A woman with post-traumatic stress disorder who was twice refused permission to fly on Air New Zealand with her assistance dog has settled a discrimination complaint on confidential terms.
Lisa Robinson, a former paramedic, said her dog Lilly alerted her to elevating anxiety levels, allowing her to “face the world in ways I might not manage on my own”.
“Without Lilly, my life is much narrower and harder,” the Brisbane resident said.
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The Justice and Equity Centre helped Ms Robinson with her complaint and with conciliation with the airline.
Sheetal Balakrishnan, a senior solicitor at the centre, said Air New Zealand’s stance essentially treated Lilly as a pet.
“Assistance dogs are not pets. They’re working animals that are highly trained to support a range of people with disability,” she said.
Ms Balakrishnan said businesses had to provide their services in an accessible way, and assistance animals had the right to access public spaces.
“That means if a business refuses access to an assistance animal, it could be disability discrimination,” she said.
This article was also syndicated on RNZ in New Zealand.
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