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Inclusive Industries: Hospitality.

Sarah Hirst walking through a cafe with her Guide Dog.

On this page:

Creating inclusivity in restaurants and cafes.

According to reports received from our Guide Dog Handlers in 2024, cafés and restaurants are the most common industry illegally refusing people access to their services across NSW and the ACT. Our team knew this needed to change. We wanted to work with venues to create a hospitality industry that upholds the rights of people with low vision or blindness, foster an inclusive and welcoming space for dining and gathering and ensures businesses can benefit from a broader and more diverse customer base. Access means business.

 

Read more about how access means business.
A person sitting at a cafe with their yellow Labrador.

Self-advocacy toolkit.

This toolkit is designed to empower individuals with Guide Dogs by outlining your legal rights of access to hospitality venues in NSW. It provides an outline of: 

  • Relevant legislation. 
  • Your rights as a Guide Dog Handler. 
  • Responsibilities of hospitality venues. 
  • Responsibilities of Guide Dog Handlers. 
  • Consequences for refusing a Guide Dog Handler. 
  • Looking after yourself when advocating. 
  • Educating venues and reporting refusals. 
  • Key contacts. 
Read our self-advocacy toolkit.
A yellow Guide Dog looking at the camera.

The solution.

We asked restaurant and café owners and managers to take the lead and ensure that all staff are:

  • Informed of their obligation to respect the legal rights of assistance animals.
  • Aware of how to effectively guide and communicate with people who have low vision or blindness.
  • Able to create an inclusive space that allows people with low vision or blindness to locate, move around, and access information.

 

Aimee sitting in a cafe.

The asks.

Of hospitality businesses:

Of community members and Clients:

  • Read and share our campaign resources with your networks, local cafés or restaurants..
  • Be an ally. When you see inaccessible practices in your travels, kindly direct them to this web page to learn more. 
  • Share your ideas for how we can create a more inclusive hospitality industry with the Social Change team, including stories of when and where you’ve seen things done well. Email socialchange@guidedogs.com.au 
  • Sign up to be an Inclusion Ally to keep up to date with our work to create change.

 

Dan Searle sitting at a cafe.

The outcome.

From our engagement with the community we were able to:

  • Deliver a digital toolkit to 500 businesses.
  • Have online training taught to 200 staff.
  • Deliver 150 businesses packs.
  • Host 1 launch event attended by key stakeholders.
  • Have street banners hung in Martin Place for International Guide Dog Day.
  • Release media stories released showcasing the campaign.

 

Access means Business banners in Martin Place.

Assisting people with blindness or low vision.

Complete our ‘Assisting people with blindness or low vision’ course.

 

Start learning.

Access means business.

Resources

Contact the Social Change team on socialchange@guidedogs.com.au if you would like hard copies of our resources sent to you. 

For information on how to make your building, space or streetscape more accessible, visit our ‘Accessible buildings and streetscapes‘ page.