Guest Author - Penny Reeder

Guide Dog Users Inc., GDUI, assists guide dog teams and advocates for the civil rights of people who are blind and visually impaired.

For more than three decades Guide Dog Users, Inc., or GDUI, has been advocating for the rights of guide dog users everywhere. Drawing on the experiences and varied knowledge of its more than 1100 members, GDUI provides peer support, advocacy and information to the blind and visually impaired members of guide dog teams. GDUI also works with public entities, private businesses and individuals to ensure that guide dog users enjoy the same rights to travel, employment, housing, and participation in all aspects of life that people without disabilities take for granted.

An affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) since 1972, GDUI is the largest consumer-driven organization of its kind in the world. With 19 state affiliates, and members from every region of the United States as well as several countries across the world, GDUI works tirelessly to improve access for guide dog and assistance animal teams, to educate the public about the issues which are particularly important to people who rely on guide dogs, and to offer support, advice and information to members and friends.

GDUI sponsors an informative web site, provides venues for online discussion and communication, and publishes an award-winning quarterly audio magazine called "PawTracks."

An informative Guide Dog School Survey is kept up-to-date on the GDUI web site. This allows people who are blind to learn about the various schools and training programs for guide dogs and users so they can make informed choices about the programs and options that can best meet their needs.

GDUI publishes fact sheets and informational brochures which educate the public on a variety of topics, including the access rights of guide dog teams. Information is also available on responsible pet ownership because of the special danger that uncontrolled dogs can pose to working guide dog teams.

GDUI hosts an informative five-day convention each summer in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Council
of the Blind. Members and friends gather to hear from experts on blindness and canine-related topics, to share experiences and fun, and to participate in the governance of the organization. Recently, GDUI became the first blindness-related organization in the United States to develop a process and provide a means for universal membership voting.

Visit the GDUI website for more information about GDUI, to become a member, or to answer questions about working guide dog teams.