My friend and I stopped at a restaurant in Mi Wuk Village, Calif. on Sunday. She is deaf and uses 2 hearing aids. We were told we had to wait until a customer was finished eating outside before we could be seated.

We explained that they had to accept a service (hearing) dog. The dog had on her vest and leash which clearly states "Hearing Dog". We explained that they were in violation of Federal law. The owner blatantly said that he didn't care.

We took our business elsewhere but we feel the need to complain. 3 other patrons in the restaurant told the guy he was wrong. They paid for their meals and left letting him know that they would not return.

I did go onto the Calif state website and file a complaint with consumer affairs. We'll see if anything happens with them.

Any other suggestions where I can file a complaint online? I will be writing to the ADA office in Washington, but that is snail mail only.

That is a shame. I really don't know, but you might file a complaint with the BBB in that city.

Wow, what an ignorant jerk. I would take it all the way. I hope he gets super fined and chewed out. Maybe find out where your friend got the dog, then they could point you in the right direction. Keep us posted. That just has me shaking my head in amazement.

All I could find was to submit a complaint in writing as well, but it also says you can call the ADA Information Line to ask about filing a complaint with the Department of Justice and to order forms that can assist you in providing information about the violation: http://www.ada.gov/enforce.htm#anchor218282

And here's a link to a copy of the law they definately violated: http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm

So sorry that happened. What an ignorant and hateful man. I'd call the local news station!

Find out if there is a disability organization in that area and give them a call. Maybe they have a newsletter or some other way to notify the public of the "civil rights" violation of that business. I know there are parking tickets you can get in certain states to put on cars that wrongly park in accessible spaces. The news is a great idea maybe they have some kind of community reporter that will do a story. That happened in our town...there was an expose' on gas stations that are supposed to help folks with disabilities put gas in their vehicle if they signal by honking the horn.

good luck...the only way we will make changes is to SPEAK UP!!! Great job!

My fiance is legally blind (although guide dog-less since he hates dogs) but this struck a chord with me anyway. I peeked around on the internet.... here are some exerpts from online:

Restaurant refuses entry to Seeing Eye dog
Randall Cook is suing 21 Century Buffet for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act

Melissa Murz, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, said she didn’t have a count on the number of complaints about Seeing Eye dog discrimination but said the office handles “a lot.”

Most, Murz said, are settled through mediation before they get to court.

The United States Department of Justice enforces the disabilities act nationally.

also

Refusal to allow service dog into theater violated ADA
An arts center's refusal to allow a woman with quadriplegia to bring her service dog inside its theater violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq., the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held. The trial court found for plaintiff, awarded damages, and ordered the center to modify its policies to provide persons with disabilities "the broadest feasible access."

If she truly wants to take this issue further, sounds like she needs to call the Attorney General's office and find out what to do from there. Although I can't stand frivolous lawsuits, I think a lawsuit like this is VALID in order to teach business owners to care a bit more about the law - and maybe some human compassion and decency!

I agree with those above. File the complaint with the proper agencies, notify the BBB of their conduct of business, and as much as I dislike them at times they have their purpose and this is it....contact the ACLU.

She doesn't want to sue him. She wants him in a heap of trouble with any and all agencies she can find.

I heard back from the people in that area who help businesses comply with current laws. He gave me 2 referrals. One, the state Consumer Affairs Office, is the one I'd already contacted.

Thank you all so very much for your help. It just infuriates me! If it happened to her, then it has happened to others and will continue to happen.

Ooooo things like this really tick me off! If it were me I would have stayed because I would not give him the gratification of not serving me and I would have used my cell phone to call the police while waiting for the table. Hopefully they would tell him what MY rights were. Both of my parents are disabled and things like this really burn me up.

I second this!! Nothing works faster to get the message across than to have an investigative reporter in your face with a camera!

I definitely agree on calling the local news station or paper and having them involved. That's horrible that you and your friend were denied service. Keep us updated.

I agree, call the local news and papers - make people aware what a bad business it really is!

In our area, we have local news stations that do "We're on Your Side" stories...where they investigate situations like this and basically publically shame the businesses into complying with laws. Contact your local television station.

You're in the Bay Area, right? Try 7 on Your Side...sounds like the kind of case they might want to take on.

Being the vindictive lil' shi*t that I am, I would keep returning to the business until they served me. I would even contact some local news stations and maybe bring a lil' undercover tape with me.

But that's just me.