German shepherds are intelligent, adaptable, loyal and loving, and they work as guide dogs across the UK. And yet, more than a quarter of the public (27%) think they are an aggressive dog breed, despite most never having a negative experience with one.
The world’s leading organisations for assistance dogs and guide dogs have come together to issue a new joint statement re-affirming their commitment to the wellbeing and treatment of dogs trained by their members.
This week, train companies officially announced plans to close the majority of ticket offices in England. Only a small number in the busiest train stations will remain, with passengers instead encouraged to book their tickets online or pay for them via self-service machines.
This year marks an incredible eight decades since the very first issue of Guide Dogs’ flagship magazine, Forward, was published. The celebratory 80th anniversary edition of the magazine is out today, and I don’t want to give too many spoilers about its contents, but it does have some extra pages so we could fit everything in!
Birmingham school children decided to raise enough money to name two guide dog puppies in memory of their classmates via Guide Dogs Name a Puppy scheme.
One of my best friends once said to me that “there is no point getting old if you don’t get clever”, and she was right. But I think what she was really trying to say was, as you get older and things become difficult to do, you find other solutions or coping strategies. Here are my tips for somebody who may have had a recent diagnosis of a visual impairment, and some easy strategies and suggestions to deal with everyday barriers. Most of these strategies involve technology, but of course, some are just simple tips.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (18 May 2023) launched in 2012 to shine a spotlight on digital accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. The GAAD Foundation was formed in 2021, celebrating a decade of GAAD. Their mission is to ensure everyone has the same access to and experience of web-based services, content, and other digital products.
The International Guide Dog Federation (IDGF) comprises of 95 organisations from all around the globe, all working to uphold standards of excellence in the breeding, raising, training and partnering of guide dogs. The IGDF’s biennial conference gives different guide dog schools the chance to come together in one place for a week of communication and collaboration. This year, I and other members of Guide Dogs staff were able to join our international colleagues in Vancouver, Canada.
