GUIDE DOG USERS OF CANADA/UTILISATEURS DE CHIENS-GUIDES DU CANADA — Quick View

Reporting period views

Reporting period ending: 2022-12-31

Programs and activities:

Ongoing programs:
We support blind, partially sighted and deafblind Canadians who choose a guide dog as a primary mobility aid. We do this by providing peer support through our email lists, and in person or virtually at our AGM and Conference. Our website contains a wealth of information about guide dogs which the general public can access to find out what to do, and what not to do when interacting with a guide dog team. Our wellness fund continues to offer grants to Canadian guide dog handlers in financial need who face extraordinary veterinary expenses associated with the care of ill or injured guide dogs. Our Mary Spice fund provides grants to Canadian guide dog handlers in financial need to attend our in-person conference because of the costs involved. Finally, we advocate for equal access to businesses or public places and other key access issues faced by guide dog handlers

New programs:
We have continued to offer regular virtual chat groups to our members, who were affected adversely during the pandemic in order to help ease isolation and to share experience and best practice with respect to working our dogs within challenging circumstances as the world begins to open up again following the pandemic; challenges such as: dealing with access barriers as businesses open up and haven't refreshed their knowledge about guide dog access; dealing with the continued shortage of guide dogs from training programs who had to pause training during COVID; refreshing guide dog skills whose skills may have lapsed during lengthy shut down during COVID; providing members with information and support regarding responses to accessibility standards as they are relevant to guide dog handlers.

Compensation

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