I joined the charity Guide Dogs’ end of Year Parliamentary Drop-In event to support improving the lives of people with a vision impairment.
The Guide Dogs event celebrated key campaign successes from 2023, including the requirement that will see the majority of buses fitted with audio-visual announcements, reversing plans to close nearly 1000 railway ticket offices, a new law to tackle problem pavement parking in Scotland, and extra funding for tactile paving on railway stations. All of which will enable people with sight loss to get out and about safely and with confidence.
I spoke with guide dog owners and cane users about the differences these changes will make, but also the many challenges that still need to be tackled to enable people with sight loss to travel and live independently.
Guide Dogs is here to help the two million people living with sight loss live the life they choose. Children and adults. Friends and family. Their expert staff and life-changing dogs are here to help people affected by sight loss live actively, independently and well. But they couldn’t do what we do without the vital support from volunteers who work in a huge variety of roles. You can find out more about their services and volunteering for them at www.guidedogs.org.uk.
Eleanor Briggs Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Guide Dogs said:
“People living with vision impairment have the right to feel confident, independent and supported in the world. That’s why the progress we’ve seen in 2023 on audio-visual announcements and extra funding for tactile paving are fantastic steps forward. However, people with sight loss still face barriers to living actively, independently and well. We want MPs to prioritise solutions to these day-to-day challenges, including introducing laws to tackle pavement parking across the country, and to end access refusals against guide dog owners. We hope that 2024 will bring positive changes that will help people with vision impairment live the life they choose.”
