A man with autism is suing Sainsbury’s for refusing to allow him to take his cat helper to stores.
Ian Fenn from London said that his inability to shop with cat Chloe limits his ability to live an independent life, reports the BBC.
Mr Fenn, a designer and writer, said she helped him stay calm while in noisy public places and was in places including trains, buses, pubs and a hospital.
However, Sainsbury’s argues that cats pose a risk to food hygiene, unlike helper dogs, which do not.
Mr Fan was told he had to leave Chloe outside when he visited Sainsbury’s in Clapham, south London. He said the experience meant he stayed home two weeks later.
He now plans to sue the supermarket giant for violating the Equality Act 2010, which stipulates that business owners must make reasonable adjustments so that people with disabilities are not severely disadvantaged.
“I get sensory overload in a busy environment and I tend to switch off, but with Chloe I can focus on it,” Mr Fan told the BBC.
“She brings structure to my life, wakes me up in the morning, tells me when to go to bed. It’s hard to know how she feels about the relationship, but I feel like we’re already a team.
If Mr Fenn successfully argues that helper cats are a reasonable help for clients with disabilities and that refusing to help cats is contrary to the Equality Act 2010, this could set a legal precedent.
A Sainsbury spokesman said: “We want to be an inclusive retailer where people love to work and shop and understand that some of our colleagues and customers may need support in our stores. At the same time, safety is our highest priority and our colleagues are trained to balance the maintenance of our high standards of food hygiene with the support of all our customers who shop with us.
“We are in contact with the local environmental health team to see if there are any ways to help Mr. Fen visit our store without compromising.”
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