Being able to walk safely down the street is something many people take for granted.
But for someone who is vision-impaired, or totally blind like Kate Stephens, the experience can be hazardous if others don’t play their part in clearing obstacles.
Kate was born with a genetic condition described as a type of retinal dystrophy that caused her to lose all sight by her mid-20s.
She has lived in Kyneton for about 28 years with her husband Geoff and their daughter Mel who are also visually impaired.
For the past three weeks, Kate has been building a bond with her new guide dog Remeny with the help of Guide Dogs Australia. Remeny is the fifth of Kate’s guide dogs to live in the Ranges.
Guide Dogs regional team leader for Bendigo, Justin Marshall, has been shadowing the pair as they practise regular routes and get more familiar.
Remeny will play a key role in helping Kate to navigate obstacles and alert her to potential dangers. But Kate and Justin said there were simple ways people in the community could help too.
“People have got some really beautiful gardens but unfortunately they tend to come out onto the footpath and sometimes there are overhanging tree branches,” Kate said.
“It can be hard to create a consistency with the dog about going around things. There might be an even bigger obstacle that she’s trying to avoid so it’s really difficult to know if correcting her is the right thing to do.
“Keeping that trimmed back not only helps me, it helps people in wheelchairs, people on scooters, parents with prams… it helps a lot of people.”
Kate is also advocating to the Macedon Ranges Council for various improvements to sloping and uneven footpaths, tactile tiles on route to the Kyneton train station, and trip hazards.
Justin said, while guide dogs would go out of their way to navigate most of the obstacles, barriers added unnecessary pressure.
“If the guide dog has a lot to contend with, and there is every second house with an overhanging branch, it just adds more stress to the dog and to the client,” he said.
“They do the best they can but keeping it clear is a way people can help.”
Kate encourages people to talk to her if they see her out and about. And she doesn’t shy away from any conversations about her cane or guide dog if it means helping people to better understand.
She said interactions are also made easier is if people introduce themselves by name and context so she can better place them.
Justin said people should also seek permission to pat or interact with a working guide dog. The general rule is: if their harness is on it means all hands should be off.
“If the client is feeling safe and is the right frame of mind they can remove the dog’s harness so the dog understands they can break from working and be social,” Justin said.
He also warned that dogs off-leash and approaching a working guide dog can be distracting, putting the client at risk. Keeping dogs on a shorter leash around working dogs is ideal.
“The dog is an aid and they do an amazing job but they will make mistakes if the opportunity is there,” he said.
Kate also works at Monash University as a project assistant working on making visual material more accessible to blind and vision-impaired people. One of her most recent projects has involved work on the current Elvis exhibition at Bendigo.
Key tips:
+ Prune back gardens from footpaths
+ Remove overhanging branches
+ Don’t leave obstacles over footpaths such as bins, parked cars or bikes
+ Keep your dog on-lead in public
+ Don’t interact with guide dogs without permission: Harness on = hands off
+ Introduce yourself by name and context
