If you aren't already that way inclined, I can veto that Disability will only enhance and optimise your acute awareness of time, of learning how incredibly adaptive and innovative human beings are, of knowing that only thing that is certain or real is the presence and of gaining a very interesting insight into people's unconscious bias.
In this video I talk about making the transition to having a Guide Dog.
Every disability is unique, and mine is as such that it continually evolves.
I was that person who once drove across the UK and around Europe. To then needing to hand in my driver's licence in before I was 25 years.
To being a road cyclist, conquering rides for Ironman of up to 180km, and to doing long 5 hour training rides in the back roads of Stromlo in Canberra, around the Hunter Valley and throughout Sydney to then shifting to Tandem bike.
To being a runner, and my favourite Sunday was to do a long solo ride across any city or place I lived, and taking on marathons in New York, UK and Norway, to then shifting to indoor treadmill and learning to run with a Guide using a run tether.
To mobilising without any aid or device, and going to cafes, shops, music festivals, completely hands free without any mobility aid, to then use a white cane, and then progressing to a Guide Dog.
Visual Description
Katie is standing in a studio wearing navy jeans, and navy polo, with Guthrie by her side.
Throughout the video it shows images of Katie and Guthrie on their day to day, including Guthrie in a cafe, on a plane, in the gym and around the community streets, accompanied by Katie or other people who are patting Guthrie.
Transcription
This is my Guide Dog, Guthrie. We've been together probably just over two or so years. As people would know labradors, they can be easily bribed with a bit of food.One thing I guess with Guthrie when I first got him, there was certainly a bit of resistance. And you do go through the process of you know, you’re constantly adjusting with disability. Right? And losing my vision, it's always evolving.
There was a bit of resistance to start with. Then there's a period you go through of acceptance and then also leads to empowerment because it might sound a bit dry or harsh, but in many ways he's like my mobility device. He helps me get around.
But of course, even much more than that, he's become a good little budy that he is.It's interesting how people interact with you with the guide dog and perceive you. And I have had the comment, you don't look like a person with a guide dog. And I think, what does a person with a guide dog look like? In some ways, I'm quite empowered to challenge that perception he comes with me everywhere he goes on the business trips. He comes to my work in the head office, he goes to the gym. What I do love about Guthrie, though, is I feel like he's a dog for the community.
Everyone just feels so connected to him. I'm really grateful, beautiful what the guide dogs can do. But certainly, to ensure that I can continue to live my life and to be independent.I think it's just really important to challenge any perceptions or attitudes we might have that because that's a person with a cane, or that's a person with a guide dog that they're not necessarily going to want to do, and access the same thing that a person without a guide dog or without a cane might want to do.
