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TheBlindJournalist Goes Flying

Ok, so by the title of this post you could easily assume I’m going to write about a fall or trip I had which sent me flying. That’s why you clicked wasn’t it to see me sprawled out ready to tell you how the blind man has damaged his handsome face yet again. Not this time I’m afraid. This is about me going indoor skydiving and how I found the experience from start to finish. 

So for me as a disabled person my experience begins way before the event itself; is the website accessible with my screen-reading software, how easy is it to find a contact number or email and how understanding are the staff when I tell them a blind man wants to make use of their services.

Come on in, iFly Manchester. They offer indoor skydiving experiences. And it’s about that experience I’m writing today.

 I had heard a lot about this place but never thought I’d be able to go. But then through work I fixed up a TV news report on a woman who was disabled but also an ambassador for iFly and flew with them regularly. Ever the opportunist I got in touch straight away. And this is where my experience begins. Be prepared to get blown away...

Their website is pretty good when it comes to accessibility. I could access pretty much all the information and videos I needed. So as a blind person this is a big tick. If the website wasn’t accessible, and no matter how accessible the experience itself is, I’m not going to follow through with a booking if I can’t even get to a contact page through their website.

It was so I make contact with their sales team. I tell them who I am and how much of a nutter I am.

 Usually I get a response from places to say sorry but we can’t accommodate you or they’ll say you can come but you need to bring two other people with you who will join in too. This is so that the responsibility falls on those two people for me and my safety.

iFly however said nothing of the sort. They told me I’d be more than welcome to fly with them and wouldn’t need a carer or friend with me to experience the joys of flying.  This was actually really refreshing. There are a lot of things I’d like to do but simply can’t because I don’t have friends or family who share those interests. I was worried this would be the same for indoor skydiving.

 So I make the booking, which was a very easy process as it was all done through email. 3rd December at 3pm you Mr Patel will fly fly fly. Bring it on.

Oh no but wait there’s an online declaration to fill in. I hope this is accessible to do - it was. I declare my functionality and all that jazz and it’s then time to fly.

 I flew on the International Day of Disabled People as part of iFly’s All Abilities session. I was inspired to fly by an 85-year-old woman called Glen Mills from Glossop, Derbyshire who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 50 years ago. She flies regularly, not only to inspire other disabled people to give skydiving a try but it also helps her to get pain relief.

 I thought, well if Glen can do it, then so can I. I’m the biggest adrenaline junkie alive so it doesn’t take much persuasion!

 I had liaised with Abbey and Bethany prior to my flight. They were extremely helpful and welcoming.

 I travelled down with my dad. We get to reception and I let them know my name and time of flight. The receptionist informed me which class I would be in and who my instructor was. She then went on to explain the layout of the building. Now you might think this in itself isn’t a big deal. When you’re blind it is. She didn’t do the usual thing either of pointing at stuff saying it’s there. She gave directions to the toilets and viewing area. Is that a bowel movement coming? Nope just the excitement building for my first ever experience of flying. But even if I did at least I know where to go thanks to the directions given.

 I make my way upstairs to the cafe and await class 19 to be called. At this point I could hear the wind machine and I was buzzing.

 My instructor was called Yaun and when he called out my class I stood up and looked in his direction. He came over and took me into the room. Again that’s a small act but a big one in terms of inclusivity 

 It’s in this room that all the flyers in that slot watch an eight minute instructional video. This video didn’t have audio description but the narrator was fairly descriptive so it all made sense. That was until she started going through hand signals that the instructor would give you in the tunnel for positioning your body and limbs.

I’m thinking to myself at this stage what will I do? I didn’t need to worry though as Yaun came over and said he would give me squeeze signals and position my arms or legs in the tunnel if I wasn’t in the correct position.

I was in a class with a handful of other lads. We all had some kind of disability. This was again nice because there wasn’t the risk of being the odd one out in the group 

 Time to get suited for the flight. You have to wear a boiler suit over your clothes. Sometimes in these situations you’re told to all walk up and collect the equipment, which again as a blind person can just be really awkward. Thankfully I didn’t have to as my instructor came and gave me the suit, helmet, goggles and ear buds. Whilst we were waiting to go in I was shown the position to hold my arms up when entering the tunnel and during flight.

 We were then taken into the tunnel area. Yaun guided me to a seat and said he’d come over once it was my turn.

 At this point I was really excited. I was second in line. It’s very noisy inside so when it was my turn Yaun came over tapped my shoulder and took both my hands and we walked together to the entrance door of the tunnel. He went inside and from there got me to position my arms as he’d shown me earlier and then squeezed my hand to signal me to lean in.

 He took hold of my waist until I was positioned correctly. He kept in regular physical contact with me so I knew where he was but he also ensured at various points that I had my legs and arms bent properly. This was all done through touch and gentle nudges so I knew what to do.

 Here I was flying. Wow I can’t explain that feeling. You really do feel as though you’re flying through the skies. It is an adrenaline junkie’s dream. You do a few circular rounds first before going higher and lower. I had a massive grin on my face throughout and was obviously screaming in joy but nobody could hear that - probably a good thing.

 As my flight came to an end Yaun directed me to the door. He told me in the classroom that I should grab hold of the door and bend my knees so that they exit the tunnel first. Once my feet touch the ground I can let go and push myself out of the tunnel. Yaun and another instructor helped me touch both sides of the door so I knew what to hold and I then got out of the tunnel. First flight over.

 I was guided back to my chair but for at least five minutes after flying I was still laughing in joy and enjoying the adrenaline pumping through my body. This wasn’t the end though. We all had the option to do the high fly. This is where you spin to the top of the tunnel and back down. There was no way I was saying no to this no matter how much extra it was.

 Same process for the high fly in terms of getting into the tunnel. For the high fly though, once you’re inside you have to do rotations to get higher. My chin was also facing down so Yaun tapped my helmet so I looked up. He grabbed hold of my leg and up we went. The speed of the wind was 110mph and the cheer I belted out was glass shattering. I was truly loving this. I didn’t want it to end.

 Everything has to come to an end though and so does this blog post. I was very sceptical before today about a place saying they welcome all abilities and also without a carer. I thought that it was too good to be true. I was wrong though. Every single aspect of my experience at iFly was fully inclusive and accessible. I highly recommend all of my readers and followers to go regardless of which disability you have.

 To top it all off, the very woman that inspired me to give indoor skydiving a go was there too. I got to meet glen and her husband Brian. They were both really lovely people and were telling me how glen had just come back from Abu Dhabi where she went flying in the world’s first 32ft diameter wind tunnel. Well, I guess that’s my next stop then?

 Thanks for reading and do go to my YouTube channel to see the video. I’ll embed it here too.

 Happy flying.     

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Blind Journalist's Eyes Opened By Guide Horse

“It was like I wasn’t blind when I had the harness for Cali in my hand. Being lead by a fully trained guide horse allowed me to walk at speeds at and with confidence that I’ve never had when being guided by a human or using a cane.”

 

Losing my sight in my teens was the toughest thing I’ve dealt with to date. My fear of dogs meant I couldn’t experience the independence and companionship that a guide dog brings thousands of fellow blind people.

 

So, what do I do? Find a solution of course. It just so happens to be one that raises eyebrows everytime I mention it - a miniature horse being my guide animal of choice.

 

Sounds crazy but it isn’t when you actually look into it. Thankfully it was looked into, 20 years ago in fact. Guide horses were introduced into America for those blind people that can’t have a guide dog but who would benefit from a guide horse but also facilitate its needs. Israel followed suit recently. And now, I’m looking to add the UK to the list of countries where guide horses are used.

 

Since 2012, I’ve done in-depth research into the concept of miniature guide horses and followed the progress of users and making contact with them and their trainers. Up until 2018 though it was a concept to me but in October I went out to Lansing, Michigan and Albany, New York, to work with, walk with and see what a fully trained guide horse could actually do. I also enrolled on to a five day clicker training course – this is the method through which all guide horses are trained; positive reinforcement. I was turning my perceptions, dreams and ambitions into reality.

 

I first met with Mona Ramouni and her family in Lansing, Michigan, and not forgetting her amazing guide horse, Cali.

Mona has been working with Cali since 2008 but also trains guide horses for other individuals; she’s paired six so far.

 

Before I went out to America I was training with a guide horse called Digby, who was in Northallerton, Yorkshire but I had noticed that as time went on, and the training continued, his growth was making it impractical in certain situations. This was therefore defeating the point of having an assistance animal. My trip to America would allow me to see the stature of their horses, and therefore compare Digby to them. This would then help with making my decision on his suitability.

 

Feeling Cali for the first time was breathtaking but it also added to my feelings that Digby would no longer be suitable for me. I also met miniature horse’s Willow, Maya and Panda. Seeing their size cemented my knowledge that a guide horse needs to be within the universally accepted and agreed size of 30 inches or under.     

 

I’m gutted that Digby isn’t going to be my guide horse. I had built a bond with him and saw the amazing potential he had as a guide, due to his temperament. However, this situation is extremely common when it comes to guide dogs, thousands of dogs don’t make it as guides – whether that be early on or later in their training, or even after they’re paired. 

 

The situation can’t be helped, but this setback isn’t going to hold me back. I hope to still be the UK’s first recipient of a guide horse. I am determined that guide horses will be introduced to the UK and those that want and can facilitate them are able to. 

 

Having returned from America, where I went to see fully trained and working guide horses in action, and having training with them,  I want to do everything I can to ensure blind and visually impaired people in the UK can experience the sheer joy being guided by a miniature horse can bring.

 

Being lead by a fully trained guide horse allowed me to walk at speeds and with confidence that I’ve never had when being guided by a human or using a cane. It was like I wasn’t blind when I had the harness for Cali in my hand.”

 

 

TheBlindJournalist: Walking With Cali, A Fully Trained Guide Horse

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TheBlindJournalist: You've Clicked Me Off

Slug/title:

You’ve Clicked Me Off

 

Top line:

How much revenue are businesses losing due to inaccessible websites for disabled customers?

 

PEG:

Freenay Williams say that 9 out of 10 people don't bother to complain about website accessibility problems and are therefore launching a new survey to have disabled shoppers voices heard.

 

Background:

With UK e-commerce valued at £133 billion in 2016 and a majority of businesses moving online, could they be missing a trick by not making their websites accessible and therefore losing out on the disabled shoppers market?

 

The Extra Costs Commission, which is an independent enquiry hosted by Scope, published a report in 2015 that stated 75% of disabled customers had walked away from a shop because it wasn’t user friendly for them. The report suggested that as a result of this these businesses are missing out on a market which is estimated  at £1.8 billion a month.

 

Freenay Williams, a specialist disability consultancy business that helps, and teaches, companies about website and product accessibility, launched a research survey, in 2015, entitled ‘Click-Away Pound Survey’.

In the past the company analysed e-commerce websites, over a five year period, and found that 70% of the websites they had checked were inaccessible. From other research Freenay Williams had compiled they found that 100% of the disabled people they asked said that they pay more money for certain products simply because the website is accessible and user friendly. They also found that 70% of disabled people didn’t bother contacting a company if their website was inaccessible but instead looked for a different company to buy what they were looking for.

 

The results of part one of the click-away pound survey:

 

In the UK in 2016, around 6.1 million internet users have impairments that affect the way they use the Internet. Those 6.1 million people will spend £16.55 billion online this year.

Ignore accessibility and 71% of those potential customers will go elsewhere, taking their £11.75 billion with them.

The Click Away Pound Survey 2016 shows that over 80% of these customers will spend their money not necessarily on the website that offers the cheapest products, but where fewest barriers are placed in their way. In fact, 71% of these customers will click away from websites that do not cater for their access needs.

Those customers who click away have an estimated spending power of £11.75 billion in the UK alone - almost 10% of the projected total UK online spend in 20161.

1 £126 billion by the beginning of 2016 (IMRG Capgemini: e-Retail Sales Index. 2015)

According to Scope, there are 13 million disabled people in the UK, who have an estimated combined spending power of £250 billion.

Penny Mordaunt, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work said “This report sends a strong message about the benefits of accessible online services for both disabled people and businesses. Whether it’s adapting a shop, restaurant or website, there are simple things that businesses can do to improve the lives of disabled people whilst tapping into their valuable spending power.”

Susan Scott-Parker OBE, CEO of Business Disability International, said: “This important report shows that UK retailers have decided they can ignore the 15% to 20% of people in the UK with disabilities. Given the minimal costs associated with good website design, why would any business make it needlessly difficult for so many potential customers to spend their money? Any senior business leader now has even more reason to persuade the business to up its digital game, not just because the law requires it but because it makes commercial sense.”

Rick Williams, Managing Director of Freeney Williams said: “After 20 years of legislation, most high street retailers in the UK understand they need to take disabled shoppers’ needs into account when designing ‘bricks and mortar’ shops. Although the same law applies to their online presence, many of those businesses seem oblivious to the need to make their websites accessible. The UK has an ageing population, and we believe the accessibility issues identified in our research will only increase over time.”

****

The Click-Away Pound survey is managed by Freeney Williams Limited, one of Europe's leading disability and diversity consultancies. We work extensively in all sectors to achieve long-lasting and self-sustaining change designed to meet the needs of employers and service providers in the real world.

Most businesses will be unaware that they are losing income because only 7% of customers who have difficulty using a site will contact them. Unless businesses actively develop an understanding of accessibility, many will be unaware that the barriers even exist. Yet it is within the control of website owners to take down the barriers which are actively discouraging disabled and older customers.

 

You’ve Clicked Me Off

How much revenue are businesses losing due to inaccessible websites for disabled customers?

 

Background:

With UK e-commerce now valued at more than £45 billion and a majority of businesses moving online, could they be missing a trick by not making their websites accessible and therefore losing out on the disabled shoppers market?

 The Extra Costs Commission, which is an independent enquiry hosted by Scope, published a report in 2015 that stated 75% of disabled customers had walked away from a shop because it wasn’t user friendly for them. The report suggested that as a result of this these businesses are missing out on a market which is estimated  at £1.8 billion a month.

 As a result of these findings, Freenay Williams, a specialist disability consultancy business that helps, and teaches, companies about website and product accessibility, has launched a research survey entitled ‘Click-Away Pound Survey’. The company hopes that their findings will paint a picture of how much revenue online businesses could be losing due to their websites being inaccessible.

 In the past the company analysed e-commerce websites, over a five year period, and found that 70% of the websites they had checked were inaccessible. From other research Freenay Williams had compiled they found that 100% of the disabled people they asked said that they pay more money for certain products simply because the website is accessible and user friendly. They also found that 70% of disabled people didn’t bother contacting a company if their website was inaccessible but instead looked for a different company to buy what they were looking for.

 Due to the inconvenience involved for a disabled person to go shopping, the majority of them now do their shopping online.  It is for this reason that Freenay Williams feel that the revenue businesses could be losing may be significantly more than £1.8 billion a month.

 The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 ensures most high street stores understand the needs of accessibility for disabled customers, but they often fail to account for website accessibility. Under the Equality Act (2010)  they could be taken to county court for an inaccessible website. To date though, there hasn’t been a single case which has gone to court because the DDA isn’t strong enough or because a settlement has been reached outside of court.    

Story Name:

You’ve Clicked Me Off

 

Story Idea:

Based on the aforementioned statistics, I feel this would be a great story as it is not something many people will be aware of even though it could be directly impacting on them – if they had an online business. From my research into this story, I have learnt that the reason why so many e-commerce websites aren’t accessible is because of the lack of awareness about how exactly to make their website accessible and at the same time user friendly too. It isn’t necessarily  because of cost as it can be free to make a website accessible. Not many people will be aware of this which is why I think this story would be a good opportunity to inform and educate.

I would like to bring these statistics to the attention of businesses and ask them why they aren’t doing more to make their websites accessible even though it could be of mutual benefit to them. Rather than interviewing a handful of disabled shoppers I would rather focus on one shopper that has experienced this problem and also have a demonstration of them using an inaccessible website. This individual could also challenge a big company like Amazon or Apple and we could follow their progress. Alternatively, to add jeopardy to the story, five-ten disabled shoppers could be lined up in the studio and told to buy something you’d expect to do easily e.g buying a cinema ticket or groceries. They could be given an hour to do this and then they could report back live about their findings and whether they managed to fulfil the task. From this a ‘Top 10’ list of most accessible and user friendly websites could be created. This could also then be posted on Twitter.

 

I must emphasise that when I say ‘disabled’ it only relates to those who are visually impaired and therefore use assistive software to access the internet. Also, those who have a physical disability  and can’t use a mouse or keyboard.

 

In Brief:

1. Bring these statistics to the attention of the audience

2. Explore why businesses could be under the impression there website is accessible but in reality it isn’t.

3. What it takes to make a website accessible and user friendly

4. Iron out any misconceptions

5. Widen the scope of this story to see what the future holds for websites but also access for all

Target Programme:

Radio 5 Live is where I foresee this story fitting in best. 5 Live is all about getting live testemonials of ‘real’ people on air. It is also all about running a story throughout the day from various angles on its different shows. I feel my idea meets all these criterion. I’d like to launch the story on Wake Up To Money as an introduction to the matter and then pass the story over to 5 Live Breakfast to have live reaction from disabled people. I’d like to have a case study on the segment ‘In Conversation’ with the companies they are having problems with. That way we would hear live from the horse’s mouth what the problem is and the company is held to account live as to what they would do. The presenter, Nicky Campbell could then finish the interview by  asking what the company proposes to do about the problem. I’d like 5 Live Daily’s Martin Lewis to pick up the story also but widen the subject matter and use his phone-in segment to get reaction and opinion. The PEG would be the research survey Faynay Williams have launched recently.

I feel that this would be of interest to a 30+ middle class demographic because it would bring awareness to those whom are self employed and run an online shopping site. Alternatively, those who work in PR, HR or even web designers, as well as disabled shoppers themselves.

 

Contributors\Interviews:

• Rick Williams, who owns Freenay Williams, about his company’s findings and his own experiences because he is blind.
• Vox pops from disabled shoppers about their experiences and thoughts.
• Organisations like the RNIB to question if they feel specific legislation about website accessibility would resolve the problem - as seen in the U.S.
• Speaking to a web designer to see how difficult and costly it can be to make a website accessible
• A business that does have an accessible website and if they feel they have had an influx in sales due to making their website accessible. At the same time speaking to a business that hasn’t got an accessible website to ask them why.
• The Business Disability Forum (BDF) as they have in-depth knowledge on this topic.  

 

Outcomes:

Explain the difference between accessibility and usability.

To use the power I have as a journalist to inform and educate the general public about the importance of accessibility.

To inform businesses about this market they could be benefitting from, which in turn will make online shopping easier for disabled shoppers.

Iron out the misconceptions some businesses may have about the costs involved. Question current laws and ethics of businesses

Explore why disabled shoppers have failed to take these companies to court.

 

From the law, to the loo - All you need to know about Digby #UKsFirstGuideHorse

The law:

                The Equality Act 2010 only mentions guide/assistance dogs specifically in Section 168-173 pertaining to taxis. This section says that a taxi has to carry a disabled person and their guide/assistance dog. There is no other mention of the word dog in the Act. When referring to public places and establishments, the Act talks about the business/establishment being required to make a “reasonable adjustment” so that the disabled person can access the respected service/building. There are four components to the “reasonable adjustment” clause. One of these is “Auxiliary Aid” This is where a business/establishment has to provide their own aid to the disabled person so that they can access the building or service, or alternatively allowing the disabled person to use their own auxiliary aid. A cane/guide dog or in this instance a guide horse would come under this requirement.

 

The Chartered Institute for Environmental Health:   

The FSA does not hold policy responsibility for the Equality Act and so cannot comment on amendments to it. We suggest contacting the Department of Work and Pensions directly in regard to any issues relating to the Equality Act.

 

The FSA can confirm that as long as food safety is protected, there is nothing in food safety or food hygiene legislation preventing customers taking assistance animals, working animals or pets, into the front-of-house areas of food retailers or catering establishments. Food businesses seeking further advice on how the food safety and food hygiene legislation might apply if customers wish to bring in assistance animals or other pets can contact their local environmental health office for free advice.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions

  

Rishi Sunak MP:

1. Food Standards Guidance 

As you’re aware, the Food Standards Agency have now confirmed that there is no legal

impediment, in terms of hygiene, to a fully trained guide horse being permitted access to the

front-of-house areas of food retailers or catering establishments. They have also said that

their position would not be any different with regard to either trained assistance dogs or

assistance horses. As such, the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health are updating

their guidance to reflect this advice. Having achieved this change in guidance is, I believe, a

major step forward for the guide horse programme. 

2. The Equality Act 

Regarding the Equality Act, and whether legislation needs to changed to cover guide horses,

you may know that a key principle which the Equality Act establishes is the need to make

‘reasonable adjustments’ to avoid either direct or indirect discrimination against disabled

people. 

Because of the Equality Act, establishments cannot fail to make a ‘reasonable adjustment’

for a disabled person – the legal question is whether each individual adjustment is a

‘reasonable’ one to make. What is ‘reasonable’ depends on many circumstances.

The Act does not list possible adjustments and what is ‘reasonable’ can vary in different

contexts. However, permitting a guide dog entry into a shop or restaurant is almost

universally recognised as ‘reasonable’. 

In view of this, though I am not legally trained, I do not believe that the Equality Act would

need to be amended to afford a trained guide horse the same protection as a guide dog. My

understanding is that the only specific mention of dogs in the Act is in reference to either

Private Hire vehicles or Taxis. As you have pointed out to me, a guide horse would need a

special vehicle for transport so this would not be necessary.

The question is whether permitting a guide horse into (for example) a restaurant is

‘reasonable’. Of course, the Equality Act has never been tested in the courts with a guide

horse. Therefore we cannot fully know at this stage whether permitting a guide horse would

be found to be a ‘reasonable adjustment’ by a judge’s interpretation of the Equality Act. 

Should any future guide horse users find themselves refused access because of their guide

horse, they would have the option of bringing a case against the establishment which refused

them entry using the Equality Act as their basis. It would then up to a judge to find whether,

in this particular case refusing a disabled person with a guide horse was ‘reasonable’ or

not. However, I imagine that this new guidance from the Food Standards Agency and

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health will no doubt be extremely beneficial should a

court ever consider such a case.

 

Logistics:

Digby stands at two feet tall, the same size as some large guide dogs. Digby weighs 75kg. He wears thunderpants, which catch any mess when he relieves himself. When Digby lifts his tail, all the mess is gathered in the pants. He will be toilet trained however. Miniature horses can go for upto three hours before needing to relieve themselves. They can be trained to ring a bell or claw at the floor as a command that they need to go. Miniature horses also have a natural tendancy to only urinate on surfaces that won’t splash back onto their legs.

 

 

Mohammed Salim Patel:

I suffer from a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. It is a condition that means you lose your night vision first, followed by your peripheral vision and finally you lose your central vision; becoming totally blind. I lost most of my sight from the age of 16 and I’m now left with a very small amount of central vision in my right eye only, which could go at any time.

 

In terms of my situation when it comes to using a guide dog, I have a very big phobia of dogs, which has completely ruled out the option of a guide dog for me. I didn’t grow up around dogs and the odd few occasions that I did have interactions with them weren’t positive. There was an incident as a child, where I was walking on the pavement and a big dog started running towards me. To avoid it, I ran into the road. I wasn’t hit by any cars but this trauma stuck with me. As I got older, I did try to overcome the phobia as I saw the benefits a guide dog brought to my friends, but sadly I couldn’t.

 

I heard about miniature guide horses through a documentary in 2014. . The documentary was looking at different roles that miniature horses were fulfilling in America. One of the contributors was Dan Shaw, who was using the world’s first guide horse called Cuddles. Cuddles was trained by the Burleson family and was paired with Dan in 1991.

After watching this documentary, I looked into seeing if there was any possibility of guide horses being trained in the UK, but all the organisations I approached said no. Some organisations even laughed at me for suggesting such a concept.

 

This added to my acknowledgment and acceptance that I would have to come to terms with a life that is going to be reliant on others. I could only go out and about if someone was free to take me, I couldn’t really have a social life because I’d always need someone to accompany me etc.

 

However, last year I read an article, on the BBC News website, about Katy Smith and how she uses miniature horses as therapy animals and how she takes them into carehomes and schools etc. In this article, Katy mentioned that she was looking to train Digby as a guide horse, as he was showing the signs only a couple of weeks after being born that he likes learning and had an “ora” about him that made Katy feel he would be suitable for the role.

 

With having given up on the idea of a service animal, but then learning that there was someone here in the UK that was looking to train a horse, I instantly contacted Katy and expressed my interest.

 

We’ve been working together ever since. As I’m a journalist with the BBC, I’m helping Katy with media coverage, articles, letters, emails and any other tasks, so she can focus solely on Digby’s training.

 

I used to go horse riding as a child and I’ve always been comfortable around horses. I have also decided to take horse riding back up again, to get as much interaction as possible with horses but also to build a close relationship with the riding school, so that when Digby comes to live with me I can take him there. Whilst I’ve not grown up around them or learnt how to care for horses, I plan to undertake a horse husband course.

 

I live 800 yards away from a farm, that keeps ponies. There is also a riding school, in Haslingden, which is a couple of miles from my house. So Digby would be taken there regularly to play and interact with other horses. He has two lawns to graise in my garden but I also live next door to a school which has vast playing fields. I’ll build Digby a stable in the garden also.

 

 

 

Katy Smith:

After breaking my back in 2012 from a riding accident, I saw the amazing benefit that horses can have on people from a therapeutic perspective. I got the hospital to provide me with a frame that would allow me to go and see my horses. I also learnt about the benefit horses can have on people when my dad was in a carehome/unit and as a thanks to the service provided to my dad, I arranged for one of my miniature horses to go to the home, and the response from residents there was amazing. This is what lead me to set up my business, KL Pony Therapy.

 

The guide horse programme has been running for almost two decades in America. This is where the concept was first introduced by Janet Burleson and her husband Don. They trained up Cuddles, the world’s first guide horse in 1991. Israel has also trained up guide horses. I’m looking to do the same in this country.

 

I am not looking to take away from what the organisation Guide Dogs do or stop people using guide dogs. All I am looking to do is provide an alternative to those who can’t use a dog and are able to keep a horse.

 

A guide horse is able to work for a lot longer than a guide dog. A guide dog would need to retire when it is eight-years-old whereas a guide horse can work for upto 40-50 years.

 

American miniature horses are used for guiding, because they are the right size – 30 inches or less in height.  

 

Legally, any public establishment can’t refuse a guide horse because it would come under providing a reasonable adjustment for the blind person relying on the assistance animal. The only place where a guide dog is specifically mentioned in the Equality Act 2010 is when referring to taxis – Section 168-173. As Digby wouldn’t be using taxis, we aren’t looking to change the wording of legislation.

 

A guide horse would be for the blind only. They would fulfil the exact same role as a guide dog. A guide horse would also bring its own natural benefits, like having 350 degree vision, the ability to see in almost near darkeness, their natural tendancy to guide – as seen with wild horses guiding a blind horse within the herd and their ability to not be spooked, as proven by cavalry.    

 

We’ve been given permission by the food standards agency to take Digby into any front-house establishment who serve food. Digby wears thunder pants – which catch any mess, but he will also be toilet trained.

 

I shall be going on a clicker training course in June 2018 in Suffolk. It is lead by Alexandra Curland, who is coming over from America. She trained Panda, who is a working guide horse and has been guiding Ann Edie for 15 years now.

 

I also hope to go out to see Ann and Panda in September 2018.

 

This clicker training course will then allow me to further Digby’s training using the clicker method. Upon completion of the course, I will then be able to train future guide horses, for which I’ve already received requests.

 

Digby at this stage is going through the ‘puppy’ walking stages that a guide dog in training would.

This is where he is getting use to various environments, sounds, smells and people. He is doing this by frequenting different shops, carehomes and different establishments. As I take therapy horses into carehomes, I am also taking Digby with me to get him use to travelling and different situations. This is also helping with his toilet training. Digby is also being trained to climb and descend stairs.

 

I am working with rail museums so that Digby can become accustomed to train platforms and carriages before he ventures out to live working train stations.

 

 I am also working with South Yorkshire Police horses because this will allow Digby to not only work with other horses but this training is such that he will become accustomed to all kinds of sounds and sights. Digby will become a “spook-free” horse as a result of this training with police horses.

 

We visit different stores and establishments to raise awareness with businesses about the concept of a guide horse, but it also assists with Digby’s training. 

 

Mohammed is working on raising awareness by contacting the likes of the British Retail Consortium, UK Hospitality (formerly British Hotel Association) etc.

 

I am fundraising and seeking a sponsor, which will allow me to get out to America and/or Israel as there are guide horse trainers and schools there so it would be great to visit them and look at their training programmes. It is also to cover the costs that are associated to training.

 

Digby is picking up all the cues and is showing that he enjoys working and has all the abilities to fulfil the role of a guide.

 

Mohammed has already bonded with Digby and they ‘know each other’ Although Mohammed isn’t required as much at this stage, they do meet when it is possible.

 

To follow Digby’s progress, be sure to follow him on Twitter, using the handle @DigbyGuideHorse or follow KL Pony Therapy on Facebook.

Link to BBC Countryfile coverage:

https://youtu.be/dtE8zciJBH0

 

Link to BBC North West Tonight coverage:

https://youtu.be/Ou5oa-i1Pn4

 

 

Meeting Digby For The First Time - BBC Countryfile - #UK'sFirstGuideHorse

Digby's First Visit To Blackburn - BBC North West Tonight - #UKsFirstGuideHorse

TheBlindJournalist: Miniture Guide Horses - Jeremy Vine Show BBC Radio 2