SA Guide-Dogs Association set to give community members an experience of the visually impaired
With Mandela Day approaching, the South African Guide-Dogs Association will open their doors to allow locals to gain more insight into what the association does.
The South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind will be engaging with the community for Mandela Day on their premises on July 18.
The association has encouraged community members and participants to experience 67 minutes in the shoes of a visually impaired person, with the aim to raise R67 000. The money will be used to provide clients with the assistive devices and training needed to give them the freedom needed.
The organisation’s assistance dog trainers and orientation and mobility practitioners will also be on the premises to share what they do with the public.
Events manager at the association Yolande van Rooyen said the association’s vision is to have a country where every person with visual and physical disabilities can experience freedom and independence. “For the millions of people living with disabilities in South Africa, the freedom of independent living is something that they can’t take for granted. Most of them are unable to live fully independent lives due to their disability,” she said.
“Many people know that we provide guide dogs to people who are visually impaired, but many are still unaware of the other life-changing services provided by the association. We also provide service dogs to people with physical disabilities, autism support dogs to children on the autism spectrum and also teache use of a long cane and other daily life skills to people who are visually impaired.”
She added that the association relies on various supporters to assist in contributions towards changing lives.
Here are some ways in which businesses and individuals can get involved:
- Help the association raise funds to purchase 67 assistive devices
- Sponsor their puppies and become a ‘Litter Legend’. Follow each litter’s journey from puppyhood through training and, eventually, placement with a client.
- Friends, family and colleagues can individually sign up for monthly debit orders or choose to collectively raise funds to make a once-off donation of R670, R6 700 or even R67 000
- Purchase car raffle tickets from R100 and stand a chance to win a brand-new Suzuki 1.2 GLX MT Swift and Burgman 125cc scooter.
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