Blind Low Vision NZ has opened its state-of-the-art Mobility Centre this week. The Centre, based at Blind Low Vision NZ’s South Auckland complex, is one of two in the world to offer specialised training for guide dogs and their handlers in one place, with a series of realistic, everyday lifestyle and transport spaces.

The Blind Low Vision NZ Mobility Centre is the first in the world to have a plane, bus, and elevator experience, alongside a train, street frontages, road crossing and escalator, all in the same facility.

Focusing on the safety requirements associated with road crossings, public transport and outdoor navigation, the Mobility Centre design includes a wide variety of contrasting materials and textures from the urban environment. Guide Dogs in training and their handlers gain the necessary familiarity and confidence needed to feel comfortable when entering busy public spaces. The Mobility Centre uses Alexa smart speakers to add ambient sound for the ultimate in real world training. This lets trainers incorporate traffic noise, the sounds of bus doors opening, and fully immerses the dogs into the environments they need to learn.

“It is fantastic to be able to offer clients and trainers this state-of-the-art facility. The ease in which training can be done all under our roof is a game changer. We are the only organisation in Aotearoa who train and breed guide dogs for New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision. This Mobility Centre will help us grow the number of dogs we can train and ensure that more Kiwis can have a guide dog to support them to live independent lives,” says Blind Low Vision NZ CE, John Mulka

A guide dog gives freedom, independence, and confidence to a New Zealander with vision loss. There are currently 180,000 New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind or have low vision. It’s estimated that due to the ageing population this number will increase to 225,000 by 2028.

Each year, Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs breed around 100 potential guide dogs, of which around 40 will graduate. However, each year they also have a waiting list of up to 50 New Zealanders waiting for a guide dog to support them to live independent lives. Kiwis who require a guide dog are currently waiting an average of 2 years to be matched.

Training to become a guide dog is one of the most intensive programmes of all service dogs. Becoming a guide dog requires a unique set of skills, so dogs need to be in the best place possible to want to take on the job and thrive in doing so.

This week is Guide Dog Puppy Appeal week, which includes the Guide Dog Kennel Build Appeal. The current kennels of Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs are now 35 years old, have reached their end of life, and unfortunately, are no longer conducive to the development of the guide dogs in training.

“Our kennel rebuild is the next step in the shaping of the future success of guide dogs across New Zealand, graduating more successful dogs and ensuring our service is amongst one of the best in the world. Our ambition is to increase the number of dogs who successfully graduate by an additional 20%,” says Mulka.

© Scoop Media