Taiwan museum tells visually-impaired woman that guide dogs not allowed, asks why visit if she can't see

A visually-impaired woman, accompanied by her guide dog and a friend, was looking forward to visiting a wood museum in Taiwan.

At the door, she was refused entry and told that dogs were not allowed inside.

When she explained that the black labrador was her guide dog and not a pet, she was dismissed by the volunteer, who asked her why she wanted to visit if she could not see.

'You can't see, what's the point?'

The woman, Lian (transliteration), took to Facebook on Oct. 25 to share about the incident that happened earlier in the day.

She wrote that she made her way from Tainan to Guanziling district, and was looking forward to a day out at the Taiwan Wood Story Museum.

She was accompanied by a friend and her guide dog.

However, the reception they got at the entrance of the museum soured the mood.

The museum volunteer apparently stopped the group and told them that dogs were not allowed.

According to her, the volunteer replied, with a condescending look on his face: "You can't even see, so what's the point of going in. We don't have guides either. How about you just wait outside with your dog. It's all wooden inside, so you'll have to take off your shoes."

Lian responded by telling the volunteer that her friend will help with explanations during the visit, but the volunteer continued to refuse their entry.

Volunteers found socks prepared specially for guide dogs

Upon Lian's persistent querying on whether she was allowed to enter with a guide dog, two volunteers decided to search the cabinets.

They eventually found socks prepared for guide dogs.

Lian said she could not hold her tongue further and chided the volunteers for the insulting remarks made at her.

"There are shortcomings as to how the volunteers were trained. There's no reason to insult a person with a disability like that," Lian told them.

She shared that although she was allowed to enter the museum eventually, she was still hurt by the experience.

Even though she has had similar encounters before, this one was especially agonising.

"Their words cut like knives. All the while, my guide dog obediently sat beside me with tail wagging, as if he was asking, 'What did we do wrong?'" Lian wrote.

"I'm willing to use my sense of touch and hearing to experience the museum's stories with all my heart. It's a pity that, to the volunteer, this was pointless," she said.

Black labrador

Lian shared that her guide dog, a black labrador, was four years old this year, ETtoday wrote.

She gave the guide dog the nickname "Little White Black".

"Little White Black" has been by Lian's side for a year now.

No matter the circumstance, he would stick by her, becoming her reliable pillar of support.

Lian wrote that she's still grateful for the encounter.

"It showed me that true inclusivity isn't another ramp or floor tile, but a kind of understanding and respect," she opined.

"Maybe one day I'll visit again. Not to pick a fight, but to let them know that visually-impaired people like me aren't there to see the exhibits, but to experience life," she wrote.

"My guide dog isn't just a dog, but the eyes that guide me into the world," Lian concluded in her Facebook post.

Top image via Facebook