23/11/2024
Today Diego helped me take my niece and nephew to the Manly quarantine station for a historical walk. It was really fascinating to learn all about how quarantine operated 100 and 200 years ago. When we arrived we were greeted with some access issues as the person felt that I should not be allowed in with a guide dog because they were on a national reserve however the rules stipulate that if it is built area I am allowed. They were initially angry because they had wanted me to fill out paperwork and have submitted it for special permission. 10 days ago. The truth being our family decided it was a lovely day and we would drive and take the children there as it would be a lovely spot and a wonderful learning opportunity for the family as a Blind person. I’m equally entitled to makes spontaneous decisions and participate in events as everyone else says a quick check with the manager and check if my handler ID did confirm that I was allowed to have access and the refusal was avoided. Of course it’s not pleasant to have your rights challenged And I’m hoping that the staff will educate each other and remember that I am allowed to be there even with my guide dog. Regardless we had a wonderful tour and a wonderful tall Guide and I would highly recommend other visited. Diego did a lovely job as well coming along although he did cry a little bit when he saw the beach and realised we weren’t going for a swim! This is a picture of Diego and I outside the quarantine hospital overlooking the views. They used to build the hospital up high because they believed that fresh air got rid of the smells and killed the germs.
,Australia
