Ice cream parlour apologises to blind woman who was told to leave because she had her guide dog with her
- Lyn Godwin, 69, visited an ice cream parlour in Southampton with her guide dog
- A staff member insisted she leave, despite the pensioner explaining she is blind
A blind pensioner was left distraught after staff forced her to leave an ice cream parlour because she had her guide dog with her.
Lyn Godwin, accompanied by her eight-year-old labrador Yoko, visited Scoops Gelato in Southampton, Hampshire, and planned to sit inside to get some shade from the sun.
However, while the 69-year-old was stood in the queue, she was approached by a member of staff who ordered her to leave.
Despite Ms Godwin explaining she is blind, she was told she couldn’t bring Yoko inside.
Customers inside the dessert parlour said the incident was ‘disgusting’.
Lyn Godwin, 69, and her eight-year-old guide dog Yoko were forced out of Scoops Gelato in Southampton
Scoops Gelato has since apologised to Ms Godwin and explained there was a ‘miscommunication’ with the staff member
Scoops Gelato has now apologised to Ms Godwin and explained there was a ‘miscommunication’ with the staff member, who ‘doesn’t speak the best English’ as she is a Ukrainian refugee.
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Ms Godwin, from Southampton, has diabetic retinopathy – high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye – and lost most of her eyesight 15 years ago.
She said: ‘I just wanted to sit somewhere nice and shady with Yoko. Inside Scoops, I stood behind two people that were getting ice cream.
‘I was waiting for my turn, and a lady [staff member] was watching me.
‘When I walked towards her, she said that I couldn’t come in here with my dog.
‘I pointed out that I am blind and that I can’t see, and she still said that I can’t bring the dog in.
‘There were three people who witnessed the incident and said that it was disgusting. I then told myself that I was not going to make a fuss and left the store.
‘So what happened to me at Scoops wasn’t as bad as before, but I don’t want to get used to it. It shouldn’t be like that.
‘As a city, we need to get used to every kind of customer, regardless of their needs.
‘I don’t want to get anyone into trouble, but just be aware, everyone should be aware now that assistance dogs are the same as having a human with you..’
Ms Godwin said she’s had Yoko for nearly six years and called her a ‘lovely and funny’ dog who enjoys having her stomach rubbed.
The manager of Scoops Gelato has now issued an apology, saying ‘everyone is welcome’.
The manager said: ‘We have investigated the incident and found that the staff member who asked the lady to leave the premises is Ukrainian.
Ms Godwin said she’s had Yoko for nearly six years and called her a ‘lovely and funny’ dog who enjoys having her stomach rubbed
‘She left a war-torn country and doesn’t speak the best English, so we believe there was a miscommunication between her and the customer.
‘We don’t want the customer to feel isolated and excluded after the incident, and we would love to invite her back.
‘Right now, all we can do is apologise that she was turned away, but we want to make up with her.
‘It’s our policy that everyone is welcome.’
Locals have posted their support for Ms Godwin and Yoko online, with one saying: ‘The blind lady did absolutely nothing wrong – just a little staff training required.
‘This brave lady has flagged the issue to raise awareness for the benefit of all those vision impaired with guide dogs – a brave altruistic act.’
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