Access assessor hard to access

After a year of trying to find a Public Access Test assessor for her assistance dog, Port Kennedy woman Dany-el Baker may finally be making headway with the Department of Local Government.

Mrs Baker has a medically diagnosed disability affecting her knees and uses an assistance dog for retrieval and to give her support as she walks.

She uses her dog for everyday tasks such as shopping and it provides the support her legs can no longer give her.

Mrs Baker, a former servicewoman who was a qualified dog-trainer with the military, trained her own dog.

However, to be able to use her dog, without the fear of being asked to leave a shop should a shop owner request to see authorisation of her dog, she needs to have a Public Access Test card that recognises it as suitably trained.

‘‘I have exhausted many avenues and been given the runaround from organisations and government departments, trying to find an assessor for my dog,’’ she said.

Mrs Baker was finally referred to the Department of Local Government in April this year and told to submit a request to the director-general for her dog to be approved as an authorised assistance dog.

A department spokeswoman said the department was aware of the situation and had been liaising with Mrs Baker about finding a resolution.

‘‘The department will continue to update her on the progress of her application,’’ she said.

Last week the spokeswoman said the department hoped the matter would be resolved by the end of July.

‘‘It is extremely frustrating— I feel I am constantly having to prove my disability,’’ Mrs Baker said.

‘‘My dog is not just a pick-up stick, not just a walking-stick— he gives me the confidence to go out in public.

‘‘He gives me my independence.’’