Lucy Hobson

Like most youngsters, Lucy Hobson (11) from Perth, wants to be ‘one of the crowd’.

But for Lucy, blending in is more of a challenge than for most of her friends.  She’s visually impaired – having the eye condition Bilateral Coloboma, Nystagmus – and is photophobic (light sensitivity).

The symbol cane and monocular, designed to help her mobility, are often discarded by this independent girl; she feels they make her look different.

The challenge for Guide Dogs’ mobility instructor Angela Reid, who is funded by Angus and Perth & Kinross Children’s Services, is how to encourage Lucy to use the cane for her own safety, whilst ensuring she doesn’t become self-conscious and lose her confidence.

“It’s about demonstrating the usefulness of these support aids,” explains Angela. “Lucy’s determined to be independent which is great. But, we want to show her that getting around her village and visiting friends is just the beginning.  We’re now teaching her to use public transport so she can travel into Perth independently.

“She loves the freedom and is gradually learning to accept that the symbol cane and monocular are as important to her mobility as the bus that takes her into the city centre.”

Lucy sums up her training: “My friends will travel further afield as we get older.  I want to join them, and am starting to appreciate the benefits of using a cane and monocular to ensure I can.

“These mobility aids are designed to increase my freedom and boost my confidence; that’s the best way to make sure I’m ‘one of the gang’.”