[NFBNJ] Fwd: [NJAGDU] The Seeing Eye and Guide Dogs for the Blind collaborate on a training video for airport and airline personnel

Tue May 18 18:24:40 UTC 2021

From: Melissa Allman via NJAGDU
Date: Tue, May 18, 2021 at 2:14 PM
Subject: [NJAGDU] The Seeing Eye and Guide Dogs for the Blind collaborate
on a training video for airport and airline personnel

Dear New Jersey guide dog users and friends,

We are writing to announce a very exciting collaboration between The Seeing
Eye and Guide Dogs for the Blind. The Seeing Eye and GDB have partnered
with United Airlines and Alaska Airlines on the production of a training
video for airport and airline employees around the country. Now that summer
travel is picking up for the first time since the pandemic and many of us
are eager to get back out there, the information in this video is
particularly important for airport personnel.

The purpose of the video is to demonstrate best practices for assisting
blind and visually impaired people, in particular guide dog handlers, as
they navigate each step of the air travel process. The video places special
emphasis on how to maintain social distancing protocols while assisting
travelers who are blind or visually impaired. Our goal is to educate
personnel in the travel industry, but the video also may prove useful for
travelers who are blind or visually impaired who want to help spread the
message or review the tips in the video for their own travel purposes.

You can view an audio described version of the video here:

 https://vimeo.com/547734281
<http://support.seeingeye.org/site/R?i=t0QAK8Z0cRjEBUdXKf2zJQ>

The full text of the press release is below my signature.

Please feel free to share this video with anyone you think will benefit
from its content. Thank you in advance for helping us to spread the word
about this project.

Melissa Allman
Senior Specialist, Advocacy and Government Relations
The Seeing Eye
------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Barbara Zamost, GDB
barbara at zamostpr.com
(415) 389-0210

Michelle Barlak, TSE
mbarlak at seeingeye.org
(585) 329-4317

May 18, 2021
GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND AND THE SEEING EYE CREATE VIDEO TO HELP AIRLINES
AND AIRPORTS ASSIST TRAVELERS WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Video with Pandemic Focus Supported by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) and The Seeing Eye
(TSE) of Morristown, N.J., two of North America’s leading guide dog
schools, have joined forces to create a training video
<http://support.seeingeye.org/site/R?i=IMcLaubtyKsdE-qJsgBoig> to help
airline and airport employees better assist travelers who are visually
impaired, with a special focus on how to address the social distancing
guidelines during the pandemic.

COVID-19 has been especially isolating for people who are blind or visually
impaired, largely because the rules and aids for socially distancing have
been communicated through directional arrows, signage, or taped-off
measurements that guide dogs don’t understand or white canes can’t feel.
This has made air travel exponentially harder for those who are blind or
visually impaired, so GDB and TSE stepped in to help improve the travel
experience for travelers who are blind by creating an instructional video
for airlines and airports to train their employees.

The video includes best practices and tips for helping travelers who are
blind or visually impaired, including:

   - How to provide superior service while interacting with them and their
   guide dogs
   - How to assist them in navigating the airport, while social distancing
   - How to help guide dog teams navigate TSA screening
   - How to provide guidance for boarding and exiting a plane
   - How to provide physical assistance that doesn’t violate social
   distancing guidelines

“Since the air travel industry already had so much to contend with during
the pandemic, we wanted to share our expertise in a way that would help
provide a safe and positive travel experience during and after the pandemic
-- not only for travelers who are blind but also for the airline and
airport employees who serve them,” said Christine Benninger, president and
CEO for Guide Dogs for the Blind. “This video is another example of how we
have pivoted as an organization during the pandemic to better serve the
blindness community.”

“This collaboration across industries is an important step in ensuring
continued accessibility for travelers who are blind and visually impaired,”
said Glenn Hoagland, president and CEO of The Seeing Eye. “As the response
to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we expect this educational
video will be a lasting way to help facilitate the comfort and safety of
both travelers and the professionals who work with them.”

In creating the video, GDB and TSE enlisted input and participation from
guide dog users, as well as from employees at Alaska Airlines, United
Airlines, the Port of Oakland, the Port of Newark, and the TSA teams at
Oakland International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Alaska and United plan to begin sharing the video with their employees this
summer.

“We are committed to providing the best service to our guests and
appreciate the opportunity to work with Guide Dogs for the Blind and The
Seeing Eye on this important video,” said Wayne Newton, vice president of
airport operations and customer service, Alaska Airlines. “This video will
be used to train our employees and ensure we are continuing the support of
our guests who are blind and visually impaired in the best ways possible.”

“United strives to create an inclusive and accessible environment for our
customers, employees and all those we proudly serve,” said Jessica
Kimbrough, the airline’s chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer.
“The pandemic has reshaped travel in many ways and working alongside
organizations like Guide Dogs for the Blind and The Seeing Eye helps ensure
our customers will continue to have a safe and enjoyable experience.”

*About Guide Dogs for the Blind*
Headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is the
largest guide dog school in North America. It is a passionate community
that prepares highly qualified guide dogs to empower individuals who are
blind or visually impaired to move through the world more safely and
confidently. More than 15,000 guide teams have graduated from GDB since it
was founded in 1942. GDB not only improves mobility for its clients, but it
also furthers inclusion and advocates for policy reforms that change how
the world views blindness. All of GDB’s services are provided free of
charge, and it receives no government funding. The organization was the
subject of an award-winning 2018 documentary feature called Pick of the
Litter, which was developed into a television docu-series by the same name
that debuted in 2019 on Disney+. For more information, visit guidedogs.com,
or call 800.295.4050.

*About The Seeing Eye*
Established in 1929, The Seeing Eye provides specially bred and trained
dogs to guide people who are blind. Seeing Eye dog users experience greatly
enhanced mobility and independence, allowing them to retain their active
lifestyles despite blindness. The Seeing Eye is a 501(c)3 non-profit
supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations,
bequests, and other planned gifts. The Seeing Eye is a trademarked name and
can only be used to describe the dogs bred and trained at the school’s
facilities in Morristown, N.J. If you would like more information on The
Seeing Eye, please visit the website at www.SeeingEye.org, call
973.539.4425, or email info at seeingeye.org.

*About Alaska Airlines*
Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 120 destinations
across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, and Costa Rica, providing
essential air service for our guests along with moving crucial cargo
shipments, such as food, medicine, mail, and e-commerce deliveries. With
hubs in Seattle; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and
Anchorage, the airline is known for low fares, award-winning customer
service and sustainability efforts. With Alaska and its Global Partners,
guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 800 destinations
worldwide. Learn about Alaska's award-winning service at
newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon
Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

*About United Airlines*
United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." For more
information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or
connect on Facebook. The common stock of UAL is traded on the Nasdaq under
the symbol "UAL".

# # #

[image: Web Bug from
http://support.seeingeye.org/site/PixelServer?j=nbEumQE6y29dEAO0DfF4vA]

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National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
732-421-7063
Email: president at nfbnj.org
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*Live the life you want.*
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