Guide Dogs demand political consideration

Guide Dogs for the Blind has written to the major political parties calling for an additional £50 million for rehabilitation services.

It warns of “chronic underinvestment” in the sector, which means that many of the UK’s blind and partially sighted voters are losing their independence.

Guide Dogs’ research suggests a shortfall in rehabilitation services required to teach blind people how to safely carry out daily activities such as cooking or making their way to a bus stop, with 20 per cent of local authorities not providing any services and 30 per cent of rehab workers not possessing the necessary qualifications.

Tom Pey, Guide Dogs’ director of policy, said: “These services are fundamental to the safety and independence of blind and partially sighted people. Using unqualified staff to teach a blind person to get around is equivalent to a sighted person being taught to drive by someone who doesn’t have a license.”