Guide Dogs at Hardest Hit march

LAST Wednesday's [May 11] march against cuts to disability benefits was a real show of strength from the disabled community, now we must keep focused on the job in hand to ensure those in power make good on their promises.

Guide dog owners supporters and staff travelled from all over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to participate, and although the sun didn?t shine, nor was there rain to dampen our spirits!

We took our place were among the 8,000 people who protested in central London because of a big concern that the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance could be cut for guide dog owners. To be clear, this would penalize guide dog owners because of the freedom of movement a guide dog gives them.

Disabilities minister Maria Miller has publicly promised that this won't happen, but we will keep lobbying her office to ensure she stands by that promise and we will carry on fighting hard to ensure that blind and partially-sighted people are not punished financially if they use a guide dog.

Following the speeches, it was time to get on the move. The Guide Dogs contingent, which included Chief Executive, Richard Leaman, and Chair of Trustees Tony Aston with his dog Harvey marched down the Embankment and past Parliament. The new Guide Dogs logo looked fantastic on the placards that lots of our supporters carried along the mile and a half route.

Many people at the march had great difficulty simply getting there, but the fact that it was the largest ever mixed-disability protest showed the strength of feeling that exists. Guide Dogs was one of more than 40 disability groups present because we share concerns that the proposals to change Disability Living Allowance threaten the independence of blind and partially sighted people as well as the living standards of many other disabled groups.

Let?s hope that the minister and her government colleagues got the message loud and clear inside Parliament. We'll be paying close attention to the specifics on the mobility component assessment to make sure Ms Miller keeps her word and does not punish guide dog owners for enjoying the life-changing freedom that these fantastic animals bring.