NEWSLETTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Doggie Treats to Make	1
Save The Date: Members Teleconference	2
A Thank You	2
For Your Diary – DGHA Annual General Meeting 2021	2
DGHA Conference Round Up	3
A treat for the Handler	7
Easy Homemade Ice cream	7
Stuffed Potato in the air fryer	7
The Judith Killen Golden Harness	9
My Visually Impaired Journey- By Stuart H.	10
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Doggie Treats to Make

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•	Combine coconut flour, peanut butter, pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger. If the dough is a bit crumbly, add small amounts of peanut butter, working the dough in your hands to help the oil bring the dough together.
•	Break small amounts of dough off and roll into balls. Roll each ball in finely shredded coconut.
•	Store in Fridge or Freeze for an extra cool treat
Save The Date: Members Teleconference

A Thank You

For Your Diary – DGHA Annual General Meeting 2021

DGHA Conference Round Up
The 2021 DGHA Bi-Annual conference was held on the 19th and 20th June 2021 over Zoom. We had over 50 participants with this format. A very different way to hold our conference but due to Covid19 was the only viable option A round up of each day is presented by our Vice President Claudia Stevenson and President Kevin Murfitt.

Germany, and particularly given the risk of independent assessments inside the NDIS and the potential that that might move over into the dog guide world and being assessed for a dog guide and then also being assessed during your life with your dog.

Our third session was another one hearing from multiple people. The first speaker was Jen Moon from Guide Dogs New South Wales / ACT, speaking about the different campaigns being run. Sean Tyrell spoke about his experience with access refusals. Again I was interested to hear that it was an issue with security
guards. This resonates with my experience. Apart from ride share refusals, security guards have been a problem point in most of my access issues, so it was interesting to hear that has been common with others too. Sean also talked about the lasting impact that having refusals can have on you, that hesitation to want to go out again, really having to push yourself to do it and gearing yourself, so I appreciated hearing that.

Nadia Mattiazzo, spoke about how she solved access some of her access refusals. She shared what a great response she has had by offering to sit in the back, this has been a real upside of COVID as it's now the norm, however there's been some other unintended side effects, like, I  found that  it's safer in  a taxi in  the back.  I  find that the drivers don't interact so much. There is not the intrusive questioning that I used to get.

This also reminded me how Paul Adrian spoke about the way that we seemed to
have gone backwards a bit in terms of some of these issues, particularly having more dogs around in cafes and things like that. I think the agencies coming together for
a national campaign is something that needs to be follow up on.

Our next session we had 2 speakers. The first was Erica Reed from Australia Post speaking about their introduction of Electric Vehicles. I appreciated hearing that it's not just as easy as adding a mechanical sound to the vehicle, as that has impacts on the driver being able to listen to their environment, and I  really appreciate that Australia Post is taking this issue seriously.

I loved the other conversations that are happening as a result. For example, people being able to register their disability with Australia Post, understanding that people might need extra time getting  to their  letterbox, because for me personally,  getting to my local business hub is a real pain, so when I get one of those 'you missed your

parcel', it is really problematic for me. So I really appreciate that we have got that dialogue happening.

Martin Stewart from BCA rounded up the session. Martin talked about many things but the thing that really excited me was hearing about the way that those access design solutions are occurring for autonomous vehicles, that are being thought about for people with disabilities broadly in the design, that was something I hadn't actually heard before, so I'm really excited to hear that those discussions are happening.

Our final session of the day was with Melinda Bowden from Guide Dogs NSW / ACT and dog guide handler Joyce Jones. Melinda spoke about enrichment activities but what really interested me was the idea of using enrichment for all of our animals, but particularly our retired guides. I wonder whether that might be the start of something you could start discussing with your instructor when you're thinking about retirement - ways that you can start introducing enrichment with them to help their transition to retirement easier.

Melinda talked about some 'be wares' because that's always going through my head, is this activity going to have an impact on guide work?  I love the fact that so many of us already do a lot of these things and it's great.

Joyce spoke about how she is using her friends to take your dogs out and provide enrichment activities. This reminded me of an online service in  either  the UK or maybe the US, where people can register their property and they can hire it out for enrichment. So they are places that are safe and dog friendly. Maybe we could set something up with local handlers or puppy raisers, going to someone's backyard as a safe place?

This is only my reflections on the first day, I'd really urge you all to listen (or read the transcripts) to hear the full sessions - there was a lot of great content.

Day Two:
From DGHA President, Kevin Murfitt, at the end of the second and final day of the conference:

Here we are now at the end of our conference

One of the key roles of DGHA is  peer support and advocacy And a major way we do that is through this biennial conference I hope you agree that these two days
Are a great example of The power of peer gatherings and information sharing

On this second day, it was wonderful to hear from another icon of the dog guide sector in John gosling after receiving the Judith Killen Golden Harness Award. We also had a great session with three puppy carers, a session on the NDIS and My Aged Care, Domestic Travel, emotional support and well-being, a panel session with our former DGHA Presidents, and the presentation of the quiz prizes.
A major takeaway for me inspired by a member's call for national campaigns around attitudes and compliance with the laws concerning dog refusals etc.
Reinforces to me that DGHA has an important  and independent  voice that could much more actively partner with agencies,  BCA, and other  dog guide  professionals to bring a united and more powerful change in areas of shared purpose	such as the taxi and ride share refusals, and consistency of laws and penalties for those who exclude us and our dog guides from any part of community life
We drew a lot of different stakeholders together over these 2 days And we will work actively on a broader collaboration strategy.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank

All members of the DGHA Committee for their crucial assistance over the past few months organizing this conference
John Hardy, his assistants Jordan and Dennis

For our conference packs, quiz prizes, and technical support Francois for being our Quiz master, a great job
Greg and Erika for managing the Zoom which worked so well Our captioned
And All presenters, session Chairs, and most importantly all of you participants.

So we really look forward to hopefully seeing you face to face at our next DGHA conference
In 18 months to 2 years' time

A treat for the Handler
This month we have two recipes to try at home. First a simple homemade ice-cream, and the second is a Simple stuffed potato cooker in the air fryer
Easy Homemade Ice cream

Stuffed Potato in the air fryer

Grated Chasse Milk
Butter Oil Salt

Method

To cook the potatoes, this can be done ahead of time First wash your potatoes and pat dry
Using a little oil rub over your potatoes and sprinkle with a little salt Place in the air fryer and cook for approximately 4t9 minutes
Allow potatoes to cool until you can comfortable hold them Cut potatoes in half
Careful scoop out the cooked potato from inside the skin leaving a thin layer of potato inside.
Place the contents of the potatoes in a bowl and mash as you would normal mask your potatoes, with a little butter and milk
Place tuna in with the potato and mix together Scoop the mixture back into the potato shells Top with Cheese
Cook in the air fryer for approximately 1t9 minutes Serve

The Judith Killen Golden Harness
This awards presented to a person for their outstanding efforts in fostering, representing, promoting, enhancing and protecting the interests of Australians who are blind or vision impaired and who use a dog guide.
Previous winners of the Judith Killen Golden Harness are- 2 14 - Rowena Dowling
2 16 - Ray Joyce

2 18 - Joyce Jones

Kevin Murfitt President of DGHA presents The Judith Killen Golden Harness to John Gosling AM.
John Gosling AM, often referred to as the 8th Statesman of Guide Dogs of Australia, has been honoured with a member of the order of Australia, an AM, for significant service to people who are blind or have low vision and in the same week he celebrated 5	years of service to GDB.
John decided at age 16 that he would spend his life working with Guide Dogs, but had to wait six years to get to the minimum application age of 22. In that time he was called up for national service and served in Vietnam and he even wore his army uniform to his interview at Guide Dogs Victoria when he came back.
Hoping that it would secure him the job which obviously it did.

When asked what he was most proud of during his tenure, John doesn't quote one single achievement. Instead he says it is the freedom and the independence that Guide Dogs bring people who are blind or have low vision and experiencing the trust they place in our staff and in  our beautiful dedicated dogs, that is the real honour, says John.
Some of John's career highlights, in 1992 invited to be an assessor for the International Guide Dog Federation.   In  this role he assessed  24  applicant  guide dog schools against the international standards in United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, Norway, Switzerland, Poland, Israel, Slovakian republic, USA and many more. So similar to Paul Adrian, he has done some much international work as well as what he has done for us here in Australia.

He was elected three times to the board of the International Guide Dog Federation. He was awarded the order of Australia medal OAM in 2 1. He won the Keith

Holsworth Perpetual Award for the guide dog orientation and mobility instructors association.
He was a recipient of the 2 18 International Guide Dog Federation Ken Lord Award and now the Judith Golden Harness Award.
For your outstanding contribution to the dog guide sector and especially to the lives of dog guide users, congratulations, John.

My Visually Impaired Journey- By Stuart H.
Probably like many people who progressively lose their vision, because of my ego and pride, I  did  not  own up to my visual disability until I  really had no alternative to do so after a "near miss" - a potentially fatal fall when I alighted from a train which I believed was still stationary but was actually pulling out of the station. The final straw occurred when I encountered track work on my normal way home where buses replaced trains for part of the journey. I had no hope of finding my way and I had to ask a fellow passenger for guidance. I cannot help but wonder how many people are currently in the same predicament I was in so many years ago but, like me, are too embarrassed to ask for help.
Indeed I very recently became aware of one such case where the wife, of a friend and former work colleague, has MD but, despite her husband's encouragement, is refusing any help.
Following an unsuccessful operation at Sydney Eye Hospital in 1981, I lost about 75% of my vision but did nothing about it until 1985 when, more by luck than design, I was given some very caring and most helpful advice from someone who just indirectly  happened to  become aware of  my situation. Thanks to  his advice, one thing then led to another, and I was declared legally blind that year.
Even so, I still did not, until the "last straw" situation described above, seek any help until September 1991 when I approached the former Royal Blind Society only to find out that they did not give mobility instruction in using the white cane. I was advised to contact Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, which I did, and John (Doc) Payne, who is now retired, came to my home and trained me in the use of the white cane. Subsequently, in2	1 I  applied to have a guide dog and my application was approved  and I received training at Penrith in February 2	2 on becoming a qualified guide dog

handler - with my first guide dog, Eddie - one of the greatest blessings of my life. John Payne also undertook follow-up domiciliary training with me and Eddie.
Reflecting back to the mid 198l9's, I can vividly recall the dark, wet and cold winter's night when, after waiting hours for my consultation at Sydney Hospital, my being told that I would go totally blind. On that evening, I was by myself and had to walk along Martin Place	in  order to get to Wynyard Station. The combination  of the way in which Martin Place was paved and rain and the bright street lighting made it nearly impossible for me to distinguish the smooth areas from the steps. It was a perilously slow and very stressful walk to Wynyard Station to start my way home to the Central Coast.
As can be seen from my above brief overview, my pathway to seek the assistance I needed was hampered by my own reluctance to seek assistance but, more importantly, apart from being told that I was going to go blind, at that time, no professional guidance or assistance was provided to me.
I was simply told I was going to go blind - and that was that.

About Dog Guide Handlers Australia
Who are we?
Dog Guide Handlers Australia (DGHA) is a national association which provides a voice for Australians who are blind or vision impaired, and who are dog guide handlers.
DGHA is an independent association of dog guide handlers, and is not affiliated with any dog guide school.
DGHA strives to foster, represent, promote, enhance and protect the interests of Australians who are blind or vision impaired, and who are dog guide handlers.
DGHA draws on the experiences and varied knowledge of its members, to provide peer support, systemic advocacy and information to dog guide users throughout Australia.
What are the benefits of becoming a member of DGHA?
•	Life time member one-off joining fee
•	Unite your voice with other dog guide users and have a say to service providers
•	Share your experiences as a dog guide handler and learn from other handlers
•	Join in 3 monthly online meetings to chat and enjoy presentations from experts on topics all about dog guides
•	Take part in the DGHA bi annual face-to-face conference over a 3 day weekend
•	
Join DGHA
If you are not already a member of DGHA and would like to be, please visit our
Website and fill in the accessible form. We welcome full memberships for dog guide handlers and associate memberships from dog guide trainers, puppy raisers and friends and family of dog guide handlers. The joining page on our website is
here:   http://dgha.org.au/dgha/membership/
Sign up for this newsletter
If you know someone who might like to receive this newsletter, for example a new dog guide handler, a puppy raiser or your instructor, please send their email address to us (with their permission) by reply email or to dgha@dgha.org.au and we'll add them to our list.
Contribute to this newsletter
we welcome your input into this newsletter. If you have a story, an idea, a review of a doggy product you love, please contact Bronwyn via the
newsletter@dgha.org.au email address to discuss your contribution.

How to Contact Us
Email dgha@dgha.org.au Website www.dgha.org.au
Twitter: @DGHAustralia via https://twitter.com/dghaustralia?lang=en Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/DogGuideHandlersAustralia/
Disclaimer:
Views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the editor, or DGHA, Any advice is general in nature and should be checked with relevant schools, your vet or other relevant authorities.