Talking Vision is Vision Australia Radio’s flagship program, discussing the latest news and issues from a blindness and low vision perspective.
It was International Guide Dog Day this week on April 26, and to celebrate the day Sam caught up with Jane Bradley and Kim Rulach from Seeing Eye Dogs.
Jane and Kim called in from Canada where they’re currently attending the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) conference in Vancouver.
Seeing Eye Dogs is one of the 97 organisations that are members of the IGDF, and Jane said it’s important the industry come together to celebrate and share their achievements.
“Sometimes it’s just good to step back and look at the whole movement and recognise how far we’ve come,” Jane said
“The orientation and mobility sector has developed and dog guides are a part of that, and talking with dog guide organisations around the world there’s just so many things we can learn from each other and improve,” she said.
For Kim, an important aspect of International Guide Dog Day is making sure to celebrate the difference Seeing Eye Dogs make in the lives of handlers and the work that goes into breeding, training and matching Seeing Eye Dogs.
“We take it as a great day to celebrate what we do, but also we can take this opportunity to advocate for the clients and the dogs out there and have some important conversations,” Kim said.
Listen to the full interview on Omny or in the player below:
Tell us your story by emailing [email protected].
Vision Australia Radio has a wide range of programming. Find your local frequency, listen online, or enjoy our podcasts at varadio.org.