Legally Blind Man Faces Discrimination at Seattle Restaurant
Navigating life with a disability is challenging enough without encountering discrimination. Yet, this is precisely what happened to a legally blind man and his service dog in Seattle, as they faced disbelief and hostility in a restaurant.
Heartbreaking Discrimination at Seattle Restaurant
Young blind man shares how restaurant worker mocked his guide dog.
@matthewandpaul/TikTok
Paul Castle, a legally blind TikToker with over 2.1 million followers on his account @matthewandpaul, shared a distressing experience on TikTok. He recounted how he and his guide dog, Mr. Maple, were kicked out of a Seattle restaurant when a staff member refused to believe he was blind.
“I walked in with my guide dog, Mr. Maple, and immediately somebody rushed up to me and said, ‘No pets allowed, only service dogs,’” Paul explained. He responded, "'It's OK, he's a service dog.’ The staff member looked at me and said, ‘Emotional support dog?’ I clarified, ‘No, like a guide dog for the blind.’”
The Staff Threatened To Call The Police
Young blind man shares how restaurant worker threatened him.
@matthewandpaul/TikTok
Despite showing the staff member Mr. Maple’s harness labeled “Guide Dogs for the Blind,” Paul was met with skepticism. “He said, ‘You don't look blind,’ and I said, ‘A lot of people in the blind community still have some functional vision.’”
"You don't look blind."
Paul has Retinitis pigmentosa, a condition causing vision loss due to the gradual breakdown of cells in the retina. He explained his limited vision, describing it as a small tunnel surrounded by moving lights and random colors. The staff member remained unconvinced. “He said, ‘You're looking right at me.’ I said, ‘Yes, but it's like I have a pinhole of vision — that's all I can see.’ He replied, ‘This isn't my first rodeo,’" implying he believed Paul was lying.
The confrontation escalated when Paul offered to bring his dog’s paperwork. The staff member responded, “If you step foot back in this restaurant with that dog, I will call the police.”
Watch The Full Video Now:
@matthewandpaul “This isn’t my first rodeo” 💀 #blind #guidedog #servicedog #storytime
He's Using This Experience To Spread Awareness
Young blind man plays with service dog, Mr. Maple.
@matthewandpaul/Instagram
Despite the negative experience, Paul is turning this situation into an opportunity to educate and inspire others. Through his popular TikTok account, he is raising awareness about the realities of living with a disability and the importance of understanding and empathy. And it's working.
"My manager sent this to our work chat to make sure we don’t do the same," one comment read.
Paul's video has since garnered 16 million views, with many commenters expressing outrage and support. "Don’t be shy, tell us what the restaurant was called," one hilarious comment read. Another added, “Pretty sure if you name the restaurant all the Seattle baddies with service dogs will congregate.”
Even though comments were asking Paul to name the restaurant, he decided not to as he doesn't want the restaurant to face backlash; however, he did meet up with the manager of the restaurant who sincerely apologized to him and told him employees would be better trained on this topic.
Paul’s story serves as a powerful reminder that advocacy and education can lead to a more inclusive and compassionate society. By sharing his journey, Paul hopes to inspire others to stand up for their rights and foster a world where everyone, regardless of their abilities, is treated with dignity and kindness.
Is Religion to Blame for the Division Among Us?
I once heard that in the Mormon faith, people who are not Mormon are not permitted in the temple or church. Then I became friends with several people who were Mormons, attended a memorial service, at a Mormon Church, and an aunt of mine also joined the church. I had a similar experience the Church of Scientology.
I attended a memorial service for the father of a dear friend and not only found it to be warm, caring, and exceptionally loving, but I learned that more than one of my friends were ordained ministers. I’ve always thought of myself as open minded and I considered myself to be without actual judgment or opinion about either religion. I was a little surprised at the things I learned, so I wondered what other misconceptions I had about certain religions. Religion has always been the scapegoat for the lunacy of man. It was the case in Salem Massachusetts, where people were burned alive if they were suspected of being a witch.
It was the case when racists burned (or sometimes still do) crosses to display their disdain of blacks or other non-whites, and it is the excuse given by those who make it their business to show disrespect at funerals for fallen soldiers who have served our country and had been identified as gay. In this and other similar instances, the blame was Christianity. In an age where media is more prevalent than ever, where in instances, disturbed nut cases make it hard to distinguish truth from their purpose, and especially in the wake of the cowardice and horrible shooting in Orlando, Islam is perhaps the most common blame.
But Islam is no more to blame for the division among us than Christianity, or any other religion. We have to take responsibility for what we consume. We can’t always control what the media attempts to feed us but we have a say in what we choose to consume. Much of it starts with the perfection in which our spirits walk as we enter the world. We feel anything is possible and unless given or taught a reason to do otherwise, we treat people as they treat us.
The curiosity and innocence of a child can teach us much. If we would simply retain an honest desire to learn about and from each other, and to give in to the power of questions rather than statements. I recently learned that the great poet Rumi, was not just Muslim, but specifically from, a sect known as the Sufi. He was a practitioner of the art or prayer known as the whirling dervish.
The Sufis welcomed people of all faiths, including Christianity, to learn this form of prayer and art. I had heard of Rumi, but I had never heard this information before so my most common question was, ” what else don’t I know”? What other misconceptions may we have of others and more importantly about ourselves? When we attain a childlike, sincere thirst to learn about each other, good things happen. The world becomes smaller and a better place. In the case of Rumi and the dervish, I never knew any of this, though I heard the term whirling dervish, I would have never associated it with religion. Just under 24 hours after learning of this, part of me felt like I knew all along. But we have to be open. To be open, we need to just care, much like our children teach us.