The Role of Guide Dogs in Independent Travel
A study conducted by Guide Dogs for the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind highlights the benefits of guide dogs and steps for improving use and access.
Guide dogs offer support for people who are blind or have low vision. For those who choose to use them, guide dogs can offer both independence and companionship. But there are improvements that could make independent travel options for guide dog users easier and more accessible.
About AFB’s research on this.
In 2020, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) began a two-year research collaboration to better understand current guide dog use in the United States and Canada. AFB used three research methods to explore these questions. The researchers reviewed historical and current research on guide dog use. They also sent a survey to 533 adults who are blind or have low vision, including people who use guide dogs and those who do not. Finally, they held interviews and focus groups with 75 people: current and former guide dog users, guide dog school staff, orientation and mobility (O&M) teachers, white cane users, and people with low vision who do not use mobility aids such as a cane or a guide dog.
What did the researchers learn?
Guide dogs are a valuable travel tool. Of the people who participated in the survey, 53% said they currently used a guide dog, and 45% of those people had used a guide dog for 20 years or longer. In interviews and focus groups, guide dog users were happy with the guide dog lifestyle. Both survey and interview participants named three benefits of guide dog use:
- Travel efficiency. This included the ability to walk faster, avoiding or moving around obstacles, moving more smoothly through crowds, and maintaining a straight line of travel.
- Emotional support. This included companionship, confidence, perceived safety, and a sense of not being alone during stressful or uncertain travel experiences.
- Social benefits. Some guide dog users said having a guide dog helps encourage social interactions and conveys a positive image of blindness or low vision to the public.
Some of the survey and interview participants had other disabilities like hearing impairments, health conditions, or mental health disabilities. They said that these conditions do not prevent them from using a guide dog effectively. Some people said their guide dog helped compensate for a hearing or physical disability in addition to guiding.
The researchers found that some trends and circumstances may affect guide dog use.
- About 75% of the guide dog users said they also use a smartphone during travel. The apps used included mainstream directional apps and visual interpreting apps.
- Interview and focus group participants frequently said they were walking and using public transit less often or for shorter distances than in the past. Some of this change was because of the COVID-19 pandemic and shifts from in-person to remote work or school. The increased availability of rideshare services was another factor in walking less. These changes are notable because guide dogs need consistent work to maintain their skills.
- In the interviews and focus groups, participants often described being denied access to rideshare services and businesses, especially restaurants. Efforts to block access for fake service dogs have increased discrimination against legitimate guide dog users. The fear of access denials sometimes makes guide dog users hesitant to bring their dog with them while traveling, especially if they are in a hurry and need to use a rideshare quickly.
- To be given a guide dog, people must show mastery of critical orientation & mobility (O&M) skills. These include spatial orientation, the ability to learn and navigate routes, and the fundamentals of using a white cane for travel. There is a documented shortage of O&M services, which was also noted by many study participants.
- The participants who are not guide dog users had a number of reasons for that choice. These included the responsibilities and costs of caring for a dog, not being active enough to meet a guide dog’s needs, or simply feeling like they did not need a guide dog.
What problems did the study reveal?
Some trends and issues may make it harder for people who want guide dogs to get them. These include a shortage of O&M services, less time spent walking to help guide dogs perform well, and a need for more advocacy to defend guide dog users’ rights in public spaces.
Who needs to take action to change this?
Guide dog schools, O&M teachers, policymakers, rideshare companies, and advocacy groups can all make a difference.
What changes does AFB recommend based on the research?
- Guide dog schools should develop public educational resources on using smartphone apps with guide dog travel, self-advocacy and legal rights to access, and mental health benefits of owning a guide dog.
- Guide dog schools should provide information on what to expect when first bringing home a guide dog, how to parent young children with a guide dog, and how family and friends should interact with a guide dog.
- Guide dog schools should consider expanding outreach to schools for the blind, vocational rehabilitation agencies, blindness consumer groups, and O&M teachers.
- Guide dog schools should coordinate with legal organizations to make sure guide dog owners have access to legal services if they are discriminated against. They should also work with relevant groups to advocate for protecting the access rights of service animal users.
- Rideshare companies should better educate drivers, and monitor policies that protect the rights of guide dog users to access rideshare services.
- Airlines should make sure that policies about traveling with a guide dog are reasonable and support individuals’ ability to travel with a guide dog regardless of size and breed.
- Federal, state, and local governments should make sure accessibility regulations and guidance allow people with disabilities to use service dogs without burdensome paperwork requirements.
- Guide dog users should be able to file complaints to the government about discrimination or lack of access to animal care such as dog relief areas. The government should be responsive and enforce laws that protect people’s rights.
- O&M teachers should understand the benefits and drawbacks of having a guide dog and know about available guide dog schools, so they can offer all mobility options to their clients.
- O&M teachers should collaborate with guide dog mobility teachers when serving clients who have received a guide dog.
- Exposure to guide dog teams should be an integral part of the curriculum for O&M teachers.
Glossary of Terms
Accessible: A product, service, or environment that is designed for people of all abilities to use.
Orientation & Mobility (O&M): Travel skills for people who are blind or have low vision that help them know where they are and move around safely.
Remote work or schooling: Work or education that takes place outside a physical office or school.
Rideshare: Services like Uber and Lyft that offer door-to-door transportation for a fee.
Spatial orientation: Someone’s ability to recognize their body’s position in a space.
Visual interpreting apps: A sighted person provides directions or reads information to someone who is blind or low vision via a smartphone.
Vocational rehabilitation: Services designed to increase independent living.
