Outing with a guide dog

Published: October 18, 2023

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  • Learner story

A group of secondary-aged ākonga went on a train trip to Blind Low Vision NZ Mobility Centre.

Instructor explains positioning of the guide dog scaled
Figure 1 - Instructor explains positioning of the guide dog.

They used the state of the art – only mobility centre in the world, to practice safety skills and to develop confidence to cross the zebra crossing, use an aircraft, bus and train with a guide dog. Our attention was drawn to the contrasting tactile textures and Alexa smart speakers to access these spaces. The guide dog was very calm in the simulated noisy public spaces.

The staff and ākonga asked questions about the guide dog and handlers and some expressed interest in getting a helpful and calm guide dog!

Guide dog with handler and 2 people crossing zebra crossing.

Figure 2 - Instructor explains how the guide dog leads the way when crossing