and so it’s good that others will be able to avail of them.
We need more bike bunkers I am sure.
@Sean Money: Any place where bimes can be locked safely is good.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: we must protect the bimes
@Sean Money: 20,000 bikes reported stolen every year, the real figure is multiples of that probably. So yes, it’s a good idea
Be a shining beacon for anti-social types.
@AnthonyK: Haven’t been to date.
@Jack Hayes: save the lads putting up tents. Accommodation in Dublin for €100 a year . Great value
Anything for motorbikes on the horizon…
To many thefts
Love it when I hear councillors saying it will be great for the inner city. As when requests were made to get them installed in council flat complex’s in the inner city, they were ignored by DCC and the party of the councilors quoted!
I was there when the requests were made repeatedly!
And repeatedly ignored.
Like the idea but 33k per bunker is mad stuff
@David Griffin:
You could get a shipping container for that ,and put 100 or more in.
How does it cost in excess of 30,000 for each ex vat.?
@Mark Fox: no the €30k is for the brown envelope. The bunker only costs €1k in normal land.
@Mark Fox: 30,000 per individual bike holding section with absolutely tremendous benefits to the local community and all cabbage heads alike.
For crying out loud DCC it rains every other day and it pitch dark 6 months of the year! Who wants to cycle in Dublin. Tha vast majority of cyclists are school kids and delivery drivers! They don’t need bike bunkers your only keeping the thieves dry while there robbing the bikes in Dublins fair city!
It’s taken up a car park space
@Shane O Mac: That’s the hope!
@Shane O Mac: where will I park my 4wd range rover archorpanzer now?
@Shane O Mac: yes, one car space lost = 6 bike spaces gained. Win,win.
@Dermot Blaine: for €33,000 per bunker you could ditch your bicycle and actually finally be able to afford a car.
@Shane O Mac: takes up a car space but frees up several.
@Dermot Blaine: loss loss in winter time
They will be put in the same type of locations as the others. You will not see them in council estates or older persons accommodation.
Ugly things that take away from the areas they are in. Look like old watchmen’s huts.
@Gary Kearney: if that’s your take, you’ll be outraged when you see all the private cars stored on streets up and down the country.
Just everywhere, they are!
@Ciaran Foster: and they pay for the privilege with road tax insurance what do bikes pay sod all
@Paul Dennis: no such thing as “road tax” and plenty of taxpayers pay taxes
@Paul Dennis: They pay more than a car does. Residential parking permit in DCC is 65e for 12 months. One of those bunkers also takes 6 bikes. Assuming it fills, that is 600e for one spot rather than 65e for one car
@KL M: explain how there is no such thing as road tax?
I’m order to use any motorised vehicle one has to pay tax. It is a tax on the usage of a motor vehicle on a public road so it is, in affect, a road tax. One can own a motor vehicle & declare it off the road removing the need to pay tax.
Have to laugh at all the brainwashed NPC’s that believe they are saving the world by eliminating cars. Bigots the most of them that don’t understand they are being manipulated & the ones that realise it won’t admit it because of their ego (but like covid & vaccines
This is a real problem I know people who don’t cycle cause don’t have any place to keep a bike.
We need them also farther away from the city centre like 6/7km at least.
@MM: The Further the better!!!
have your say