As a kid, he wanted to be a race car driver.

This week on Outlook we speak with returning guest Ben Fulton about the work he’s now doing as a lawyer focusing on human rights. Ben gives a summary of the events he first came to us about, his experience being arrested when he was standing at a gas station counter, with his guide dog, just trying to get himself a cup of coffee.

“Why don’t we go outside and talk about this.” This is what the cop said to Ben after the gas station employee said he couldn’t be there with a dog and Ben explained that she wasn’t a pet. This one has an ending Ben is happy with, which is that those involved in this unfortunate situation have been properly educated on the subject of service dogs and their human’s rights in Canada.

Ben is returning to our show to update us on what he shared with us last year, the upcoming May court date in his housing discrimination case, after his experience during law school trying to find shared accommodation student housing and being rejected, more than once, simply because landlords didn’t want to rent to someone who was blind. Fulton shares with us the many experiences he's had in showing up to check out a room for rent, only to be told it’s no longer available, after showing up with his white cane in hand. He has texts to prove discrimination and he’s in court this spring to shore up a loophole in the Ontario Human Rights Code allowing this discrimination to go unchecked.

We also hear more about Ben’s law practice, some of the barriers he worked around to get through law school successfully like he did, and his role and goals, as it says on his website: “A Blind Crime-Fighting Advocate Promoting Justice Fairness and Equality”. We’re glad to speak with Ben again on Outlook and wish him the best this May.

If you believe you’ve experienced discrimination while looking for housing in shared accommodations, help strengthen Ben’s case by filling out this survey:

https://www.cfb.ca/discrimination-in-shared-housing

Check out Ben’s previous appearance on the show from last year for more about his experience with housing discrimination in shared accommodations:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/outlook-2022-01-17-discrimination-in-shared-accommodations/id1527876739?i=1000548263642

And for more on Ben and his work and legal services, go to his website:

https://www.benlaw.ca