The DGHA logo above is an image of a golden Labrador in harness with the letters DGHA in black lettering

Dog Guide Handlers Australia Conference program 
22 – 23 October 2016

Venue:
Sage Hotel Adelaide
208 South Terrace
Adelaide SA 5000
Phone: 08 8223 2800

(Please note this program is subject to change.)
We wish to thank all our sponsors who are supporting this Conference. A full list of sponsors are listed at the end of this program and on our website. 

Day One Saturday 22 October 2016.
9:15 am – 9:30 am
Registration.

9:30 am – 10:00 am
Opening Session:
Acknowledgement of country and welcome, housekeeping announcements, orientation to Venue and roll Call: 30 minutes.
Chair: Rowena Dowling. Co-president.

10:00 am – 10:45 am:
Session 1:
Title: Keynote Session:
Equitable and Dignified Access.
Presenter: Kelly Vincent MLC. 45 minutes including questions.
Kelly Vincent is the Dignity for Disability Party’s representative in the South Australian Parliament. She was elected to the Legislative Council in 2010 in an event that made history.
Kelly is the first South Australian politician to permanently use a wheelchair for mobility, the youngest woman ever elected to an Australian parliament and the first Australian to be elected on the platform of disability rights
Presentation and Q&A discussion forum lead by Kelly Vincent, on the challenges of equitable access for people with disability.
Defining and exploring “Equitable and Dignified Access”.  What should we reasonably expect?  How do we recognise it? What are effective strategies for action when we don’t receive it? What is the relationship between access and inclusion? Some guidance, advice and insights regarding effective advocacy drawing upon Kelly’s experiences both in and out of politics. Chair: David Foran. Co-president.

10:45 am – 11:00 am:
Group Photo Session:
We want evidence you and your dog were there!

11:00 am – 11:30 am:
Morning Tea. 

11:30 am – 1:00 pm:
Session 2:
Title: Emerging Trends and Techniques in Dog Guide Training.
Presenters:
Jason Stankoski, Instructor, Guide Dogs QLD – discussion and demonstration of the development of a light-weight prototype harness.
Paul Adrian, Guide Dog Services Manager, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to provide update and overview of the International Guide Dog Conference.
Harry van der Jagt, National Manager, Client Services, Seeing Eye Dogs, Vision Australia to discuss emerging trends.
Chair: Nicole Damarra. DGHA Committee Member.

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm:
Lunch.

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm:
Session 3:
Title: National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and My Aged Care (MAC).
How does the NDIS and MAC impact on us as consumers.  
Presenters
Dr Lloyd Walker, Director Assistive Technology, Market and Providers Division from the National Disability Insurance Agency will speak about the NDIS with particular reference to the provision of dog guides and related services to eligible participants.
Tony Starkey, Accessibility Coordinator for the Royal Society for the Blind and current Chair of the Australian Blindness Forum will speak about the NDIS and MAC from the perspective of the blindness sector.
Chair: Nadia Mattiazzo. Vice President.

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm:
Afternoon tea.

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm:
Session 4:
Title: Tellington Touch.
Presenters:
Millie Miller, Qualified Tellington Touch Practitioner and Dominique Hewitt, Accredited T Touch practitioner. 
Discussion and practical demonstration of the Tellington Touch Technique.
(Please bring a towel for your dog to lie on as this will help to minimize fur on the carpet.)
TTouch® is the method of gentle non-habitual bodywork, developed by Linda Tellington-Jones, PhD (Hon). It is based on a philosophy of mutual respect, co-operation and can effectively facilitate non-verbal communication with animals. It is comprised of light pressure slides, lifts and circular touches that can be used in combination with other aspects of the Tellington Method using body wraps and groundwork movement exercises.
Chair: David Foran, Co-president.

6.30 pm – 9.30 pm Conference Dinner. 
Includes raffle and presentation of Judith Killen Memorial Golden Harness Award.
Chair: Rowena Dowling and David Foran. Co-presidents.
Dinner with Cash bar.

Day Two Sunday 23 October 2016
8:30 am – 8:40 am
Welcome, House-keeping announcements, and orientation to Venue, Roll Call: 10 minutes.
Chair: Nadia Mattiazzo.

8:40 am – 9:10 am: 
Annual General Meeting.  
Chair: Rowena Dowling, Co-president and Greg Madson, Treasurer.

9:10 am – 10:30 am:
Session 5: 
Title: Assistance Dog Legislation/Accreditation.
Presenters:
Richard Lord, Chief Executive Officer, Assistance Dogs Australia.
Sharon Scott, Director of Training, Paws for Diabetes.
Jaci Armstrong, a handler who through her involvement in peer support, is a strong and vocal advocate for inclusive practices. This includes her work towards reforming current relevant legislation. 
A panel discussion around the need for establishing nationally consistent legislation for Assistance Dog access, and national standards for assistance dog training, public access testing and accreditation.
Chair: Greg Madson, Treasurer.

10:30 am – 11:00 am: 
Morning Tea.

11:00 am – 12:00 pm:
Session 6:
Title: International Travel with a Dog Guide
Presenters:
Martine Abel-Williamson – World Blind Union
Francois Jacobs – Business Analyst and Research Assistant
Martine is a Table Officer of the World Blind Union and the WBU Objective Lead - Access to the Environment and Transport. Martine recently attended and presented at the WBU General Assembly regarding the latest survey results launched about international travel with a dog guide. Francois now lives in Melbourne and was the Assistant Researcher for this important Project. This research was sanctioned by the World Blind Union and supported by the International Guide Dog Federation. The presentation will be followed by questions/discussion.
Chair: Nadia Mattiazzo, Vice President.

12:00 pm – 12:45 pm:
Session 7:
Title: Tips and Tricks.
An interactive session with handler input on a range of topics.  
(Please bring along an item or any equipment of interest which you think other handlers may find useful. You might also think of a useful tip or technique that you use with your dog which may also be of interest.) 
Chair: Joyce Jones. Co-Secretary.

12:45 pm – 1:15 pm:
Final Session.
Title: Dog Guide Handlers Australia member issues.
An interactive session with handler input on a range of dog guide issues.
Chair: Nadia Mattiazzo, Vice President.

1:15 pm – 1:30 pm:
Closing Remarks and Conference Concludes.
Chair: Rowena Dowling and David Foran. Co-presidents.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: 
Lunch.

We would like to thank the following sponsors:

Commonwealth Department of Social Services
Guide Dogs Australia
Royal Society for the Blind
Seeing Eye Dogs Australia
13CABS
The Pet Provedore
Lucky Pet Supplies
Paws Express Moonee Ponds
PAW by Blackmores