How many people are blind in the U.S.?
How many guide dogs are in use in the United States and Canada?
What does Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) do?
Has Guide Dogs for the Blind been successful?
Where is Guide Dogs for the Blind located?
What does Guide Dogs for the Blind do differently than other schools?
What does it cost to get a guide dog?
How long is the GDB training program?
Does Guide Dogs for the Blind receive government funding?
How can someone support Guide Dogs?
How many people are blind in the U.S.?
The National Eye Institute states that blindness or low vision currently affects 3.3 million Americans age 40 and over. According to the National Federation of the Blind, each year 50,000 more people will become blind.
How many guide dogs are in use in the United States and Canada?
Roughly 10,000 people use guide dogs in the US and Canada.
What does Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) do?
On the surface, it’s fairly easy to describe what GDB does: They train guide dogs to work with blind people to improve their mobility. Graduates of GDB consistently describe the partnership they have with their Guide Dogs in very powerful and emotional ways. They describe their canine partners as “best friends,” and “trusted companions.” For many, a Guide Dog partnership has literally given them the chance to overcome some of the psychological and physical limitations of blindness to live a life of joy and fulfillment.
Has Guide Dogs for the Blind been successful?
In the past 66 years they have graduated more than 11,000 guide dog partnerships.
Where is Guide Dogs for the Blind located?
There are two campuses, one in San Rafael, California, and one just outside of Portland, Oregon. They have a dedicated corps of 300 professional staff and 740 campus volunteers. Additionally, there is a group of more than 1,400 volunteers who raise and socialize puppies in eight Western states.
What does Guide Dogs for the Blind do differently than other schools?
Guide Dogs for the Blind is recognized worldwide as a model for innovative training, unprecedented support of Guide Dog partnerships after graduation, and the success rate of their Guide Dog partnerships.
What does it cost to get a guide dog?
While a blind person certainly invests a great deal of time and effort into a partnership with a guide dog, they are not asked to make financial payments of any kind for GDB services.
How long is the GDB training program?
The "training" of the dog happens almost from birth through an on-campus socialization program. At approximately eight weeks, the pups begin to learn house manners and obedience and they are introduced to the world through puppy raiser efforts. At 15-18 months, they begin their formal guide work training (which takes 4-5 months). They meet their blind partner usually when they are around two-years-old and the two train together for anywhere between two weeks to 28 days.
Does Guide Dogs for the Blind receive government funding?
All funding is from private sources---individual donations, corporations, bequests, matching gifts, etc. They receive no government funding.
How can someone support Guide Dogs?
There are a lot of different ways to support the GDB organization, from volunteering on campus, to helping raise puppies, to providing a home to a retired dog. A simple and gratifying way to support Guide Dogs for the Blind is to donate money to continue services and bring the power of a Guide Dog partnership to even more people.
