Students at Inscape House School received a visit from Lucy and her trusted aid Jenny, a friendly black lab, to help them learn more about guide dogs and sight loss.
Lucy has a visual impairment that affects her day-to-day life. Four years ago, she was able to get a guide dog through The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, and they’ve been inseparable ever since!
Lucy was matched with Jenny, who was around two at the time and had just graduated from her puppy placement and her 6-month guide dog training. Once paired, Jenny also had to complete a 5-week training with Lucy to make sure they are a match. Ever since, Jenny has helped Lucy in her day-to-day life – when out and about, Lucy tells Jenny where they need to go and the guide dog helps her navigate the streets, making sure they avoid obstacles and get to their destination safely.
Did you know?
When they have their harness on, guide dogs are not pets – but working animals. Petting them, trying to attract their attention or making faces at them could distract them away from their job. If you see a working guide dog out and about, you should leave it alone to let it perform its job.
Students asked lots of questions to get to understand blindness better – like how blind people navigate supermarkets, living alone, and workplace challenges. There has also been a consensus over how cute the guide dog is, shared by students and staff alike.
Many of our autistic students have animals at home themselves so they love events where they can meet other animals. A lot of them take part in Animal Assisted Intervention classes as part of our curriculum. Inscape House School has a large support animal team including: a dog, two guinea pigs, two dwarf hamsters, two tortoises, a bearded dragon, two bunnies, an axolotl, and fish.
Working with animals helps students learn about animal care, develop their social skills and improve emotional regulation. Did you know you could sponsor our support animals? Find out more.
Jenny came to speak to our students as part of her volunteering work raising awareness for the Guide Dogs charity. She is a big supporter of the cause and you might recognise her from the news – she’s been featured over her amazing effort climbing multiple mountains fundraising for Guide Dogs. She’s been on Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Blanc in France, and she recently returned from a trip to Nepal where she hiked in the Himalayan mountains.
Credit: Lucy Hobson
