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In Touch: A UK Standard for Assistance Dogs

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24/07/2018

A UK Standard for Assistance Dogs

BBC Radio 4 - In Touch, A UK Standard for Assistance Dogs

Plans for a new UK standard for assistance dogs.

Will proposals for a new voluntary public access assessment for assistance dogs help in an increasingly crowded market?

The government is looking at options for a new UK standard, which would give business owners like shops and restaurants more clarity about what qualifies as an assistance dog. What will it mean for blind and visually impaired people?
At present there's no plan to make the Public Access Assessment scheme compulsory, and dogs supplied by the organisation Guide Dogs will already reach the standard - so why is the change needed? Peter talks to Peter Gorbing, the chair of Assistance Dogs UK, an organisation which is being consulted by the government about the best way to proceed. 
We also hear from writer and broadcaster Red Szell on his latest challenge - an extreme blind triathlon made possible by being one of the winners of the prestigious Holman prize. 
And we're asking for your help. Science fiction is infused with stories about blindness and visual impairment. We want to hear what has intrigued or inspired you...
Presented by Peter White
Produced by Kevin Core.

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A UK Standard for Assistance Dogs

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