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Ontario, Canada

http://www.canlii.org/on/laws/sta/b-7/20040705/whole.html


Ontario has a broadly stated Human Rights Act that includes persons who have a “lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device.” Footnote In addition, there is also a Blind Persons’ Rights Act.


Applies to 

Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Service Dogs

Accessibility

 

“No person, directly or indirectly, alone or with another, by himself, herself or itself or by the interposition of another, shall, (a) deny to any person the accommodation, services or facilities available in any place to which the public is customarily admitted; or (b) discriminate against any person with respect to the accommodation, services or facilities available in any place to which the public is customarily admitted, or the charges for the use thereof, or the reason that he or she is a blind person accompanied by a guide dog.” Footnote

Interference

guilty of an offence

Housing

“No person, directly or indirectly, alone or with another, by himself, herself or itself or by the interposition of another, shall, (a) deny to any person occupancy of any self-contained dwelling unit; or (b) discriminate against any person with respect to any term or condition of occupancy of any self-contained dwelling unit, for the reason that he or she is a blind person keeping or customarily accompanied by a guide dog.” Footnote

Identification

“The Attorney General [or his designate] may, upon application therefor, issue to a blind person an identification card identifying the blind person and his or her guide dog.” Footnote

Misrepresentation

“No person, other than a blind person, shall carry or use a cane or walking stick, the major part of which is white, in any public place, public thoroughfare or public conveyance.” Footnote

Penalties

“Every person who is in contravention of section 2 [public access] is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000.” Footnote  Every person who . . . not being a blind person, purports to be a blind person for the purpose of claiming the benefit of this Act is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine not exceeding $500.

Summary

Ontario law requires that a specially trained Guide Dog be allowed to accompany a blind person to all public accommodations and common carriers. It is illegal to discriminate against a blind person in housing because he is accompanied by a Guide Dog. Their Human Rights Act extends these rights to deaf and hearing impaired as well as to disabled persons.