Seeing Eye Dogs puppies in training will descend on Australia’s Parliament House for another year – with the event highlighting a new collaborative direction for dog guides nationally.
Vision Australia’s ‘Pups in Parliament’ event will take place on March 25 in Canberra at the invitation of Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Minister for the NDIS.
This year’s event will highlight the establishment of the NDIS Dog Guide Provider List, which Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs has been included on.
Vision Australia believes the list is a positive step for the sector, with Seeing Eye Dogs and other included dog guide schools having to prove they meet strict eligibility criteria around the provision of dog guide supports.
Chris Edwards, Vision Australia Director Corporate Affairs and Advocacy, said the establishment of the List will benefit NDIS participants and the dog guide schools.
“This is a step towards consistent training and accreditation across the dog guide sector,” Chris said.
“We want to ensure a national high standard of dog guide training. This means that people who are blind or have low vision can navigate their communities safely and independently with the assistance of dog guides with a gold-standard of training and care,” he said.
“Moving towards consistent national standards within Australian legislation will also help with community understanding around Seeing Eye Dogs and other dog guides. Too often handlers are still denied access to spaces and services they are legally entitled to, but consistent accreditation within legislation will help address ignorance and confusion around those rights.
“Collaboration and communication between providers and the NDIS and department is also critical and the panel provides a defined avenue for that to occur.”\
Minister for the NDIS, Senator Jenny McAllister, said the launch of the List will assist participants who are blind or have low vision to access clear, safe and accessible information about their much-needed supports.
“The launch of the NDIS Dog Guide Provider List is about giving participants clearer information, stronger safeguards and greater certainty when choosing a provider. We want people to have confidence that the organisations supporting them meet high standards of quality, training and care,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Parliamentarians from across the aisle come together to celebrate these incredible dogs and the Australians whose lives they help transform every day.”
