Irish guide dogs call on more people in westmeath to take up guide dog programme
To mark World Sight Day (today Thursday October 9) Irish Guide Dogs are inviting people in Westmeath living with vision impairments to apply for the free training services including the Guide Dog Programme.
There are currently 194 people who are registered blind in Westmeath and 11,027 registered blind in Ireland. All are eligible for a guide dog, which is provided by Irish Guide Dogs free of charge. However only two people have Guide Dogs in County Westmeath and less than 2% of the national figure have a guide dog.
“On World Sight Day we would like to encourage more people who are vision impaired to apply for our services,” said Padraig Mallon, CEO of Irish Guide Dogs.
“Some people think a guide dog may not be for them – they may fear the responsibility might outweigh any potential advantages. In our almost 40 years of experience however we have received a universally positive response to having a guide dog.”
If you have or know of someone who has a vision impairment that makes safe, independent travel difficult, are over 16 years of age and resident in Ireland you can be considered for a guide dog. You do not have to be totally blind, there is no upper age limit and a guide dog should fit in easily at home with other pets.
“Having a guide dog can make a huge difference to a person who is vision impaired; it gives them back their independence and allows them to get around safely,” said Lean Kennedy, Access and Education officer with Irish Guide Dogs, and owner of guide dog Roy (named after the charity’s most ambassador Roy Keane).
“A common myth is that you have to be a ‘dog person’ to have a guide dog. Some of our clients were afraid of dogs before learning more about our Guide Dog Programme and then they experience an enormous benefit in their lives. It really is a viable option for anybody who is vision-impaired.”
Irish Guide Dogs also help people with vision impairments learn how to cook, garden, prepare for third-level education and use a long cane. The charity provides full follow-up aftercare in the client’s own home by their qualified instructors.
The charity is 80% funded by voluntary income and donations.
Case study
For years Laois native Andy McGarrigle thought he was simply short-sighted. While enquiring about laser eye surgery at the age of 48, his doctor discovered he had retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic condition which is the leading cause of blindness in Ireland.
Despite the diagnosis, Andy maintained good vision for nearly nine years but when he started experiencing tunnel vision in 2013, he decided to apply for a guide dog to get safely to and from his job at the Department of Agriculture.
Now in his retirement, Andy is enjoying the freedom and independence his guide dog Odin can give him. “A guide dog means improved fitness and wellbeing. I have the freedom to go wherever I need without relying on anybody but Odin,” said Andy.