Guide Dogs Matters – January 2014
Contents Page
New Year, new beginnings 1
The future of Guide Dogs Matters 1
Celebrating our heroes 1
Guide Dogs Annual Awards 2
Heroes on two legs – our My Guide service 3
When you’ve got to go… 3
Neatebox – The future of mobile technology 4
New Year, new beginnings
Happy New Year and welcome to the first edition of Guide Dogs Matters in 2014. We’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for the year to come. During this edition we will be looking forward, discussing the future of Guide Dogs Matters, the future of mobile technology and, of course, celebrating another great year for our incredibly heroic hounds.
The future of Guide Dogs Matters
Over the last year, we’ve been taking a careful look at all our publications, to make sure we share news with our all our service users in the most effective way.
In May, we told you about some changes that we’re making to how we communicate messages to all guide dog owners, and news about other areas of our work. There has been unanimous positive feedback that we should continue to streamline our communications with you, and that news relating to the services you receive from us should be included as part your local team updates, and sent within Forward, which is published three times a year. This edition of Guide Dogs Matters will therefore be the last in its current form.
From this month, all service users will receive Forward Magazine unless you tell us you’d prefer not to be sent it. If you want to get in touch with us about receiving Forward, please contact your local team or email .
Please be assured that the service messages and information you receive through Guide Dogs Matters will still come to you through your local mobility team updates, in your preferred format of communication.
Celebrating our heroes
Towards the end of 2013, we were delighted when a guide dog and a buddy dog became finalists in the Daily Mirror Animal Hero Awards. There is no doubt that all of our dogs are heroes in their own right but to have a pair recognised for their amazing work on a national platform was a huge achievement.
Guide dog Jet became a finalist in the Hero Animal of the Year category after saving her owner’s one-year-old son, Jacob, from a potentially fatal accident. Jet’s owner, Jessica Cowley, had been walking into town when an out-of-control car came hurtling towards the pair. Jet leapt out of her harness and pushed the pram out of the way of the oncoming car, which knocked Jess off her feet. Miraculously, Jet's protective instincts had saved Jacob from this and he emerged unharmed, whilst Jess was treated in hospital for mild bruising.
Our other finalist was buddy dog Lucy, who was in the running for the Caring Animal of the Year award. Lucy is buddy dog to five-year-old Oliver, who lost most of his vision after a brain injury and who also has cerebral palsy and learning disability. Oliver's mum, Sarah, wrote to Guide Dogs to describe how much her son has changed since having a buddy dog: from being very shy and withdrawn to answering teachers in class and telling Lucy and his parents that he loves them, something he has never done before.
Sadly, both our finalists were narrowly pipped at the post on the night of the awards, which took place in The Langham Hotel, London. Nevertheless, we are simply brimming with pride for them, both fantastic life-changing partnerships.
Guide Dogs Annual Awards
On 11 December 2013 we hosted our Annual Awards in London’s Hilton Hotel on Park Lane. The evening was a glittering occasion where we celebrated our amazing guide dogs, their owners, volunteers, supporters, staff… Everyone in the Guide Dogs family! Every single one of our finalists had an incredible story to tell, and one in particular was Welsh born Konrad Galen-Bisping, winner of the Inspirational Guide Dog Owner Award.
Konrad was on duty as a sergeant in the Army when he was attacked from behind by an axe-wielding member of his own team, whom Konrad had reprimanded earlier that day. The axe’s blade found its way into the back of his skull but, miraculously, he survived. Konrad spent the next two years in hospital and rehabilitation. When he was finally able to return home, he had 24-hour carers to help him with his daily tasks. He never went anywhere alone.
As well as the effect the injury had on his vision, Konrad developed memory problems and post-traumatic stress disorder. He couldn't walk down the street alone and had panic attacks if anyone was behind him, especially a man. Guide Dogs had to devise a training programme which accounted for Konrad’s fear of being followed. He was matched with guide dog Radley, and his confidence quickly grew. Soon he was getting out and about, getting his life back on track and visiting the gym, where he subsequently met his future wife. Konrad and Radley now happily walk around Llanelli together without a carer. Konrad has his new wife and they have three children, yet he will still cuddle Radley and say: “You're the best thing to ever happen to me!”
Konrad said: "I was shocked to be shortlisted in the Guide Dogs Annual Awards, then when it sank in I was over the moon for Radley. He gave me my life back; he's the boy."
If you have a story or know someone who has overcome all odds to transform their life with the help of a guide dog, why not nominate them for next year’s Guide Dogs Annual Awards?
Heroes on two legs – our My Guide service
Have you heard of Guide Dogs’ My Guide service? The service can provide a sighted guide volunteer or can train your friends and family in sighted guiding so that you’ve got someone who can confidently assist you when out and about. A great example of how people can benefit from this service is Liz from Leeds. Liz has Retinitis Pigmentosa and was put on the waiting list for her first guide dog. During that time she didn’t feel confident going out or visiting her local shops where people had previously known her as a sighted person. She was introduced to the My Guide service and matched with volunteer Lily. Liz says: “I cannot speak highly enough of the My Guide service; it was the beginning of getting my confidence and self-esteem back. Lily made me feel at ease and helped me get to grips with my community again. Thanks to Lily, I didn’t feel trapped in my home any more, and when my lovely guide dog Frankie appeared I was raring to take the world on.”
To find out more about My Guide please contact your local mobility team by calling 0118 983 5555 or visiting www.guidedogs.org.uk/services/guide-dogs/mobility-teams/.
When you’ve got to go…
In 2009 we conducted a survey into guide dog owner expectations of their dogs’ toileting routines and their dogs’ actual toileting behaviour. In response to a request from guide dog owners, we repeated the survey in 2012. The second survey has provided evidence that guide dog owner preferences and guide dog spending habits are changing. For instance, work sessions are now longer, fewer guide dog owners find toileting in harness acceptable and a high number of guide dog owners report that their dog urinating on a walk without indicating is inappropriate.
A range of toileting habits that are considered by guide dog owners to be inappropriate have been identified and will be used to help Guide Dogs work to improve guide dog owner satisfaction around spending behaviour.
The Guide Dogs Canine Research team needs your help. If you would be willing to take part in a telephone questionnaire and / or a face-to-face focus group about guide dog health, then please contact us at or call 0845 372 7432.
Neatebox – The future of mobile technology
Gavin Neate has spent the last 18 years as a Guide Dogs Mobility Instructor and during that time he has grown increasingly frustrated by pedestrian crossings. He finds the entire process of pushing the button and waiting for the cone to spin before navigating to the middle of the crossing point and finally crossing time consuming and inconvenient. Not only that, but if pedestrians using the crossing do so from the control box then they are positioned incorrectly.
He decided to follow up on an idea which had been born out of his need to find a solution. After conducting research with a group of ten guide dog owners and with the help of Scottish Transport, Gavin developed his Neatebox.
Neatebox is a type of hardware which is incorporated into the pedestrian control box and sends out a signal. This signal is in turn picked up by the pedestrian’s mobile phone and when the pedestrian is hoping to cross the road, it communicates with the crossing to let it know there is someone there. It then presses the button independently, leaving the pedestrian free to concentrate on taking up position prior to crossing the road.
It’s as simple as that – no need to find the pole or hold onto the tactile cone. Information is received on the mobile phone to let pedestrians know the state of the crossing. This works equally for anyone using a mobility aid wheelchair, motability vehicle users, long cane users or anyone with reduced mobility.
Gavin is looking forward to working with Edinburgh council as Neatebox trials continue throughout 2014. He hopes to gain enough council support to one day see his innovative product be used nationally, maybe even globally.
If you are interested in learning more about Neatebox or would like to hear how the trial is going please don’t hesitate to contact Gavin at .
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