[nagdu] Statistics on Guide Dog use

[Angie Matney]

                Hi Marion,

 

I just listened to your excellent initerview on Through Our Eyes.

 

I have a question. You mentioned that approximately 5 to 7% of blind people
use guide dogs. Can you cite the source for this statistic? I ask because
all other sources I have seen give a much lower figure-somewhere around 1%.
Does the statistic you cite include all blind people, or only those who use
some form of mobility aid other than sighted guide?

 

Also, I'm not sure how many conclusions we can draw based on the number of
teams in attendance at national convention. I think that the group who
attends national convention is not likely to be an accurate representation
of the demographic of all blind people. I think the group at convention
probably has a higher rate of guide-dog use than blind people as a whole.
Also, I would guess that the number of guide-dog teams at ACB's convention
is even higher. Perhaps Jenine or someone else on list can speak to this
point.

 

Again, thanks for representing NAGDU so eloquently. 

 

Angie