Shocking fact: Sydney venues still turn away guide dogs – this new initiative is here to help

Time Out

06-05-2025

It's a sad fact that – despite society's empathy and our love of Labradors – people with low vision or blindness are often turned away from venues for having a guide dog in toe. Shocking, right? (NSW law states that everywhere needs to allow guide dogs, including hospo venues.) These gaps in support often lead people to retreat from social interactions in public. Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is hosting an event at NSW Parliament House this week to celebrate the success of their new Access Means Business initiative (which provides hospitality businesses with resources to make Sydney's venues more inclusive to people with low vision or blindness) and to launch the Self-Advocacy Toolkit (a practical resource created to support people with low vision or blindness to advocate for their rights).
This brand-new Toolkit will provide straightforward, accessible information about the legal right to enter hospitality venues in NSW with a guide dog, along with clear steps to take if access is refused.
Alan Edwards, a 'Lived Experience Presenter' says that when he started getting out and about with a guide dog, it was life-changing, but also surprising. 'I was delighted at how much easier it was for me to be involved in life. I was also confronted by some people unfairly and illegally restricting access.
'It was and remains challenging to stand up to this. This Toolkit gives people practical tools to confidently advocate for themselves and for inclusive practices. I hope that through toolkits like this, access will be seen as not just 'a legal right', but the right thing to do.'
The Toolkit outlines key laws, the responsibilities of both Guide Dog Handlers and businesses, and includes contact details for reporting discrimination and lodging complaints. This resource is so important because it will help give people with low vision or blindness the confidence and knowledge to speak up and to help the wider community (venues and beyond) understand how to support inclusion.
This year, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT partnered with the City of Sydney to deliver Access Means Business, working with restaurants, cafés and bars across inner Sydney to build awareness and foster more inclusive environments for people with low vision or blindness.
The event on May 7 will bring together NSW Parliamentarians, business owners, community members with lived experiences, and representatives from Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to reflect on the campaign's achievements and share their vision for future progress.