A HILLCREST resident who has lived with “very little” eyesight since birth, and now relies on a guide dog, has said she had a “difficult” experience at the eThekwini Municipality offices in the area when she was recently refused entry because of her service companion.

Adrienne Regester (68) said she had gone to the offices, accompanied by “Shadow” – “he’s my eyes”, to make a payment, but “they wouldn’t let me in”.

Regester said Shadow is a trained guide dog who has been of service to her for two years.

“Nobody is supposed to touch him because he works for me. I’ve got very little eyesight,” said Regester, who said during her previous visits to the offices she did not encounter any difficulty.

According to Regester, a supervisor at the offices told her that she could not enter the building with Shadow because dogs are not allowed onto the premises.

Regester said this resulted in her friend having to wait outside on a bench with Shadow whilst she experienced the difficulty of moving about the office without her “eyes”.

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This has drawn the ire of some locals who reached out to the Highway Mail.

One of them is Upper Highway resident Julie Cox who said a demonstration outside the offices is being planned for Wednesday, December 3, starting at 09:00 to show support for Regester.

Meanwhile, the KZN Blind & Deaf Society has expressed its dismay at the allegations that a blind person accompanied by a trained guide dog was refused entry at a municipal, government office.

The society’s president Veetha Sewkuran said this was not only “discriminatory” but also a reflection of “a troubling disregard for the basic rights and dignity of persons who are blind”.

“Guide dogs are legally recognised mobility aids, and individuals who are blind have an unambiguous right to access all public spaces, including government buildings, without obstruction or humiliation. To deny entry is to deny independence, autonomy, and equality.

“Coming from a municipal department, an institution tasked with serving the public, this alleged disrespect is unacceptable and profoundly disappointing. Government spaces should set the standard for inclusion, accessibility, and respect for persons with disabilities, not become barriers to essential services,” said Sewkuran.

This story will be updated once the municipality has responded to a media enquiry.

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