Restaurant owner refuses to seat her in desired spot, citing "customer complaints"
A YouTuber with a visual impairment was recently subjected to discrimination for her guide dog, as a restaurant owner in Busan seated her away from other customers and refused to move her despite her repeated complaints.
Heo Woo-ryeong, who lost her sight at 14, posted a video of her Busan trip on Sunday titled, "Everything in Busan was great in Busan, except... I hope it won't happen again." She was visiting a sashimi eatery next to Gwangalli Beach, where she and her camera crew were shown to a seat in an unlit room near a storage area.
Aware that there were several ocean-view seats available, she asked the restaurant owner if they could sit there, but the owner refused on account of Heo's guide dog. Despite repeated requests and Heo pointing out that no one had actually complained, the owner said that "people don't like dogs" and it would be bothersome to move them later if anyone complained.
A visibly distraught Heo and her companions asked for the food to go.
"We (visually impaired people) are not at all demanding to get in wherever we go. If someone has allergies or is afraid of the dog, we could be seated elsewhere or leave. There are so many options, but (the owner) didn't consider any of them," she said in the video, adding that she will file a complaint with the Busan city authorities. "Restricting us because of things that didn't even happen is a serious issue."
The Act on Prohibition of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities states in Article 1 that no discrimination of any kind shall be permitted on the basis of disability. Refusing entry to a visually impaired person's service dog without justifiable cause is punishable by a fine of up to 3 million won ($2,160).
While the restaurant owner did not stop the dog from entering, refusing to seat her in a desired spot because of her dog -- whose presence is essential due to her complete blindness -- could be considered discrimination on the basis of disability. Such discrimination could be subject to up to three years in prison.
Heo, a video blogger with 181,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, said she lost her sight due to what was suspected to be optic neuritis. Her channel covers various aspects of her daily life, including traveling, eating, and the occasional misfortunes she faces due to her disability and the prejudice she encounters.
Her dog Hayan is a recurring presence on Heo's channel, as several of her videos deal with issues related to guide dogs.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
