When I first explored what it would be like to become a guide dog user, it was like traveling to a strange land full of unfamiliar routines, feelings, nomenclature, and equipment. I wish this handbook had been available back then, but am so pleased that it has finally become a reality to help from this point forward.
This concise and informative handbook answers questions not only for the prospective guide dog team, but also the general public. The introduction sets the stage with heartfelt accounts from multiple guide dog users. The handbook then covers it all, from filling out the first application to learning how to handle the myriad responsibilities of being the human part of the team. It is an accurate and comprehensive reference.
It is also important for the reader to take note of how much GDUI supports us, especially during those times of access denial, in the wake of disaster, and in those instances of the retirement or death of a beloved canine partner.
In conclusion, this is the perfect manual to support a partnership and path of independence. I hope you share it with your family, friends, colleagues, blindness and disability advocacy organizations, and other guide and service dog handlers.
Ann Chiappetta, M.S.
Author of
Follow Your Dog: A Story of Love and Trust
GDUI Life Member