Volume I, Issue I

September 2004

 Queen's Human Rights Bulletin

Disabilities and the Duty to Accommodate

Editorial

Home • The Meiorin Case • The Grismer Case • The L.B. Case • The Desormeaux Case • The Berg Case • The Howard Case • The Meikle Case • Ontario Human Rights Commission • Queen's University • Editorial • Printer Friendly Version

English School loses dog fight  (home)

Byline/Source: Bu Chris Morris CANADIAN PRESS

Pubdate: July 08, 2004.

Fredericton

The University of New Brunswick has reversed a controversial decision to ban a blind francophone and his guide dog from an English immersion program.

The university found itself in the doghouse this week when Yvan Tessier, a blind student from Quebec, was refused entry to a five-week summer English program because his guide dog Pavot understands only French commands.

Tessier from Trois-Rivieres went public with his story, which was picked up globally. After being inundated with interview requests from world media, including the BBC, officials at the Fredericton campus said earlier yesterday they hoped to work out a solution with Tessier as soon as possible.

A news release stated he could attend the class that started Sunday .In halting English, he said he wanted to, adding, “I guess it wouldn’t be too late.”

Pavot, his black Labrador, has been trained to respond to commands in French and it would be confusing, time-consuming and ultimately dangerous to try to retrain the guide dog to understand English commands.

The university said course officials demanded an iron-clad guarantee that Pavot would not be addressed in French.

Tessier refused to sign such a contract, so he initially was denied entry.

Tessier, who studied religion at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, has a bursary to learn English.

Reproduced with permission from the Canadian Press.