  A recently proposed schematic model for the non--linear rheology of dense
colloidal dispersions is compared to flow curves measured in suspensions that
consist of thermosensitive particles. The volume fraction of this purely
repulsive model system can be adjusted by changing temperature. Hence, high
volume fractions ($\phi \leq 0.63$) can be achieved in a reproducible manner.
The quantitative analysis of the flow curves suggests that the theoretical
approach captures the increase of the low shear viscosity with increasing
density, the shear thinning for increasing shear rate, and the yielding of a
soft glassy solid. Variations of the high shear viscosity can be traced back to
hydrodynamic interactions which are not contained in the present approach but
can be incorporated into the data analysis by an appropriate rescaling.
