When you think of Guide Dogs, naturally cute labrador puppies are the first things that spring to mind.
But the not-for-profit charity is so much more than just training puppies to become lifelong companions for the visually impaired, as Sunshine Coast-based Guide Dogs Queensland community partnerships advisor Olwyn Kerr told sunshinecoastnews.com.au.
“People think all we do is guide dogs,” Ms Kerr said.
“The full range of our services include early learning centres through to social support for teenagers, a lot of occupational home therapy and the use of new gadgets.
“We have a lot of groovy gadgets we provide training for. You can get glasses that have a tiny little camera and an earpiece.”
Ms Kerr said the glasses connect to a home base where a person on the other end could see through the camera and point out obstacles or dangers, or even just read the person a menu when they were at a restaurant.
Guide Dogs also works regularly with children and teenagers, providing camps and social support to teach young people tips to navigating the world around them.
“One of the most fantastic days for me was at Bellingham Maze and I saw three eight years’ old with their little rainbow canes – they were running across the ground.
“I thought for those kids to have that confidence to just be able to navigate the world without being able to see it was just phenomenal.”
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Ms Kerr said a vision impairment was often a “hidden disability” forcing people to stay at home or find new outlets, particularly if it developed later in life.
She said she had seen some amazing work come from people who had learnt to tap into their other senses, also provided through training at Guide Dogs.
“We had a fellow work with us at Guide Dogs and he was our computer hardware technician and he used to do everything by smell and touch.”
‘Life saver’ dogs still the main attraction
Ms Kerr said at the end of the day, the guide dogs were the drawcard and the truly lifesaving companion.
“The guide dogs are just life savers; the dogs are the most amazing things.”
Guide Dogs have been breeding their own dogs for more than two decades, specially training them ready to go to those in need.
Ms Kerr said all their services are provided at no cost to clients, but with only nine per cent of the charity’s needs funded, it is up to them to fundraise the remainder.
“Until the middle of … last year, everything for us came to a grinding holt regarding fundraising,” she said.
“Everything that we do is at no cost to the client and we need to fundraise all the time to continue to be able to service the clients.
“We are always looking for volunteers.”
She said while there was currently no work with dogs available on the Sunshine Coast, Guide Dogs need volunteers to man the Fluffy Puppy Stores at local shopping centres.
“We run them at all the different shopping centres, and it could be four hours every two months depending on what people want to do.”
To find out more, visit guidedogsqld.com.au.
