Pfotenpiloten was on 16.8. 21 in Soest as a guest. We combined the kick-off event of the access campaign “Assistance dog welcome” with the ProRetina self-help truck at the Vreitshof.
Pro Retina’s Self-Help Truck invited the Pfotenpiloten to present the “Assistance Dog Welcome” campaign. Benji was on board, of course. On stage from right to left: Roswitha Warda, the moderator Cornelia Benninghoven, Jörg-Michael Sachse-Schüler, Filomena Muraca-Schwarzer, Heike Ferber.
Just as the heavens opened their floodgates, our interview began. Nevertheless, about 40 people persevered in the rain and listened to what assistance dogs can do and why access rights are so important. The moderator, Ms Benninghoven, kept the audience on topic through perfect preparation.
When a radio station supports the access campaign in such a great way, we are very happy to come in person.
Muraca-Schwarzer, as the Deputy Commissioner for the Disabled of the whole district of Soest, accepted the sticker “Assistance dogs welcome” with the promise to realise an assistance dog friendly district of Soest together with her colleagues.
The sticker “Assistance dogs welcome” was also placed on the city library!
Soest City Library was the first public building in the city to be labelled assistance dog friendly. A hopeful starting signal for the city of Soest.
And how did all those people know about us? Hellweg-Radio broadcast in advance and on 16. and 17.8. several times in the morning exciting contributions on the topic of assistance dogs. Heike and Anton visited the studio a few days before. It made for a great interview. Thanks to the friendly team at Hellweg Radio.
Our chalk signposts invited people along the entire shopping street of Soest to the event.
Presenter Antonia Grosch from the Hellweg Radio morning programme and Pfotenpiloten’s Heike Ferber with guide dog Anton are campaigning for an assistance dog-friendly district of Soest.
And while we were in the area, we all paid a visit to the editorial office and labelled Radio Hellweg as assistance dog friendly. Benji beckoned into the recording studios and put everyone in a good mood.
Benji keeps the Radio Hellweg editorial team in a good mood.
The Hotel am Wall offered us accommodation and was our base camp. Here our rain gear dried, the dogs were looked after and we discussed what we would organise and how. And of course, the hotel also outed itself as assistance dog friendly via a sticker.
The company Büroorganisation Strothkamp is a very dog friendly company anyway. The junior chef told us that office dogs are part of the good tone there. And so it was obvious that they wanted to be part of the “Assistance Dog Friendly Municipality” campaign on behalf of all the businesses in the city of Soest.
Heike and Manja are guests at Strothkamp to declare the business assistance dog friendly on behalf of all tradespeople.
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| 30. June 2022 Assistance dogs welcome at the district of Soest Administration supports access campaign of Pfotenpiloten e. V. Kreis Soest (kso.2022.06.30.340.bika). Assistance dogs, for example guide dogs for the blind, accompany their owners in their everyday professional and private lives. With animal help, people with disabilities can participate in daily life. These teams are expressly welcome in the Kreishaus and in other departments of the district of Soest! Together with the Pfotenpiloten e. V. organisation, the district administration is strongly committed to an assistance dog-friendly administration – and shows this to the outside world in a clearly visible way with a sticker. Assistance dogs are trained to help, for example, people with visual impairments, those suffering from epilepsy or diabetes, or the deaf. But many people who are out and about with their four-legged helpers face problems again and again when they want to go to a doctor’s surgery or visit a museum with their assistance dog, for example. Often, entry with a dog is refused with reference to the house rules. It’s different with the district of Soest. All people, especially people with disabilities, should be able to participate in public life and organise their private lives themselves. No one should be excluded. This is the goal of the “Action Plan Inclusion” established in 2019. “I am pleased that we as the district administration support the access campaign of the Pfotenpiloten association and enable uncomplicated access for all people with assistance dogs,” says District Administrator Eva Irrgang. Together with Heike Ferber from Pfotenpiloten, she now affixed the “Assistance Dog Welcome” stickers at the district hall on Hohe Weg in Soest. Citizens with assistance dogs are welcome not only at the Soest District Hall, but also at the administration building at the Senator-Schwartz-Ring 21 – 23 (among others, registration office), building at Niederbergheimer Str. 24 – 26 (District Archive, Media Centre) and in the Service Centre Kfz Lippstadt (Mastholter Str. 230 b in Lipperbruch). Daniela Heimann from the Office of the Commissioner for the Disabled in the District House, who organised the cooperation with Pfotenpiloten e. V., knows: “The work of assistance dogs is often unknown. A diabetes or epilepsy alert dog, for example, must always be with its owner to be able to intervene in an emergency.” That is why the Pfotenpiloten campaign was launched to campaign for access rights for assistance dog teams. The campaign is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS). By the way, according to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the new Assistance Dog Act, people with disabilities have the right to take their assistance dog with them everywhere. Anyone who would like to join the access campaign – for example as an entrepreneur – can order posters, flyers and stickers directly from Pfotenpiloten at www.pfotenpiloten.org. “We are happy if many follow our campaign today and participate in the access campaign,” says Daniela Heimann. “By the way, anyone who would like to report further inclusive ideas and offers to us for the Inclusion Action Plan is also cordially invited.” With an “Action Plan for Inclusion”, self-help associations, the Soest District Commissioner for People with Disabilities, the district administration and local politics would like to create the basis for a common, self-determined life of people with and without disabilities in all areas of life. Further information under www.kreis-soest.de/aktionsplan. This text is associated with a photo! Press contact: Press Office, Birgit Kalle, Telephone 02921/302546 |
