by Kathy Austin
As a guide dog handler, I try my best not to use ride sharing services to get a ride. The anxiety of trying to find the vehicle, then wondering if the driver will refuse to take me because of my dog, just isn’t worth the stress. Then, there’s the problem of a language barrier […] Read More »
Tags: Guide dog, Ride Share, Uber
by Kathy Austin, CVA
Puppy Raisers A lot of love, hard work and dedication go into the first year of life for a guide dog puppy. Who does this kind of work? Families of all sizes, single men and women, kids in 4H and FFA, grandparents and college students, just to name a few. They have all done […] Read More »
Tags: Guide dog, puppy raiser
by Andrea O'Donnell
Meeting My Girl I will never forget the day I met my first guide dog, a beautiful black Labrador retriever named Fiona. It was around 1:00 in the afternoon, and I was patiently waiting in my room at Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) in San Raphael, California. I could hear the sounds of […] Read More »
Tags: Guide dog, Vision loss, working with a guide dog
by Kathy Austin, CVA
You’re walking down the sidewalk and encounter two people with vision loss. One person is strutting along tapping his cane side to side in front of him. The other person is walking with a yellow Labrador retriever holding onto a harness handle. You ask yourself, “Why do some people travel with a white cane […] Read More »
Tags: Guide dog, Mobility, orientation and mobility, white cane
by Kathy Austin, Community Engagement Specialist at Second Sense
“Opening the Door” can be a euphemism for discovery and learning. Today, I’d like to “open the door” and provide a little education on opening a door for someone with vision loss. I know lots of people out there have kind souls and a genuine desire to help someone in need. As a person with […] Read More »
Tags: Daily living skills, Guide dog, Independence, Independent Travel, Vision loss