Download Visions November 2009 in PDF - Guide Dogs NSW/ACT

VISIONSVolume 23 | No. 4
Summer 2009/10
because people see things in different ways
Guide Dogs clients get cold feet
Skiing and snowmobile rides were all part of the fun at our Winter Mobility Challenge.
Meet Sarah Hirst, one of nine adventurous young
people who visited Thredbo in September for Guide
Dogs NSW/ACT’s first ever Winter Mobility Challenge.
As part of the five-day event, Sarah tried skiing and rode
on a snowmobile. She also took part in mobility exercises
designed to teach the group techniques for using a long
cane in the snow.
For most participants, this was the first time they had
experienced skiing or the challenges of navigating alpine
terrain, which is very different to urban settings.
“Our program offered plenty of fun, but also exposed clients
to difficult and unfamiliar environments,” Orientation and
Mobility Instructor, Karen Doobov, said.
The program, which was provided free of charge by Guide
Dogs NSW/ACT, gave clients an opportunity that they
might not otherwise get. “Skiing is a challenge for people
who can’t see well. It also involves travelling some distance
and is pretty expensive,” Karen explained.
Karen added that skiing is all about body awareness. “So it’s
a great way of getting people to concentrate on improving
their posture and balance.”
Thredbo ski instructors and volunteers from Disabled
WinterSport Australia (DWA) taught the group to ski. They
achieved this by providing verbal instructions, or using
horizontal poles that allowed a client and instructor to ski
in tandem.
It was unusual to see such a large group of people who have
impaired vision on the slopes at one time. Skiers who are
blind or have impaired vision make up only 5% of people
with disabilities who use DWA’s services.
Off the slopes, the participants enjoyed a range of other
orientation and mobility activities, such as playing lawn,
riding chair-lifts, and catching the Skitube underground
alpine railway.
Guide Dogs client Sarah Hirst, centre, takes to the ski slopes at Thredbo.
By the end of the Winter Mobility Challenge, Sarah could ski unassisted.
Sarah, meanwhile, set herself a specific aim for the event:
“To ski downhill without the aid of instructors or poles,
and without doing damage to myself or anyone else,”
she laughed.
By the end of the week, Sarah had achieved her goal.
VISIONS | SUMMER 2009/10 1

NEWS AND
EVENTS
Here are some important
happenings in the Guide
Dogs NSW/ACT calendar.
To stay even more up-todate,
visit our website:
www.guidedogs.com.au.
Wednesday
4 November 2009
Centre for Eye Health
officially opened by Professor
Marie R Bashir AC, CVO
Governor of New South Wales
Monday 16 November to
Thursday 3 December 2009
Access All Areas Film Festival:
free screenings of Australian
films made accessible to people
who have a disability. Visit
www.accessallareasfilmfestival.
com.au for more information.
Sunday 28 February 2010
Dragon Boat Races, Chinese
New Year Festival, Sydney
Chief Executive Officer’s message
You might be surprised to see a new face and name in
this section.
After nearly 19 years leading Guide Dogs NSW/ACT,
Joe Finucane stepped down from this role at the end of
September. During Joe’s tenure, the number of services
delivered to clients increased more than six-fold, and the
number of working Guide Dogs almost tripled.
Joe’s strategic insight has led to numerous worthwhile
initiatives that have enhanced and enriched the range of
services offered to the community. Certainly, under Joe’s
leadership, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has grown into an
extremely strong organisation with excellent positioning
within the sector. It also has the potential and resources to continue to grow to meet the
expanding needs of those people in our region who have impaired vision or are blind.
The Board has appointed me Chief Executive Officer of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, effective
October 1. I will also be continuing in my current position as Chief Executive Officer of
Guide Dogs Victoria, a role I have held since 2005.
The strategy behind having a single CEO for the two organisations is to encourage
them to collaborate and work together; to learn from each other; to find efficiencies and
improvements; to exchange ideas; and to increase our buying power and influence. And this
is being totally driven by the two organisations’ shared mission to improve the quality of life
of those living with impaired vision.
My plan is to meet everyone over the first few months, and to communicate openly the
Boards’ and my thoughts regarding opportunities, objectives and results. I look forward to
learning more about the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT operation and the communities it serves.
Graeme White
Chief Executive Officer
VISIONS ...
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Guide Dogs message sticks in taxis
Unfortunately, we still hear
of Guide Dog users
being refused entry into taxis
because of their Guide Dogs.
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has
been working with the NSW
Taxi Council to reduce this
form of discrimination. In
response, the council has
recently amended its Taxi User
Charter of Rights.
The charter is displayed on a red and white sticker in all taxis. The new version includes
the phrase “A driver is not allowed to refuse to carry any assistance animal including Guide
Dogs”. Under the text, there’s an image of a Guide Dog in harness.
The new stickers will be gradually rolled out over the next two years.
2 GUIDE DOGS NSW/ACT

First white cane Independence Walk a success
for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
Participants in Guide Dogs NSW/ACT’s inaugural “Independence Walk” gathered for a photograph in Sydney’s Hyde Park.
ore than 50 Guide Dogs NSW/ACT clients, staff and supporters celebrated International White Cane Day on
M 15 October by attending our first ever “Independence Walk” in Sydney.
The aim of the event was to convey to the community that people who are blind or have impaired vision can be
independent and confident travellers. Additionally, the walk highlighted the fact that while our organisation is best known
for Guide Dogs, we also provide training in a range of other mobility aids.
After assembling in Hyde Park at 7.30 a.m., the enthusiastic group set off
for the hour-long walk north into the Domain and then west into busy
Martin Place. Many participants were dressed in distinctive blue shirts that
were emblazoned with our motto for the day: “cane, saw, conquered”.
To demonstrate their mobility and independence, clients walked the course
using their canes, as well as some more high-tech aids such as Miniguides
and Global Positioning System (GPS) software on their mobile phones.
These aids allowed the walkers to negotiate Sydney’s busy streets, as well as
footpath obstructions like sandwich boards, café seating and rubbish bins.
A number of sighted participants also took the opportunity to don
blacked-out goggles and try walking with a cane. “It was scary at first, but
I gradually got more confident about using the cane,” said teenager Oliver
Palin of his own Independence Walk.
Oliver Palin learns to use a cane under the watchful eye
of Orientation and Mobility Instructor, Karen Doobov.
In addition to the Sydney event, we invited radio and television reporters
in regional areas to participate in a “One-hour Challenge”. With help
from a local Orientation and Mobility Instructor, they went for a walk
using vision-impairment goggles and a cane. This exercise raised valuable
awareness of our services throughout NSW and the ACT.
3 GUIDE DOGS NSW/ACT

Victoria gains strength from her challenges
t’s up to you to find opportunities in this life, not
“Iobstacles.”
This is the inspiring mantra of Victoria Cole, a Guide Dogs
NSW/ACT client who has Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)
– a genetic condition that causes a slow and progressive
degeneration of the retina.
South Africa-born Victoria moved to Australia with her
husband and son at the age of 23. By 25, she was no longer
confident enough in her vision to drive.
“At first you don’t know what’s happening; you think that’s
how everyone else is seeing too,” Victoria says.
Eight years later, Victoria became legally blind – a challenge
for a woman who is fiercely independent.
“I am not the type of person who can depend on others,”
Victoria says. “I had to tell my husband to stop dropping
me off places. I’m not a parcel; I wanted to do things
by myself.”
Victoria has since learned how to use a long cane and a
Miniguide, as well as Global Positioning System (GPS)
software that “speaks” navigational directions from her
mobile telephone.
In addition, Victoria has a Guide Dog called Jedda. “The
biggest difference when you’re using a Guide Dog is that
Making a difference in Menai
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has a team of tireless volunteers
who work in support groups and auxiliaries across
NSW to spread the word about our work and assist with
fundraising.
A typical example is the Menai Support Group, which has
been operating in Sydney’s south for over 14 years. It was
Members of the Menai Support Group have raised more than $84,000 for
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. Thank you!
you are not just by yourself any more,” Victoria says. “Some
of your life is in the dog’s hands.”
Retaining her independence has allowed Victoria to pursue
interests as varied as dragon-boat racing, ice skating and
learning foreign languages. “The more sight I’ve lost, the
more I’ve achieved,” she notes. “I’ve even walked through
Europe with my cane.”
Victoria admits that it’s “the scariest thing” when you can’t
see. “You have to talk yourself into taking up the challenge,”
she says, “but ultimately, this has only made me stronger.”
Victoria Cole with her loyal Guide Dog, Jedda.
started by local woman Lindy Fagg, whose son had a
Guide Dog.
Since then, the group has hosted a variety of fundraising
events. The most memorable was a wine-tasting night
attended by over 100 people. “It was a very successful
evening,” notes Heather Wood, the group’s treasurer for the
past seven years. These efforts have raised a total of more
than $84,000 for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.
Menai Support Group members also sell raffle tickets and
Guide Dogs merchandise at local events and shopping
centres. This helps raise public awareness of our organisation
at a grassroots level.
“What has amazed me over the years is the deep respect that
Guide Dogs has in the community,” says group secretary,
Dianna McLean. “I have found my involvement with Guide
Dogs and the public to be very rewarding.”
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT thanks all past and present
support-group members for their continuing fundraising
and public-awareness efforts.
4 GUIDE DOGS NSW/ACT

Guide Dogs NSW/ACT goes bush
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT recently headed for the brown earth and blue
skies of Gunnedah, a rural community in northern NSW, to attend
Agquip 2009.
Held over three days in August, Agquip is Australia’s premier agriculturalindustry
field days, attracting over 100,000 people.
At our stall in the busy shopping pavilion, Guide Dogs staff sold merchandise,
educated local school students, and chatted with passers-by about the services
and mobility aids that we offer free-of-charge throughout NSW and the ACT.
Hospitality students from Tamworth TAFE ran a café on the Agquip site. We
provided them with a training session on guiding skills, as well as the legal
rights of Guide Dog users to enter hospitality venues.
Gunnedah Guide Dog user, Helen Wilson, joined the team to talk about the
difference that her Guide Dog, Fran, has made to her life.
Living in a small rural community means that Helen doesn’t have access to
frequent public transport. Helen has been working with Fran for more than
a year, and can now travel independently to the TAFE college and her local
shopping centre.
Introducing . . . Jake and Jaya!
Siblings Jake and Jaya are Guide Dog
puppies-in-training. These adorable little
Labradors are now almost six months old.
Even on this photo shoot at the Guide
Dogs Centre, it was clear that Jake and
Jaya have very different personalities. Jake
was quiet, laid-back and a little shy about
having his photograph taken, while Jaya was
effervescent, energetic and quite cheeky.
At the age of eight weeks, Jake and Jaya were
placed with their “puppy raisers”. These are
specially selected families that lavish our
young recruits with love and attention until
they return to the Guide Dogs Centre to start
their intensive training course at 14 months.
Helen Wilson with her Guide Dog, Fran.
Jake (left) and Jaya pose for the camera during a photo shoot at the Guide Dogs Centre.
In the meantime, Jake and Jaya are busy just being puppies. At this age, eating, playing and getting tummy rubs from their
puppy raisers are their top priorities in life – probably in that order!
Jake’s puppy raisers describe him as affectionate, mischievous and smart. His favourite activities include going for walks,
carrying his water bowl around the yard and eating his dinner in five seconds flat. “He gets so excited when it’s dinner time,
he puts his whole head in the bowl,” laughs Jake’s puppy-raising mum.
Jaya, meanwhile, is bright and strong-willed, but also very obedient. She has already mastered several commands, such as
“sit”, “stay” and “down”. Jaya likes to chase her puppy raisers’ cat and play with a squeaky toy shaped like a pizza.
If you’re interested in learning more about cute puppies like Jake and Jaya, why not become a Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
Puppy Pal? For more information, please contact us on (02) 9412 9300.
VISIONS | SUMMER 2009/10 5

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Great products, delivered to your home
Guide Dogs Christmas cards
The 2009 Guide Dogs Christmas cards have arrived! They come in a
pack of ten. There are five designs (two of each) that feature gorgeous
Labrador puppies with a simple “Merry Christmas” message on the
front and “Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year” inside.
Size: 17.5 x 12.5cm - within preferred Post Office Preferred category
Price: $10 a pack (plus P&H)
Expiry date: /
Name on card: _______________________________________________
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Complete this form and return in an envelope (no postage needed) to:
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
PO Box 1965
North Sydney NSW 2059
All donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible. Credit card donations can be made
by phone (02) 9412 9300 or online at www.guidedogs.com.au. Thank you.
Guide Dogs beach towels
2010 Guide Dog calendar
Part of the Guide Dogs Collection, these bright and colourful beach
towels are made by Australian Weaving Mills. Extra large in size,
they are made of 100% velour cotton - looped on the underside for
absorbency and veloured on the face side for softness against the
skin. Available in two different designs.
Sizes: 100 x 180cm
Price: $49.95 (plus P&H)
The 2010 calendar again features the very popular theme of Labrador
puppies, along with puppies of other breeds. This hanging calendar has a new
glossy colour photo and a Guide Dog fact for each month of the year.
It also notes school and public holidays.
Size: 34 x 24.5cm
(when closed)
Price: $12.00 (plus P&H)
For more information about these or our other quality products, please call
the phone shop on 1300 362 922 or visit our online shop at
www.guidedogs.com.au/shop.
6 GUIDE DOGS NSW/ACT
Published by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT ABN 52 000 399 744 | 2-4 Thomas Street, Chatswood NSW 2067
Phone 02 9412 9300 | Fax 02 9412 9388 | www.guidedogs.com.au | ISSN 1321-6937 | © Contents copyright