THE SEEING EYECELEBRATES IT’S

80YEAR HISTORY

Greetings from theMiddle East

IT’S A SMALLWORLD

This year marks 80 years since Dorothy Harrison Eustisand Morris Frank began the dog guide movement

visionaryvi•sion•ar•y (vizh’n-eri || -erri) adj. 1. Characterised by vision or foresight

EUROPEAN FEDERATION SCORESBIG VICTORY WITH PETRA’S LAW

The Historic text of Petra Pintelei’s speech toMembers of the European Parliament

Edition 14 | July 2009

IGDF | UK

� | the Visionary | IGDF

First and foremost, membership of the IGDFenables Guide Dog Schools around the world tojoin a community dedicated to serving the visuallyimpaired. That community needs and wants toshare its knowledge and the IGDF facilitates that.

The map below outlines the contributingcountries for this edition of Visionary.

UK | Guide Dogs

Issue 14 | July 09 | 3

In other words,if MemberStates of theEuropean Unionagree, ourstandards willsoon beenshrined inEuropean law.

Bridget WarrUK Guide Dogs, United Kingdom

There is still so much to do - so many people andcountries that even now need our help. But I thinkthat we can all celebrate the many successes whichour Federation has achieved over the last twodecades. Indeed, the last six months have presentedmany real and tangible benefits for federationmembers, especially in the field of policydevelopment.

I am particularly pleased with the success of Petra’s law,named after a teenage Romanian singer who wants tobecome a guide dog owner. (See page 15)

She made an emotional speech to Members of theEuropean Parliament (MEPs) in Brussels, calling forcommon access and other provisions for disabledpeople across the continent. MEPs backed herproposals and voted to ensure that nationalgovernments put the provisions into their local laws.Significantly, the equal treatment directive specificallyrecognises guide dogs which are trained to IGDF/Assistance Dogs International standards.

In other words, if Member States of the EuropeanUnion agree, our standards will soon be enshrined inEuropean law. It’s the first spectacular lobbyingvictory for the European Guide Dog Federation (EGDF)and puts the organisation on the map.

The EGDF represents Europe’s guide dog serviceproviders and organisations of guide dog owners.Guide Dogs UK currently hosts the Secretariat. Inparticular, the European Federation uses IGDFstandards to promote high training standardsthroughout the continent. EGDF’s full memberorganisations are those organisations in Europe whichhave met the agreed international benchmarks andhave had their training accredited by the IGDF.

There is also associate membership fororganisations which commit to achieving thoseservice levels within two years - or longer, on a caseby case basis. Preparations are well underway for theintroduction of Standard 10 guidelines for members,to ensure that mobility instructors work to commonand agreed principles.

The aim is to make sure that all organisationsworking to the format have consistent standards. Allaccredited instructor courses will need to meetbenchmarks for educational qualifications ofcandidates and their previous professional experience,course topics, and the tutors’ teaching abilities. Thereshould also be agreed levels for assessment, appealspolicies and continuing professional development. Iexpect these guidelines to be seen as the goldstandard for staff training for guide dog organisations

View from the chairThe IGDF is celebrating 20 amazing years of improving the standardsof guide dog training around the world, and ultimately improving thelives of blind and partially-sighted people.

Contents3 View from the chairBridget Warr, Chair of the IGDF, UK

4 Japanese Crown Prince and PrincessVisit Japan Guide Dog AssociationEri Miyazaki | Public Relations | JapanGuide Dog Association

5 The Seeing Eye Celebrates it’s 80 yearHistoryTeresa Davenport | Director ofCommunications | The Seeing Eye

6 Canadian Guide Dogs for the BlindCelebrates its �5th AnniversaryBy Steven Doucette | Special EventsManager | Canadian Guide Dogs for theBlind

7 Do you employ the best Instructorsin the industry?Alan Brooks | The Guide Dogs for theBlind Association

8 Slovak Guide Dogs, Swedish GuideDogs and Malta – how does it fittogether?Ivana Balazova | GDMI | Guide DogTraining School, SlovakiaEmmelie Reinson | GDMI | Guide DogsStockholm, Sweden

10 Letter to MembersChristine Baroni-Pretsch | On behalf ofthe board of directorsFondation Ecole Romande Pour Chiens-Guides d’Aveugles

11 Guide Dog Mobility InstructorEducation – The Swiss ExampleChristine Baroni-Pretsch, on behalf ofthe board of directorsIGDF School – Fondation EcoleRomande Pour Chiens-Guidesd’Aveugles, Switzerland

1� Guide Dog Handler BereavementJohn Gosling | Guide Dog MobilityInstructor | Guide Dogs Victoria,Australia

13 �008 Successful AssessmentsIGDF Office | IGDF

13 Job AdvertisementIGDF Office | IGDF

14 It’s a Small WorldNoach Braun, Director | Israel GuideDog Centre for the Blind, Israel

14 Taiwan Guide Dog Association ismaking efforts in building up thebreeder’s colony in AsiaRei Chang | Guide Dog Instructor &Breeding Coordinator | Taiwan GuideDog Association

15 European federation scores bigvictory with Petra’s LawBridget Warr | IGDF School – UK GuideDogs, United Kingdom

Hillfields, Burghfield Common, ReadingBerkshire RG7 3YG United Kingdom

www.igdf.org.uk

Registered in England Company No 2376162Registered Charity No 1062441

Japan Guide Dog Association | Japan

4 | the Visionary | IGDF

Eri MiyazakiPublic Relations | Japan Guide Dog Association

On Sunday April 19 2009 His ImperialHighness Crown Prince Naruhitotogether with Her Imperial HighnessPrincess Masako visited the JapanGuide Dog Association’s KanagawaTraining Center.

President Yukihiko Inoue escortedthe royal couple to the kennel to seethe dogs followed by a guide dogtraining demonstration. Dogs intraining and puppies greeted them atthe kennel. The royal couple each helda puppy with a big smile andenthusiastically asked questionsregarding puppy raising. The Prince wasdelighted to find out that one of thepuppies was born on the same day ashimself. The Prince and Princess evenswitched the puppies that they wereholding. When they left the kennel,Princess Masako kindly said: “It is ourhope that the puppies all grow uphealthy and happy.”

After visiting the kennel, they wereled to the training room on the thirdfloor. Here they watched ademonstration given by the studentsand guide dog trainers at the trainingcenter, and also saw a guide dog user.After the demonstration the Prince

himself held the harness and walkedwith a guide dog. As the Prince walkedthrough the course with obstacles, heclosed his eyes and tried to feel themovement of the dog through theharness. Princess Masako tried out abasic training session. She gently gavethe commands “sit” and “down” to thedog. The dog seemed to know howmuch the Princess liked dogs bywagging his tail and constantly lookingup to her face.

At the end, the royal couple walkedup to the staff, students and the guidedog user and had a short conversationwith each one of them.

“You keep your partner very wellgroomed,” Princess Masako told YokoSakurai, the guide dog user. When sheresponded “I keep him more polishedthan myself!” the Prince and Princessexchanged smiles. Then they reachedout and shook hands with her. They leftthe Kanagawa Training Center after anhour and a half and the visit waspublicized nationwide.

We were greatly honored to be giventhe opportunity to welcome theImperial Crown Prince and Princess. Wewill treasure the words ofencouragement extended to us by theroyal couple and continue earnestly tocommit ourselves to raising guide dogs.

Japanese Crown Princeand Princess Visit JapanGuide Dog Association

View fromthe chairContinuedin the future. They are due to startnext year, having evolved over a six-year period.

Many thanks to all of you whohave contributed in any way to theevolution of these standards, butparticularly to Kathy Kelly and herCurriculum Development Task Forceand to Christine Baroni-Pretsch inSwitzerland. Christine’s account ofthe fascinating background to thisimportant development is on page Y. Iam convinced the benchmarks willmake a huge difference to the lives ofmany millions of blind and partially-sighted people throughout the worldin the years to come.

Many of the above topics will bediscussed at length at our 2010

“So, overall, the IGDF israising its game, and puttinginto practice the goodintentions that led to theFederation being started twodecades ago”

conference, which is being hosted byCanadian Guide Dogs in Ottawa,Ontario, next year. Communication ischallenging when we are all so farapart, so the website -www.igdf.org.uk– is always a useful start for anyquery about the Federation, but thereis no substitute for face to faceconversation. I do hope you will makean effort to attend the next IGDFSeminar from June 25 to 27 2010.

So, overall, the IGDF is raising itsgame, and putting into practice thegood intentions that led to theFederation being started two decadesago. Clearly, there is much still to do,but we are on a roll and all of us justneed to keep up the momentum.As I mentioned in the New Year: thesleeping giant is waking up!

His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito and Her Imperial Highness Princess Masakobeing escorted by Yukihiko Inoue, President of the Japan Guide Dog Association during theirrecent visit at Kanagawa Training Center.

USA | The Seeing Eye

Issue 14 | July 09 | 5

Teresa DavenportDirector of Communications | The Seeing Eye

Although January 29 2009 marked theactual 80th anniversary of The SeeingEye’s incorporation in Nashville,Tennessee, the dog guide school beganits celebration last spring, on March 232008. That particular date marked whatwould have been Morris Frank’s 100thbirthday.

With a birthday cake and storiesshared by staff, the event kicked offcommemorative events that willcontinue through 2009. In April 2008the organization marked the occasionof the first meeting of Frank and hisguide dog Buddy. And on June 11 TheSeeing Eye recognized the day, 80 yearsearlier, when the newly trained teamarrived in New York City and made thelegendary walk across West Street.

On January 6 2009 representativetrustees, staff and puppy raisers, alongwith a puppy named Nancy, rang the

opening bell at the New York StockExchange in anticipation of thecelebratory events held on campus onJanuary 29. But possibly the event withthe most impact will be the school’sgraduate reunion, scheduled for August20 - 22. As many as 200 Seeing Eyegraduates are expected to return to theMorristown, New Jersey campus inrecognition of the anniversary.

The Walt Disney Co., in recognitionof the anniversary, agreed to re-releasea series the company produced in 1967called ‘Atta Girl, Kelly.’ This is the firsttime the series (which originallyappeared in three parts on the‘Wonderful World of Color’ televisionshow) has been available on DVD.Disney sent a crew to The Seeing Eyecampus in fall 2008 to film a 16-minute‘extra’ that is included on the videodisc. To spread the celebration far andwide, Seeing Eye graduates wereencouraged to hold their own localanniversary festivities throughout the

United States and Canada. “Thesecelebrations will personalize thesignificance of our history throughoutthe entire United States and Canada,”said Seeing Eye President and ChiefExecutive Officer Jim Kutsch.

So much has changed since itsfounding on January 29 1929, and yet somuch remains the same. The SeeingEye continues to pioneer techniques incanine health research, genetics andtraining; and to innovate new programsthat ensure the continued safety of dogguide teams that travel increasinglycomplicated and challenging streetsand sidewalks.

“We are an organization that bearstremendous pride in our 80-yearhistory, but no more so than the pridewe hold in our commitment to thefuture,” said Kutsch. “As long as peoplewho are blind resolve to maintain theirindependence, it is our privilege to bethe catalyst in helping them to helpthemselves.”

The Seeing Eye Celebrates it’s 80 year HistoryThis year marks 80 years since Dorothy Harrison Eustis and Morris Frank began the dog guidemovement by establishing the very first school specifically for the training of dogs to lead peoplewho are blind and to instruct people in the use of those dogs.

The Seeing Eye kicked off its 80th anniversary year by ringing the opening bell on Wall Street

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind | Canada

6 | the Visionary | IGDF

Canadian GuideDogs for theBlind Celebratesits 25thAnniversary

By Steven DoucetteSpecial Events Manager | Canadian Guide Dogsfor the Blind

Armed with enthusiasm and theknowledge they acquired in England,Bill Thornton and Jane Thornton cameto Canada from England in March 1984with a dream in their hearts: to start aprofessional guide dog school. Thedream came to fruition, and twenty fiveyears later Canadian Guide Dogs for theBlind celebrates a milestone and hasgraduated more than 640 workingguide dog teams across the vastcountry of Canada.

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blindbegan in a rented property in the Ottawaarea. It was in this townhouse that thegarage was transformed into a kennelwhere the organization hosted its firstdogs. The first guide dog team, John andSasha, graduated in July 1984. Co-founder Jane Thornton, who remains asChief Operating Officer of CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind, remembers thefirst six months as being very difficult,both emotionally and financially, withmany highs and lows.

It was a year later, in 1985, thatCanadian Guide Dogs for the Blindbecame the first guide dog school toreceive provincial accreditation withinthe Blind Persons’ Rights Act of Ontariowhich, amongst other things, givesguide dogs access to all public places.Similar legislation now exists in allprovinces of Canada. With the hopeand foresight of growing theorganization, Canadian Guide Dogs forthe Blind established its own breedingprogram and the first litter of pups wasborn in 1986.

This was one year prior to anotherhuge achievement – moving from akennel in a converted garage into acustom-built, modern new facility. Thismeant a kennel with running water,heating and air conditioning. In 1987clients from across Canada would alsobe more comfortable, spending theirfour weeks of training living inresidence at the facility, and this

remains in operation today. CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind takes pride inthe residential facility and doeseverything it can to make its clients feelas if they are ‘home away from home’.The National Training Centre is locatedin Manotick, Ontario, which in 1987 wasa small village itself, 30 minutes southof downtown Ottawa. As Canada’scapital city has grown, so Manotick isnow part of the City of Ottawa.

Established and operating efficiently,Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blindstarted to gain a reputation acrossCanada, as well as internationally. In1989 the organization was establishedas a charter member of theInternational Federation of Guide DogSchools for the Blind (now theInternational Guide Dog Federation,IGDF), and the first Canadian obtainedcertification as a guide dog mobilityinstructor under the internationallyrecognized training program. To thisday, our international involvementremains strong, as Jane Thornton hasbeen an elected director with the IGDFsince 2006.

“I’m lucky to do this each day, as Idon’t feel I’m going to work. It is such apart of my life and a place where I enjoy

being”, says Jane Thornton, referring toher role as Chief Operating Officer ofCanadian Guide Dogs for the Blind.

It is difficult to sum up the manyaccomplishments of Canadian GuideDogs for the Blind after a quarter of acentury. Perhaps the simplestsummation comes from one of ourclients: “Having my guide dog has givenme the independence and courage togo out in the world and make my mark.It has also given me a friend I wouldtrust my life with. She is responsible forensuring that I get to where I need togo safe and sound and she has becomemy eyes. That’s what having a guidedog has given me, and I am trulythankful to Canadian Guide Dogs forthe Blind for their hard work in makingall this happen.”

We look forward to continuing withour mandate and we appreciate thewonderful support from all of ourfriends in the ‘world of guide dogs’, andespecially our clients, Board ofDirectors, donors, volunteers and staff.

You can learn more about CanadianGuide Dogs for the Blind online atwww.guidedogs.ca

Jane Thornton, co-founder and Chief Operating Officerof Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind

UK | Guide Dogs

Issue 14 | July 09 | 7

Alan BrooksThe Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

IGDF assessors – who are they?The International Guide Dog Federation(IGDF) has up to 26 assessors who, asmany of you will be aware, undertakeassessments of member organisationsevery five years. Organisations whowish to join the IGDF must successfullypass an assessment against the IGDFstandards which are the world’sstandards for our industry. Theassessors are individuals who havebeen technically qualified and are atthe top of their profession.

Each assessor must meet very strictcriteria before they can join the group.The criteria includes: being qualified asa Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI)for a minimum of ten years withexperience in all areas of our work,including training apprentices;management or supervision; planning;and, where possible, a backgroundknowledge of orientation and mobility.The ability to travel long distances,write reports and computer skills areall relevant to the role. Naturally, theseassessors must have the right personalqualities of excellent communicationskills, tact and integrity, in addition totheir professional experience andbackground.

Training assessorsThe assessors themselves are notsimply selected and turned loose! Eachwill be mentored through their earlytasks by one of our established andexperienced assessors, who have beenundertaking the work for some years.In addition, every two years allassessors undertake further trainingthrough a two day workshop whichtakes place prior to the IGDFconference. During this workshop weare able to exchange knowledge andexperience and highlight problems withour processes or standards, and, mostimportantly, change those aspects thatneed improvement. We widen our

“These factors can also be veryuseful for raising the profile oftheir own guide dog organisa-tion. The quality standards oftheir employer can also beimproved from the knowledgegained from overseas”

knowledge, learn from each other’sexperience and, where necessary,undertake additional training. Primarilythe training relates to the assessmentprocess but it frequently has significantbenefits for our regular roles aspractitioners or managers in the guidedog industry.

More benefitsThe benefit of being an assessor, inaddition to the training provided by theIGDF, is the recognition within andbeyond our industry that theseindividuals are at the top of theirprofession. Many employers are awareof this and do not hesitate to promotethe fact that their organisation employsan IGDF assessor. Carefully promoted,this can have a positive influence onpotential fund providers.

When visiting guide dog trainingschools, assessors not only assessagainst the standards but also gatherinformation on how different countriesand cultures address our variousproblems and how training techniquesare developed in other schools. Thisadditional knowledge and methods ofgood practice can be brought back totheir own organisation at no financialcost to their employer whatsoever!Many organisations require their staffto travel to other guide dogprogrammes overseas in order tobroaden their knowledge, yet this is anopportunity that assessors undertakeon a regular basis when visiting otherguide dog organisations.

Assessors clearly expand their ownnetwork and often this leads tocollaborative undertakings which

benefit their own and otherorganisations, and also the IGDF.

The assessors themselves caninfluence standards that are constantlybeing developed by the IGDF and thiscontributes to the development of theguide dog industry on a global basis.

These factors can also be very usefulfor raising the profile of their own guidedog organisation. The quality standardsof their employer can also be improvedfrom the knowledge gained fromoverseas.

Are you up to the task?Currently the Assessment andDevelopment Committee of the IGDF islooking to recruit a few assessors tojoin the 20 currently active assessors.Providing you meet the criteria tobecome an assessor, we would be morethan happy to hear from you. This maynot only the IGDF and the assessor asan individual but also yourorganisation, if you are lucky enough toemploy someone who meets thecriteria that joins the team.

Your commitmentHowever, there is one disadvantage toyour organization in promoting amember of staff as an assessor. Thestaff member would be absent forapproximately 12 days every other yearin order to undertake assessments forIGDF. Other than that, we believe theadvantages greatly outweigh this onedisadvantage. We would be more thanhappy to hear from you if you believeyou have the member of staff whomeets the criteria and has the rightpersonal qualities to be an IGDFassessor. Please refer to the advert inthis copy of “The Visionary” to find outhow to obtain an application form.

Do you employ the bestInstructors in the industry?

GDMI | Slovakia & Sweden

8 | the Visionary | IGDF

Ivana BalazovaGDMI | Guide Dog Training School, SlovakiaEmmelie ReinsonGDMI | Guide Dogs Stockholm, Sweden

Several years ago, Emmelie (who worksat Guide Dogs Stockholm, Sweden) andI met in Australia doing our cadetshipsat Guide Dogs Victoria and stayed intouch. In this article we would like toshare with you an experience whichsaw us working together again – inbeautiful Malta.

Malta is a small country with around400,000 inhabitants. Among them thereare visually-impaired people whosesituation is somewhat different fromthe situation for visually-impairedpeople in other developed countries.They can get support, such as getting alift by minibus between their home andwork or school, which seems great atfirst glance. However, the fact is thatsuch a good service does not promoteindependence and mastering ofmobility skills. The first instructors inorientation and mobility skills are onlyjust being trained in Malta and so the

possibility for visually-impaired Malteseto acquire these skills is about tobecome a reality. Guide dog mobilityhas been quite an unknown concept inMaltese society, however, until a whileago. So how could visually-impairedpeople in Malta move aroundindependently and safely? Thisquestion was an inspiration for RonColombo, himself partially-sighted, tostart doing something about it. As a doglover he was instantly keen on the ideathat guide dogs could bringindependent mobility to his friends andhe started to work on this idea fromscratch.

As Malta is such a small country, itwould have been a big step to get itsown instructors, breeding program anddog training in place. Therefore Ronwas looking for a way to acquire fullytrained guide dogs abroad until theycould set up their own program. SlovakGuide Dog School received his plea forhelp a few years ago.

After a long exchange of emails anda personal visit all was ready to start. In

the next long period we assessedpotential Maltese clients, selectedsuitable dogs – Macy and Aval - andcompleted their training first in Slovakand then in English. The dogs werematched to two young gentlemen,Joseph and Leone, and the wholedomiciliary instruction program lastedfor one month in February this year.The initial stages would have been verydifficult to complete with just oneinstructor and as Slovak Guide Dogswas lacking another English speakinginstructor, we were lucky that Emmeliecame to our aid! She did so eagerly andselflessly. Her help was greatlyappreciated; we could not have done itwithout her!

The list of countries involved in theultimate success has not finished yet.The two dogs, whose excellenttemperament was a key to theirsuccess with the Maltese clients (quiteapart from their training), happened tobe at Slovak Guide Dogs thanks to thesupport of other guide dog schools.Macy was donated as a puppy by Irish

Slovak GuideDogs, Swedish

Guide Dogs andMalta – how does

it fit together?International experience is always a great experience. Learningnew things, meeting new people – and after some time you are

fortunate enough to realize that you and your internationalfriends can join in to do something good and special. From left: Guide dog mobility instructor Ivana,

Joseph and guide dog Macy, Ron and guide dogBalto, Leone and guide dog Aval, and guide dogmobility instructor Emmelie

Slovakia & Sweden | GDMI

Issue 14 | July 09 | �

Guide Dogs for the Blind and Aval camefrom the breeding lines of Guide DogsVictoria, who provided his motherBronny. And so providing Malta withguide dogs became an internationalproject directed by Guide Dogs Slovakiabut with an invaluable input fromothers.

Back to Malta – the dogs settled invery well and became dignifiedambassadors for the Slovak school.They had to cope with an enormouschange. Malta is a typicalMediterranean country with busy andloud traffic, narrow streets full ofobstacles and without footpaths, withlarge numbers of stray dogs andespecially cats… - very different toSlovakia! The dogs adapted to thechange well and our work was mademuch easier by the dogs being able toperform well with little support. In themonth of instruction we dedicated a lotof time to teaching orientation andmobility to the two clients as they hadnot had any formal training and hadnot been traveling independently

before. It was a great challenge for theclients in such a difficult anddisorganized environment. Theteamwork of the dog and client provedto be an excellent way of tackling thechallenges as both were puttingeverything into the work. Of courseproviding follow-ups and after-careservices would be tough consideringthe distance between Malta andSlovakia, so everybody had to put theirmaximum into the work – the clients,the dogs, the instructors – in order toget the teams ready for independentproblem solving in the near future.

The month’s effort was worth it –both teams bonded very well, got usedto each other, mastered several routeson their own and were well on track forfurther improvement. At the end of theprogram Joseph and Leone were veryhappy. Working with a guide dog hasmade a great difference to their livesand the lives of their families. Bothgentlemen understand the privilegeand responsibility of being some of thefirst Maltese visually-impaired clients

to work with a guide dog, and they willbe spreading the word about thebenefits of guide dog ownership in theircountry.

This challenging program could nothave been completed without thestrong will and capabilities of allinvolved: Ron, the father of the wholeidea; Maria, Michael and others fromthe Malta Guide Dog Foundation, whoprovided support before, during andafter the program; excellent dogs Macyand Aval, who are a credit to theirbreeding lines; their trainers, Janka andRado, who put so much into theirtraining; and Joseph and Leone, smartand highly motivated gentlemen,willing to battle with challenges andlisten to advice. We, the instructors,tried to do our best and gave the teamsas much as we could.

We wish the new teams in Maltagood luck and all the best in their lives.We hope there will be many more likethem enjoying the benefits of mobilitywith a guide dog in Malta.

Fondation Ecole Romande Pour Chiens-Guides d’Aveugles | France

10 | the Visionary | IGDF

Letter to MembersThe International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF)stands for the authority setting standards in theguide dog field worldwide.

Christine Baroni-Pretsch | On behalf of the board of directorsFondation Ecole Romande Pour Chiens-Guides d’Aveugles

Dear members,In 2005 the council decided toseparate the Accreditation andDevelopment Committee (ADC)from the elected board ofdirectors. At the same time itwas agreed to move fromguidelines to standardsregarding the accreditationprocess.

One of our core objectives,described in the five yearstrategy, is the development andimplementation of acomprehensive set of standardsrelating to the breeding andtraining of suitable dogs for

guide work and the instructionof blind or visually-impairedclients in the safe and effectiveuse of a guide dog. As a resultthe board recognized a strongneed to define and encouragethe professional education ofGuide Dog Mobility Instructors(GDMI) in order to generate ahighly beneficial impact on thequality of the services providedfor the blind population by ourmember organizations in manydifferent parts of the world.

In October 2006 a GDMI TaskForce was set up by the board ofdirectors. We recognized thatthe initially presented GDMICurriculum needed to bereviewed by a panel ofprofessional specialists in orderto ensure that it is globalenough to apply to a variedinternational membership.

The outcome of theextraordinary work completedby this group of experienced

professionals – chaired by KathyKelly, Guide Dogs for the Blind,USA – was presented to themembership at the biannualseminar in London in July 2008.

In the meantime the finalversion of Standard 10 has beenadopted jointly by the board ofdirectors and the ADC. Wekindly invite you to consult allthe relevant papers on the IGDFwebsite. As previouslyannounced, Standard 10 will beimplemented in January 2010.This means that all memberorganisations will be assessedregarding all standards,

including Standard 10. The newIGDF website will be a source ofreference for educationalmaterial. Existing resources,such as online courses, the IGDFCurriculum and textbooks andCDs or DVDs from existingeducational programs areimportant tools for thedevelopment of individualprograms by the membership. Itmight also create a greatopportunity for workingtogether and exchangingknowledge amongst differentmember schools.

Standard 10 is a challenge forall of us but it is achievable andit will provide our staff with thewell deserved recognition on aninternational level of beinghighly skilled specialists in therehabilitation of blind andvisually-impaired people.Kind regards,

Christine Baroni-Pretsch

The new IGDF website will be a sourceof reference for educational material

Switzerland | Fondation Ecole Romande Pour Chiens-Guides d’Aveugles

Issue 14 | July 09 | 11

Christine Baroni-Pretsch, on behalf of theboard of directorsFondation Ecole Romande Pour Chiens-Guidesd’Aveugles, Switzerland

More recently four modern guide dogschools, all members of theInternational Guide Dog Federation(IGDF), provide blind and visually-impaired people with guide dogmobility. Switzerland is a rather smallcountry, divided into four distinctlanguage regions with specific culturalbackgrounds. No one school has beenin existence for more than 35 years andall the schools are small organizationswhich train between six and 25 teamsper annum. All four schools are undercontract to the Swiss national disabilityinsurance company which sets andimplements outcome standards forboth the fully trained guide dog and theteam after completion of an initial sixmonths of training. The financialcontributions from the insurancecompany cover about 20 per cent of theschools’ annual needs.In 2005 the insurance company askedus to unify the Guide Dog MobilityInstructor Curriculum as a means ofincreasing professionalism and quality.More or less at the same time, theboard of directors of the IGDFannounced to its membership that astandard for GDMI educationalprograms will be put in place andimplemented in 2010. These twofactors acted as a catalyst and madethe project roll. Nevertheless it was agreat challenge. The Swiss schools arecompetitors but the common goalmade us come together and sit at thesame table. At the beginning we set up

a working group with representativesfrom all four schools. We then decidedto push the project forward. The fixedaim was the official recognition of theprofession by the Swiss federalgovernment. We therefore hired theservices of a professional consultant.The new educational program is adiploma course composed of ninemodules and a final federal exam. Itcontains on the dog side, assessment,training and care and on the client side,assessment, instruction and aftercare,including retiring and replacement ofthe guide dog. Each module is an entityon its own and the student has tocomplete each one by passing awritten, oral and practical exam.Today we are proud to say that we havesucceeded. It was quite a process andhard work, but incredibly beneficial toall participants. We still have a lot ofwork in front of us, but we aredetermined to start the first course in2010. The course duration is threeyears, which means that the firstfederal diplomas for GDMIs will bedelivered in 2013.Many member organizations, andespecially the smaller ones, might thinkthat Standard 10 is a huge challenge.That’s certainly true, but it isachievable, even for the smallestorganisation. There are many ways ofbeing successful and it will encourageus to be creative and to explore newpaths.From my perspective, Standard 10definitely provides the opportunity forus to grow together and to optimise theservices we offer to the blind andvisually impaired across the world.

Guide Dog MobilityInstructor Education –The Swiss ExampleSwitzerland does not have a very long history in training guidedogs, even if one of the very first guide dog schools in the worldwas established, for a few years on the lake of Geneva in theearly twenties. This was the famous “Oeil qui voit” - The SeeingEye, founded by Dorothy Eustis.

Guide dog in training indicates the button for

the green light for zebra crossings.

Guide Dogs Victoria | Australia

1� | the Visionary | IGDF

Guide Dog HandlerBereavementJohn Gosling | Guide Dog Mobility InstructorGuide Dogs Victoria, Australia

Guide dog handler bereavementFeelings of sadness brought on by aguide dog handler’s loss of their guidedog can be quite profound. We haveprobably all heard clients describe theenormity of this loss as being akin to‘the death of a spouse or close friend’.

Bereavement is entirely a personalexperience and a handler's response tothe loss of a guide dog is neither rightnor wrong; it just is.

The Kubler-Ross five stages ofgrieving - (i) shock and denial, (ii) anger,(iii) depression and detachment, (iv)bargaining and dialogue, (v) acceptanceand a return to normal life – can beobserved more or less and in noparticular order when a handler isexperiencing the loss of their guide dog,working partner and loyal companion

The loss of a guide dog does notalways refer to the death of the dog butcan also depict the loss experiencedwhen the guide dog is withdrawn fromactive work, retired prematurely due topoor health or retired after a full andrewarding working life.

Withdrawal of a guide dogHandlers sometimes describe thewithdrawal of their guide dog as apersonal, organizational or communityfailure. The handler can feel that theyshould have tried harder and that theyhave let down the dog, instructor or theschool. They can express frustrationthat they were not listened to by theirschool, which they feel should haveprovided more direct assistancethrough after-care, or that the schoolhad made the wrong person/dogmatch. Handlers can be very angry andfeel 'let down' by the local community.Take the situation, for example, wherea mismanaged dog, which the handlerhad previously reported to theauthorities, attacks their guide dog,causing it to become distracted enoughto compromise their travel safety.

Withdrawal is in some ways moredifficult to deal with than death. Deathis a natural loss and is inevitable.

While the handler may be grieving

that the guide dog team can no longercontinue working together, they canalso feel a sense of relief that thedifficult experience is now closed andthey have the opportunity for a newbeginning.

If failures/withdrawals aresuccessive, however, handlers can beginto question their own suitability for aguide dog or capacity to withstand thereoccurring pain of brokenrelationships.

Premature retirement due tothe dog's poor healthAs with the withdrawal of a guide dog,handlers can experience grief whentheir dog is injured, suddenly becomesseriously ill or suffers from a chronicdegenerative disease and isprematurely retired. The handler mustbe included in the decision to retire thedog as would be the veterinarian,instructor and school. The handlerneeds to feel empowered that theyhave a say because they have theirdog's 'best interests at heart'. If thehandler does not have a mature andmeaningful role in an inclusiveretirement process, personal closurecan be elusive.

Guide dog retirement after a fullworking lifeThis is the most acceptable end to aworking partnership, particularly if the dogremains with the handler as family pet.

However, even with this reasonableexpectation of an end to a working life,the handler may still experience lossdue to the fundamental change in therelationship between old partners.

As the new guide dog (or ascolleague, Judy Campbell, Leader Dogsfor the Blind, USA, better coins thephrase: the 'successor dog' rather than'replacement dog') takes on the dailyguiding role, the handler can initiallyexperience feelings of guilt fortransferring loyalty as they leave 'anold faithful friend' behind.

Instructors can reassure the handlerthat aged dogs are mostly glad to beretired and although they may rousethemselves when the harness ispresented in their early days of

retirement, they soon give this notionof duty away to lie in front of awelcoming fire.

Instructors can also reassure thehandler that younger dogs are generallyrespectful of the status of the older dogand the dogs will get on well together.

Some handlers’ sustained feelings ofgrief may defer retraining until theretired older dog dies, whereas manyhandlers will have a practical need toretrain as early as a suitable match isavailable. There is no right or wrong; itjust is.

Handlers training with a successordog mostly benefit from theacknowledgement of their workingexperience with their previous guidedog. This can be done personally or in agroup setting in which handlerstraining with successor dogs are giventhe opportunity to share some of theirmemories about their previous guide.

In retirement – finding another homeSome handlers prefer to find aretirement home for their guide dog ifthey are unable to retain it at home.They can be comforted by knowing thedog is in a known, happy and lovinghome and, if appropriate, canaccommodate their wish to retaincontact.

Other handlers who need to returnthe old dog to school for re-homingmay feel bereaved and that they areabandoning the dog. This can bedistressing, with feelings expressed thatafter the old dog has given a lifetime ofloyalty they are cutting the dog fromtheir lives. As always with grief,sensitive understanding andmeaningful listening can assist thehandler during these sad times.Handlers need to know that theirfeelings are considered and valued and,if appropriate, they are kept informed.

Some handlers will want to knowdetails of where the old dog went andhow it has settled in. Of course mutualconfidentiality and privacy must berespected.

On the other hand, some handlerswant a complete break so that they canfocus on the new dog. Again this isneither right nor wrong; it just is.

UK | IGDF

Issue 14 | July 09 | 13

Guide dog euthanasiaThe handler must have a clearunderstanding of the reasonswhy euthanasia is required. Asensitive, open and accuratediscussion between theveterinarian, handler and theguide dog instructor is needed. Ifthe handler does not want to beinvolved in discussions with theveterinarian, the guide doginstructor needs to give a clearlay understanding of the dog’scondition.

It is important for thehandler to feel that by havingthe best professional advice,they are empowered to becentrally involved in thedecision. This will help thembegin the process of closure.

The instructor and/orcounselor and the handlerdiscuss where, when and whoare present at the time ofeuthanasia. This is totallypersonal and is the handler’schoice. It may be at thehandler’s home, a selectedlocation such as the trainingcentre, or at the veterinarysurgery. The guide dog instructorcan explain the options butwithout presenting a bias. In allcases the environment needs tobe quiet, unrushed and private.

The question needs to beasked: Does the handler and/orfamily want to be present?Would they like the guide doginstructor to be present?

The veterinarian is bestplaced to explain the euthanasiaprocess and ask if the handlerwants to give their dog agoodbye cuddle and be incontact with the dog while theveterinarian administers theinjection. Does the handler wantto check the absence ofheartbeat and spend privatetime with the dog?

Opportunity should beoffered to the handler (and theirfamily if appropriate) to talkabout their departed dog and

their life together. They willneed to have discussed whatthey want to do with the dog'sbody. Some prefer to take thedog home to a favorite locationfor burial or the veterinarypractice can offer body disposaland cremation. Does thehandler want to receive theirdog’s ashes?

Rituals and memorialrecognition such as a grave or astoring of or spreading of ashescan be important aspects of thebereavement process. Someschools assist with thisritualizing experience with theprovision and maintenance ofan honour garden or memorialwall. Some schools orinstructors like to send thehandler a condolence letter orcard. This can assist the healingprocess

In some cases, where thehandler is locked down withprofound grief, a referral to agrief counselor, either within theschool or community, can bebeneficial.

Moving forwardThe timing for moving on is bestmanaged by the handler. Theneed to retain independentmobility often causes thehandler to want to apply fortraining with a successor dog atthe earliest opportunity. Theinitiation and re-application fortraining does not replace griefbut these processes can occursimultaneously.

Bereavement and associatedloss are totally personal feelingsand any supportive approachmust be fully non-judgmental.Grief is a natural life experienceas is the joy when the handlermeets their guide dog for thevery first time.

2008 SuccessfulAssessmentsSee how well the schools have done

IGDF Office | IGDF

Congratulations to our newest member whojoined the IGDF in �008

• The Labrador Guide Dog Foundationin Poland, Oregon – USA

Congratulations to the following schools whichpassed their five-year assessment in �008:

• Guide Dog Association of NT and SA - Australia

• Ecole Chiens Guides d’Aveuglesd’Ile de France - France

• Chiens Guides d’Aveugles Central Paul – France

• Les Chiens Guides d’Aveugles de L’Ouest – France

• Ecole Chiens Guides d’Aveuglesde Lyon et du Centre Est– France

• Ecole de Chiens-Guides CentreAlienor – France

• KNGF – The Netherlands

• Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind,Smithtown – USA

• The Seeing Eye Inc – USA

• South African Guide Dogs for the BlindAssociation – South Africa

• Geleidehondenpleiding Ans L’Abee– The Netherlands

Job AdvertisementIGDF Office | IGDF

We are currently looking to recruit more assessorsto join the IGDF Assessors Panel.

Assessors must be qualified guide doginstructors with a minimum of ten yearsexperience, who have also had experience in somecapacity as a manager or supervisor of staff.

Assessments of IGDF member schools usuallytake three to four days. An assessor wouldnormally be asked to undertake no more than 12days of assessments every other year. Full trainingis given prior to new assessors undertakingassignments. Preference may be given toapplicants from geographical locations that willbroaden the diversity of the group. All applicantsmust be fluent in both written and verbal English.

Applicants must have the approval of theiremployer before they submit their application.

Application forms are available from theIGDF office at enquiries@IGDF.org.uk.

“The loss of a guide dog does not always refer tothe death of the dog but can also depict the lossexperienced when the guide dog is withdrawnfrom active work”

Israel Guide Dog Centre for the Blind | Israel & Taiwan Guide Dog Association | Taiwan

14 | the Visionary | IGDF

It’s a SmallWorldNoach Braun, DirectorIsrael Guide Dog Centre for the Blind, Israel

Hello and greetings from the only guidedog school in the Middle East.Hopefully we will have new neighboursin the Mediterranean region soon, aswe have heard recently about a newinitiative to open a guide dog school inGreece. We wanted to share with ourcolleagues around the globe somerecent international connections thatwe have been lucky enough to make.

In keeping with the ‘world is gettingsmaller’ theme, we extend a global‘thank you’ to the Canadian GuideDogs, who recently gave us two puppiesto be paired with our blind graduates.Our friends at Guide Dogs UK andGuiding Eyes in Yorktown, US haveprovided us with two puppies, of whichone has gone on to become a broodbitch here in Israel and the other iscurrently being raised by an adoptivefamily in the UK.

As an organisation we are changingtoo. Not getting smaller, but rathergrowing. We have grown and expandedin many ways over the last few yearsand are trying to keep up with the needfor partnerships.

One of our goals is to increase thenumber of guide dogs we can graduatefrom 30 to 40 per year. In keeping with

this, some of our staff have travelledabroad to learn more about how oursister organisations go about such atransformation. In April 2009, OrnaBraun, Puppy Raising and KennelManager, travelled to the FoundationSwiss School for Guide Dogs for theBlind and to the Guide Dog UK’sTollgate Breeding Centre to learn moreabout kennel logistics and expansionprogrammes.

Another staff member, Guide DogMobility Instructor Ami Toren, iscurrently learning ‘Clicker TrainingTechniques’ for two months in aprofessional educational exchangeprogramme at the Guide Dogs for theBlind in San Rafael, California. It is ourhope that the knowledge Ami gainsfrom the experts in San Rafael will beimported to our school here in Israeland used to reduce the training timefor dogs and increase the number ofdogs who succeed in our trainingprogramme.

We have benefited so much from thesupport and help of our many friendsaround the world and we, of course,would like to give back as well – in theway of professional and breedingexchanges, for example. We would loveto help our Greek colleagues when andif they need it.

Thanks to all of you, all over theworld, who work together and shareinformation and resources. A specialthanks to all of those who have helpedus in the past; if we have forgotten tothank anyone, please forgive us!

Morris is one of the puppies Israel Guide DogCentre for the Blind recently received fromCanadian Guide Dogs; to be raised here in Israel.

Taiwan Guide DogAssociation is makingefforts in building up thebreeder’s colony in Asia

Rei ChangGuide Dog Instructor & Breeding Coordinator |Taiwan Guide Dog Association

In order to broaden the breedingcolony, Taiwan Guide Dog Associationhas been working with the guide dogschools in Norway and Japan.

Varja, a female black Labrador,traveled from Norway all the way toJapan and had pure Norwegian pupslast year. As a member of AGBN (AsiaGuide Dogs Breeding Network), TaiwanGuide Dog Association shares thesepups with the guide dog schools inJapan, which helps to enrich the varietyof the guide dog bloodline in Japan aswell as in Taiwan.

AGBN is an important organizationbecause it shares all the breeders andpuppies with the guide dog schools inAsia, so ensuring good quality guidedogs. Taiwan Guide Dog Associationhas benefited from AGBN becausemost of our guide dog pups were fromJapan at the early stage. “Now we havea small colony of breeders and keepworking with other guide dog schoolsto make the bloodline better. It’s awonderful experience to cooperatewith the different schools because eachschool has its unique dogtemperament,” says William Chen, theGeneral Manager of Taiwan Guide DogAssociation.

Taiwan Guide Dog Associationstarted its own breeding program lastyear. With other schools’ cooperation,the Q litters (from Norway and Japan’sbreeders) are so calm and brave. Nowthey are only 6 months old. It is a goodthing that all the guide dog schools canshare their experience and cooperatewith each other. The diversity of guidedogs will definitely help build up theline sound and smoothly.

UK | Guide Dogs

Issue 14 | July 09 | 15

Bridget WarrUK Guide Dogs, United Kingdom

Campaigners have secured a majorlobbying victory in the EuropeanParliament. Members of the EuropeanParliament (MEPs) have voted toinstruct Member States of theEuropean Union to introduce a varietyof disability rights, including access,guide dog and assistance dogprovisions. Campaigners mustpersuade the 27 Member Stategovernments to adopt the law next.

Guide Dogs UK staff Gail Stewardson,Alan Brooks and Tim Arnold supportedTom Pey as President of the EuropeanGuide Dog Federation (EGDF) to pressfor the changes. The charity developedan integrated communicationsstrategy, using both the internationalrelations and media departments,aimed at lobbying in public to persuadein private. They called the proposals‘Petra’s Law’, after a 15-year-old blindRomanian singer whom they invited toBrussels to brief parliamentarians.

Campaigners wrote an emotionaland powerful speech for Petra Pintelei,which visibly moved the MEPs, drawingattention to the every daydiscrimination and barriers whichblind and partially-sighted people faceacross the European Union. She toldthem: “In three year’s time, I will be anadult. I hope that by then, you willhave torn down my Berlin Wall. Andthen - and only then - will I be free.”

Dr Tom Pey, Director of ExternalAffairs for Guide Dogs UK, says: “Wealso got valuable, high profile coverageon national and international radioand television, despite the G20 summit– probably the first time the nationalmedia has mentioned the EGDF. I amdelighted with the way everyone co-operated to make a demonstrabledifference to the campaign. Nownational governments will have toagree to the new law, too, beforeputting the provisions into law in theirown way – another potential hurdlebefore we achieve true equality ofmovement. We’ll be watching!”

The following is the historic text of PetraPintelei’s speech to Members of theEuropean Parliament

Most of you have, probably, already madethe crucial decisions in your life. What youwant to do with your career, who you wantto marry, and where you want to live.

I’m 15 – so I am in the amazing, andsometimes terrifying, position of being onthe edge of making some of those life-defining decisions. I’m sure you canremember when you were 15. What’sdifferent about you and me, though, is notjust our ages. Put simply, you can get on aplane and fly to any European capital.Youcan get a job, in theory, anywhere fromSpain to Slovenia.

You are free Europeans. I am not. Let meexplain. Before I was born, President Reaganhad already called for an end tocommunism. He famously said: “MrGorbechev – let my people go.” We still learnabout that in school in Romania today.

Later, of course, the evil symbol ofcommunism, the Berlin Wall, came tumblingdown. That’s another important thing welearn at school. We also are taught that ittakes longer to make things than to breakthem. So understanding the benefits ofbeing free is taking quite a time in countrieslike mine. But we’re doing our best.

Now that Romania’s a member of theEuropean Union – my generation has themost exciting hope… we’ll ever have …ofleaving behind the terrible memories ofNicolae Ceausescu. And I want to be a partof that. But I can’t. Why? Because there isstill a barrier in Europe, bigger, even, thanthe Berlin Wall. It’s called disability. I amimprisoned. Not by my impairment, but bypeople’s attitudes. I have to constantly battlewith the way that other people see those ofus with disabilities.

Well, I’ve got that sorted. I’ve appearedon TV in my native Romania, I enjoysinging in public, and I think that peoplecan take me as they find me. I hope to go touniversity, and study languages. And thenget a guide dog. In that order. I think thatmight be possible. But the second problem ismuch more difficult to handle. I will face amountain of rules and regulations, biggerthan the Berlin Wall, every day of my adultlife. And the most complex and confusingare the ones which affect guide dog users

“ Well, in three year’s time, I willbe an adult. I hope that by then,you will have torn down myBerlin Wall.And then…and only then… will I be free”

who want to travel. Will I have to muzzlemy dog? Will this airline allow my animalto travel in the passenger compartmentwith me? Will the inoculations that itreceives in Romania be recognised in Rome?

My English teacher tells me that theBritish have a phrase for this kind ofnightmare. It’s apparently called red tape.Red tape that is different from country tocountry, region to region. And it is a barrierthat daunts me. It is the biggest singlethreat to my freedom -and independence -as an adult. But It doesn’t have to be thisway. With one concerted action, you leaders– here, in Brussels, today, have the power tomake me free. Just vote to tear up the redtape. And make one rule for Europe.

Let me, and people like me, have whateveryone else takes for granted: a legal rightof access. The right to go into any publicplace, accompanied by my dog. Is that toomuch to ask? Like you, I want to get on abus, or a plane, or a train – and travel fromSlovenia to Spain. Or even Bruges toBirmingham. Or Amsterdam to Zagreb.Without hindrance - knowing that I’ll getthe same treatment wherever I go.President Reagan also said: “Mr Gorbechev,tear down this wall.”Well, in three year’s time, I will be an adult.I hope that by then, you will have torndown my Berlin Wall. And then… and onlythen… will I be free.

European federation scores bigvictory with Petra’s Law

Petra Pintelei, who spoke to Membersof the European Parliament

The deadlines forVisionary submissionsare May 31st andNov 30th

Please supply your articles as a word file withoriginal images sent separately as jpeg images.

Remember to include your country of origin,school name, name of the author of thearticle, their position within your organisationand any captions for photos.

For the index, please include a one-sentencedescription of your article.

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