Campaigns

Campaigning for equal rights

We hope that our ophthalmic research and eye health programmes will result in a progressively lower incidence of blindness in the years to come. For now, however, visual impairment is still a fact of life for many thousands of people and we are campaigning alongside them for rights that most sighted people take for granted.

Three images representing the campaigns work: an eye, fireworks and a taxi arriving at the Houses of Parliament with guide dog owners as its passengers.

Access for all

Guide Dogs launched the “Access for All” campaign in 2000 to ensure that guide dog owners receive the same treatment as everyone else and lead the fullest and most independent lives possible. We have worked closely with guide dog owners, companies and MPs and together we have won major victories.

Fireworks

Success! Over 130,000 people signed our fireworks petition before it was handed in to 10 Downing Street for the Prime Minister's attention. And it seems to have had the desired effect! The Fireworks Act has become law and this gives the Government the power to regulate all aspects of the sale, use and noise levels of fireworks.

Re-think rehab

Despite the extra money spent on health and social care in recent years, many blind and partially-sighted people still face social exclusion due to under-investment in rehabilitation services. Guide Dogs’ Re-think Rehab campaign aims to raise awareness of this injustice and encourage the government to provide increased investment in rehabilitation services.

Safer Streets

Over one million blind and partially-sighted people risk serious injury every time they walk in pedestrian areas. To address this, Guide Dogs launched an A-Z Guide to Street Obstacles during its Safer Streets campaign.

Shared surfaces

Guide Dogs has embarked on a research project to investigate the concerns of blind and partially sighted people when using shared surface areas in town and city centres.