hdroadglide
BoM x 2, BoY 2011
ah, these canadians, eh!
An Edmonton woman has filed a human rights complaint after her autistic nine-year-old daughter and service dog were told to leave the west-end Winners for the second time in three months.
"I don't believe that anybody should feel like a second-class citizen in any place and especially as a child," said Alison Ainsworth, Emily's mother.
Emily's mother, Alison Ainsworth, describes how the family was told to leave the west-end Winners. (CBC)The discount clothing store ordered Ainsworth's daughter, Emily, and her dog Levi to leave the premises last July, but later apologized to the family.
The store sent Emily a formal apology, a card featuring a puppy on the cover and a $25 gift card. The apology was written by Mike Faulkner, Edmonton district manager for TJX Canada, the parent company of Winners.
"I followed up with the store and the manager involved and he was very apologetic," Faulkner wrote. "He certainly didn't mean any offence at all and was upset to hear that you and your daughter were upset.
"My biggest concern is that your daughter doesn't feel welcome so if you don't mind spoiling her a bit, I'd like to give her a $25 gift card to pick something she'd like from any of our stores."
Mother doubts store's apology
On Sunday, Emily, Levi and her mother visited the store to use the gift card when they were told by store staff that Levi, whose harness identifies him as a service dog, was not allowed into the store.
"We were asked to leave the store," she said. "My child's service dog was not permitted in their establishment anywhere. And if that's true, then that includes my child because there is no separation between the two of them."
Emily said leaving the store made her sad.
"I was disappointed that I didn't get anything from the store, even my dress that my mom picked out nicely for me," she said.
Ainsworth described the incidents as uneducated and unfounded bullying.
"It's demoralizing," she said. "It's demeaning."
Ainworth doubts the sincerity of the store's apology.
"Had they taken it with seriousness, then I think their staff would have become educated," said Ainsworth.
"For us as a family to go back in and to be kicked a second time...it's almost as though we were lured into an establishment under the guise that it was a safe place to go."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/10/25/edmonton-winners-service-dog.html
An Edmonton woman has filed a human rights complaint after her autistic nine-year-old daughter and service dog were told to leave the west-end Winners for the second time in three months.
"I don't believe that anybody should feel like a second-class citizen in any place and especially as a child," said Alison Ainsworth, Emily's mother.
Emily's mother, Alison Ainsworth, describes how the family was told to leave the west-end Winners. (CBC)The discount clothing store ordered Ainsworth's daughter, Emily, and her dog Levi to leave the premises last July, but later apologized to the family.
The store sent Emily a formal apology, a card featuring a puppy on the cover and a $25 gift card. The apology was written by Mike Faulkner, Edmonton district manager for TJX Canada, the parent company of Winners.
"I followed up with the store and the manager involved and he was very apologetic," Faulkner wrote. "He certainly didn't mean any offence at all and was upset to hear that you and your daughter were upset.
"My biggest concern is that your daughter doesn't feel welcome so if you don't mind spoiling her a bit, I'd like to give her a $25 gift card to pick something she'd like from any of our stores."
Mother doubts store's apology
On Sunday, Emily, Levi and her mother visited the store to use the gift card when they were told by store staff that Levi, whose harness identifies him as a service dog, was not allowed into the store.
"We were asked to leave the store," she said. "My child's service dog was not permitted in their establishment anywhere. And if that's true, then that includes my child because there is no separation between the two of them."
Emily said leaving the store made her sad.
"I was disappointed that I didn't get anything from the store, even my dress that my mom picked out nicely for me," she said.
Ainsworth described the incidents as uneducated and unfounded bullying.
"It's demoralizing," she said. "It's demeaning."
Ainworth doubts the sincerity of the store's apology.
"Had they taken it with seriousness, then I think their staff would have become educated," said Ainsworth.
"For us as a family to go back in and to be kicked a second time...it's almost as though we were lured into an establishment under the guise that it was a safe place to go."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/10/25/edmonton-winners-service-dog.html
