Dog Guide Handlers Australia (DGHA)

We are thrilled to share that Jane Bradley, Manager of Puppy Development here at Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs, has been appointed as Chair of the International Guide Dog Federation’s (IGDF) Development Committee!   Seeing Eye Dogs has been a proud member of the IGDF for several years now, and we’re certain that Jane’s wealth of knowledge, gathered from her years in the for purpose sector, will serve her well in this new and exciting chapter.   Jane feels she wouldn’t be the industry professional she is today without the mentors she has had over the years while working in the field, and she sends her heartfelt thanks to each and every one of them. [ID: Jane Bradley smiling while holding a yellow Seeing Eye Dogs puppy.]

SBS and SBS On Demand. The Secret Workd of Guide Dogs with Martin Clunes. 🦮🐕🦺 Thursday 4 July at 7:30 pm With Audio Description and Captions

Making a Difference…

From Vision Australia. Vision Australia and refusals of dog guide handlers Vision Australia would like to clarify some details around recent activity it has been involved in across the point-to-point transport sector. Refusals of people accompanied by a dog guide are among the most direct and impactful incidents of discrimination that people who are blind or have low vision are subjected to. Whether it is from a taxi or rideshare vehicle, hospitality venue, or any public place, every refusal greatly impacts the ability of people who are blind or have low vision to lead active and independent lives. Addressing refusals of people using dog guides in point-to-point transport remains a key advocacy priority for Vision Australia and we are often approached by providers, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to consult and advise on how to address the issue. We have supported Safety Transport Victoria in a recent driver campaign, attended 13 CABS events, worked with various taxi associations, and have recently collaborated with Uber on a new training program. Uber has now launched this education program, which all drivers must complete by the end of May to remain on the platform and before they are able to accept Uber fares. The education program is Uber policy and includes a video and a knowledge quiz. The new training clarifies for all Uber drivers the rights of people travelling with assistance animals. This work does not impact existing legislation that covers the rights of handlers of dog guides and other assistance animals. Whilst the video is designed for sighted drivers and is not audio described, you can view the video component of the training at the following link: https://lnkd.in/gYcr9cf7. Vision Australia believes driver education is an important part of addressing refusals of people using a dog guide and is open to working with any point-to-point transport provider who is making a genuine attempt to improve in this area. Vision Australia strongly encourages anyone who experiences a refusal to report that directly to the taxi or ride share provider and relevant regulatory authorities. Vision Australia’s position will always be that any refusal of a person using a dog guide is unacceptable and at no stage would enter any agreement with a provider, regulator or any other body that is in contradiction to this. https://lnkd.in/gPTsSgUC While Vision Australia will continue to engage with our clients, providers, regulators and other stakeholders in regard to refusals of people with dog guides, we also welcome input directly from all handlers including their experiences or suggestions. Any input or feedback can be made by emailing advocacy@visionaustralia.org

From Centre For Universal Design Australia https://lnkd.in/gp52w7d5

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is seeking feedback on their Audio Description service. It's been almost a year since ABC iView launched its audio description (AD) service, which narrates key visuals to audiences who are blind or have low vision. They want to learn about the experiences of people who use audio description (AD) on streaming platforms like ABC iView. What do they think of the service? What do they like or dislike? How can ABC improve? You can tell them by completing the AD Feedback survey, linked below. The survey is open until 5pm AEDT Monday 6 May 2024. You must be 18 years or older to complete the survey. Please share this invitation widely with anyone who watches videos with audio descriptions. The more feedback they get, the better their improvements can be! #audioDescription #feedback https://lnkd.in/eS-Su8XA

Transport services are 'failing' Australians with disability. It shouldn't – and doesn't have to – be that way. By the Specialist Reporting Team's Evan Young and national disability affairs reporter Nas Campanella Posted Sun 25 Feb 2024 at 3:09alonk to article: [https://lnkd.in/gvBxtj2g] Unless you have a disability, you probably won't know how much of a nightmare transport can be. You won't know what it's like to try and book a taxi or Uber, only to be refused because you have a guide dog. You won't know what it's like to have an expensive, custom-built wheelchair broken during air travel, or spend hours planning a trip only to arrive at the station and find the accessible train has been replaced by a bus with steps. After receiving and sifting through hundreds of transport horror stories from people with disability, two things became clear. The first was the scale of the issue: no matter the type of disability you have, where you live or the mode of transport you take, getting around is harder than it should be. The second was that inaccessible public transport leaves the people who rely on it isolated and feeling like it's not worth trying to leave home at all if it means they could be left frustrated, lost, late or out of pocket. 'I felt so angry' Fed up with what they see as a lack of action, people with disability are taking matters into their own hands. One of them is electrical engineer Santiago Velasquez, who is blind. ne of them is electrical engineer Santiago Velasquez, who is blind. When you ask Santiago about his own transport mishaps, he can rattle them off like he's reading a shopping list. "I've been left behind and my guide dog's paws were burning because it was such a hot day," he says. "I've been dropped off in [the wrong place] and it took me three hours to get back home because it was 11pm and I needed to walk about 40 minutes to get to the next bus stop." Santiago has also missed a number of important life events such as birthdays because of transport issues — but the most frustrating incident was when he was late to a university exam after a bus driver failed to stop for him. He wasn't allowed to sit the exam and had to repeat the subject the following year. "I felt so angry ... I felt like my life was taken out of my control by a transport system that had been failing me for years." Santiago recently went overseas on a coveted Churchill Fellowship to assess transport across the world. He presented his app to various organisations and is in talks about trials. "Public transport should work for everybody — that's why it's public transport," he says. Time to 'take responsibility' Advocates say while it's great to see people with disability driving much-needed change, it should be politicians and transport services doing the heavy lifting.

Australians with disability share their transport horror stories By the Specialist Reporting Team's Evan Young and national disability affairs reporter Nas Campanella Posted 24 February 2924. — Nineteen Ubers denied because of guide dog [https://lnkd.in/gA8TTVqm]

New South Wales. A friendly reminder of guide dogs rights by NSW Police and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT

Three Golden Rules of Dog Guide Etiquette. 1. Speak to the Handler not the dog. 2. Allow access to all public places. 3. Control your own dog. www.dgha.org.au