Dogs that are a help, not a hindrance

A dog is more than man's best friend.

For many disabled men -- and women -- canines are constant companions that allow them to lead independent lives.

Some dogs help those with vision problems get from place to place without assistance.

Other dogs are trained to help the disabled by doing a variety of tasks most of us take for granted, such as opening doors, picking up objects and turning on light switches. Some are trained to respond when their handler has a seizure.

They need to be at their masters' sides.

But sometimes, people don't understand that. They view these canines as pets that shouldn't be allowed in public places.

It leads to the kind of inexcusable and embarrassing situation that occurred at a T.G.I. Friday's in Wheeling on Saturday.

Sue Greenberg, her 17-year-old daughter, Laura, and Dawn went to the restaurant to celebrate Laura's birthday.

Dawn is a golden retriever. Laura, who suffered a brain injury a decade ago and can no longer walk or talk, relies on her trained companion dog for assistance.

But a manager at the restaurant refused to admit the Arlington Heights family, at least along with Dawn, even after Greenberg showed him her Public Access card, which explains the Americans With Disabilities Act. That law forbids businesses and government agencies from barring help dogs from public places.

The restaurant chain has since apologized. And it is doing the right thing in educating employees on ADA guidelines.

But what happened to Sue Greenberg, Laura and their dog is not a unique situation.

In the past few years, people with trained companion dogs in the suburbs have been barred not only from restaurants but also taxicabs, movie theaters and airliners.

While some of these acts of discrimination can be attributed to lack of sensitivity if not outright bigotry, we'd like to believe it has more to do with ignorance of the law -- and of the nature of these dogs.

As we noted before, they are not pets, though they are loved by their masters. They undergo meticulous training for months to assist their disabled owners. They know to sit, stand or lie quietly. They are not going to create a ruckus in public places, or a mess. And they are not going to bite or attack.

What T.G.I. Friday's is doing in response to an embarrassing situation -- elevating employee awareness of accessibility laws and putting workers through sensitivity training -- is what every business and government agency should be doing as a matter or routine.

And we'd like to think more are doing this kind of personnel training than not. It should be noted that the Greenberg family never before had an issue with bringing their dog into any other restaurant or shop.

But whether it's lack of knowledge or lack of heart, there is no excuse for turning away disabled people and their dogs from public places they need to be, or want to be.