Articles from Guide Dogs for the Blind

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has designated April as its inaugural Advocacy Month, a time to celebrate progress in disability rights, educate the public, and activate its community. GDB has designed a series of events to create a more inclusive world by removing obstacles and teaching people about laws that make the world more accessible to everyone.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) plans to break ground this summer on a new, state-of-the art 30,000-square-foot client residence and community hub at its campus in Boring, Ore. The project will more than double GDB’s capacity to serve clients in Oregon, with an inclusive complex that brings together GDB clients, staff, puppy raisers, and other volunteers in one unified space. When completed, it will be the first of its kind in North America.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has announced the findings of its first North American rideshare survey among people who are blind or visually impaired, with more than 83 percent of respondents reporting they been refused service, and many stating they had been denied multiple times when traveling with their guide dog.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) aims to broaden its network of volunteer puppy raisers by launching a new puppy raising initiative in Oregon that provides support and education through a hybrid model of online trainings, webinars, and in-person workshops.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and American Printing House for the Blind (APH) ConnectCenter have extended a partnership to offer a career program for young people who are blind or have low vision through Careers & Canine Connections, a weeklong immersive program for young adults aged 18-24. This year’s program, scheduled for August 9-14, will be held on and around GDB’s Oregon campus.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) aims to expand its pool of volunteer puppy raisers by embarking on a pilot puppy-raising initiative in March in Northern California. GDB’s Hybrid Puppy Raising Project team will be accepting interest forms until March 15, 2023, from people who live within 50 miles of its headquarters campus in San Rafael.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and American Printing House for the Blind (APH) ConnectCenter have announced a partnership to offer joint programming and career development programs for young adults who are blind or have low vision. The partnership is groundbreaking because it’s the first time in the U.S. a leading educational organization in the blindness community has joined forces with a guide dog school to offer career programming for young adults considering the guide dog lifestyle.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) announced today that it has expanded the geographic and demographic scope if its K9 Buddy Program to include adults of any age who are blind or visually impaired throughout the U.S. GDB also plans to ultimately expand the program to Canada.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) have announced the findings of The Role of Guide Dogs in 2022 and Beyond, a joint, two-year research study to examine the long-term outlook for guide dog use in the United States and Canada.

The models know how to strike a pose, and the camera loves them! Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) wants us all to see the world through a gentler lens for a couple of weeks in April, with photos of adorable dogs being shared online through its annual Puparazzi Photo Contest. The contest offers seven photo entry categories, including Pet Pooches, which allows the public to submit photos of dogs of any breed, and a new category, GDB History, commemorating GDB’s 80th anniversary that allows entrants to share their favorite blast from the past photo of any GDB dog from any category.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) will have tongues and tails wagging this month, when it launches its new podcast Central Bark on January 27, as part of its yearlong 80th-anniversary commemoration in 2022.

Christine Benninger, president and CEO of Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), has been elected to the board of the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), the world’s largest membership organization of guide dog schools, whose members’ purpose is to train and provide guide dogs for people who are blind or have low vision around the globe.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed the first bill in the nation to crack down on fraudulent practices concerning emotional support animals, while protecting public access rights for people with legitimate service dogs such as guide dogs or service dogs for physical disabilities. The legislation, co-sponsored by Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and Canine Companions, garnered a rare groundswell of bipartisan support in the California Assembly and Senate.

As part of National Guide Dog Month, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is launching a short, animated video, to help create a more respectful, safe, and inclusive public transportation experience for people who are blind or visually impaired and their guide dogs.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) will unleash new superpowers at its Canine Heroes Virtual Gala on Sunday, June 6, with heartwarming stories about the power of its guide dog teams, along with puppies from across North America dressed up in various superhero costumes.

Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and The Seeing Eye (TSE) of Morristown, N.J., two of North America’s leading guide dog schools, have joined forces to create a training video to help airline and airport employees better assist travelers who are visually impaired, with a special focus on how to address the social distancing guidelines during the Pandemic.