By Renee Wood
Guide Dogs Victoria ambassadors have visited the Yarra Ranges to share with local residents the services they can provide and how you can support the charity.
Jacqui Bond and ambassador dog Delphi first met with Yarra Valley FM host Allan Collier, while Star Mail was also invited to sit down with Ms Bond to hear the latest about foundation.
Guide Dogs Victoria is well known for its work with assistance dogs however, Ms Bond said that the organisation has many other services that can support people with little to no vision.
“70 per cent of services don’t involve dogs – 70 per cent of those services are actually the practitioner team that will guide and support people,” Ms Bond said.
Their services include : orthoptic low Vision services, children’s mobility services, early childhood services, adult mobility services, acquired brain injury services, guide dog mobility, occupational therapy, peer support and use technology to enhance your independence.
The charity has seen a rise in demand for its services following the pandemic as its believed those needing help have held back asking for assistance.
Ms Bond said that the organisation is in need of more practitioners and puppy raisers to assist in raising future guide dogs.
“We’ve got a lot of puppies, and we need families and people who are prepared to raise a puppy for us for a year and give them a richer experience and take them out and help them have a positive experience as they grow up,” she said.
“Then we bring them back into the training kennels so that they can be then trained up as a guide dog and then matched with someone and genuinely change their lives.”
Residents in the Yarra Valley are encouraged to consider raising a puppy, with the local environment one that will help them gain much needed skills.
“Some of the dogs will be matched with clients in this area. So the more that they’re comfortable in this area going on bush tracks or going along seeing other animals or the different sights and smells, when they’re eventually matched it’s a much smoother transition to this environment.”
Next week is also National White Cane Day – a campaign that Guide Dogs Victoria backs with this years motto ‘look up, listen up and let me be’.
“We do an annual survey and 80 per cent of our cane users told us that their way was blocked at some point in the past year.
It’s about as you go along don’t be watching your screen everywhere – It’s about being aware that there are people in our community who have different sensory needs and they might not see you.
“Some people will tell us that they get knocked, they get their coffees knocked, and that really impacts confidence.”
A new community page has also been created earlier this year that is allowing people with low vision or blindness can connect on catchup.guidedogs.com.au
It’s a free online national platform where people can share questions and advice, while also finding other people that may be near you to start a group catch up.
“It will be one of those things where the more people that get involved and sign up and contribute and talk – it will get stronger and stronger.”
