Local MP, Matt Western, hears from guide dog owners about challenges they face during visit to Guide Dogs National Centre
During his recent visit to the Guide Dogs National Centre in Leamington Spa, its local MP met with staff and guide dog owners to discuss the daily challenges they face and explore ways to support them.
Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington Spa, visited the charity’s flagship site in Bishop’s Tachbrook, Leamington Spa, on Friday.
The state-of-the-art facility is home to the sight loss charity’s world-class breeding programme and is the only one of its kind in the UK.
It is where all guide dogs begin their journey as puppies, with over 10,000 guide dog puppies passing through the site’s doors since it opened in 2011.
During his visit, Mr Western met with local constituent, and guide dog owner, Lydia Hayden, who’s currently partnered with her first guide dog Rotary, as well as representatives from the charity’s Policy and Campaigns Team.
Lydia, who lives in Leamington Spa, said: “It was amazing having the chance to talk with Matt. I was able to highlight how vulnerable and anxious pavement parking and access refusals make me feel.
“I was so glad I had the chance to share my negative experiences with Matt and learn how the campaigns team are working to push for changes in the law.’’
Jessica Luke, Regional Policy & Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs covering the local area, said: “It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to welcome Matt Western MP to our National Centre, to learn more about our charity and campaigning work.
“At Guide Dogs, we campaign on a range of issues which affect people with a vision impairment, from access refusals to places such as shops and restaurants, to pavement parking and street clutter.
“We hope that Matt has enjoyed his time with us and will be able to take forward the actions we’ve discussed.”
Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, said: “It is deeply concerning that individuals who rely on guide dogs for independence and safety continue to face unacceptable barriers in our community. Pavement parking forces people with sight loss into dangerous situations, and access refusals from local businesses are not only discriminatory but illegal.
“We must do more to ensure our streets and public spaces are truly inclusive. I fully support the efforts of Guide Dogs UK and everyone working to make our towns more accessible and welcoming for all.”
Guide Dogs believe that no one should be held back by a vision impairment.
The charity campaigns for the rights of people with sight loss to help them access public transport, our town centres and other public services.
To find out more about the charity’s current campaigns, visit guidedogs.org.uk/campaigns.