A blind man and his service dog were asked to leave a restaurant after staff said he “doesn’t look blind,” sparking outrage and discussion.
In a recent incident, a blind man and his service dog were asked to leave a restaurant after the owner claimed he “doesn’t look blind.”
The incident took place at a restaurant when a visually impaired man named Paul and his service dog arrived to enjoy a meal.
Blind man and service dog removed from restaurant as he “doesn’t look blind”
Paul took to the popular video-sharing platform TikTok to recount his unsettling experience at the Seattle-based restaurant.
When Paul entered the eatery with Mr. Maple, a staff member immediately approached him.
The staff member informed him of a strict ‘no pets allowed’ policy, which permits only service dogs on the premises.
Despite Paul’s assurance that Mr. Maple was indeed a service dog, the staff member questioned whether the dog was an ’emotional support animal.‘
“I showed [the guide dog harness] to the guy and said I’m blind, and he said ‘you don’t look blind’,” Paul went on to explain.
“I said a lot of people in the blind community still have some functional vision.”
Paul showed his guide dog’s harness as proof of his visual impairment.
The staff members responded dismissively, saying, “You don’t look blind.”
“I literally had this harness attached to him,” Paul continued, referring to the words “Guide Dogs for the Blind” on Mr. Maple’s harness.
The man emphasized that many in the blind community have some functional vision
In response, Paul emphasized that many individuals within the blind community retain some level of functional vision.
“A lot of people in the blind community still have some functional vision,” he recalled in a viral video.
The staff continued to question Paul, asking why he could make direct eye contact if he was visually impaired.
Paul explained that he had a limited “pinhole of vision.”
The situation escalated as the restaurant owner expressed skepticism regarding Paul’s disability, asserting that he was familiar with such situations.
To clarify Mr. Maple’s legitimacy as a service dog, Paul offered to provide the necessary paperwork.
However, he was threatened with police involvement if he tried to re-enter the restaurant.
Expressing his disbelief and frustration, Paul shared a video of the encounter on TikTok, which quickly went viral, amassing over 9.4 million views.
Despite calls from viewers to disclose the restaurant’s name, Paul chose not to do so.
Instead, he opted to meet with the restaurant manager to address the discriminatory treatment he endured.
The restaurant issued an apology and gifted him a card
During the meeting, Paul emphasized that he had no intention of pursuing legal action against the staff member and sought a resolution through dialogue.
Subsequently, he received a heartfelt apology from the restaurant employee and was even presented with a gift card as a gesture of reconciliation.
Social media reactions
We were kicked out of a bar one night with my blind friend.
He had his hand on my shoulder going up the stairs and they thought he was “too drunk to do it himself” they would not believe that he’s visually impaired, one user shared their story.
He has a TikTok. I love watching his antics with his husband.
He’s definitely blind and his dog is definitely a service dog, the second user commented.
I’ve learned alot about blindness watching his videos, restaurant is out of touch and needs an update, the third user said.
There are so many different types of vision impairment. People shouldn’t be to quick to judge, another wrote.
Paul seems like a genuine Person. So angry that a restaurant Person could be so rude, ignorant and intimidating! Someone wrote.