GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND INC

A student training program held at our main campus in Yorktown Heights, NY whereby people who are blind and visually impaired are strategically matched and trained with a Guiding Eyes dog over a two-week period. Students who participate in this on-campus training enjoy their own private room and bath, a shared kitchen, cafe, lounge, and workout room. Training begins on campus and progresses to nearby towns and cities. Eventually, students train in custom locations which can include New York City to individually prepare them for their home environment and daily routines.

For people with health challenges or disabilities in addition to blindness, such as hearing loss, chronic illness, combat injuries, TBIs, balance and gait issues, etc. Students can be served through the Residential or Home Training Programs. Specialized Training instructors design customized training programs to accommodate each student’s individual needs. These instructors are also trained in tactile American Sign Language to communicate with those who are DeafBlind.

For students who have extenuating circumstances which prevent them from coming to our campus, we offer one-on-one home instruction. A Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) travels to the student’s home with their guide dog. Training is conducted in the home environment for 10-15 days depending on the student’s experience working with a guide dog. While the instructor stays at a local hotel during the training period, the dog resides immediately at the student’s home.

A first-of-its-kind option for individuals with vision loss who want to run independently with their guide dog, without relying on a sighted human guide. Having a Running Guide enhances independence, autonomy and overall physical fitness — whether the team is going for a casual run in the park or training for a marathon. For students who love to run, this training can be added on to any of our other guide dog training programs.

Our Genetics & Program is built upon best-in-class analysis of genetic data from every step of a dog’s life so that we can produce superior dogs with long-term working careers.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind offers unique, hands-on seminars to professionals involved in rehabilitation for the blind and visually impaired, particularly Orientation and Mobility Specialists. These seminars are designed to help rehabilitation professionals better advise individuals who are considering a guide dog, better prepare those who will be training with guide dogs, and work more effectively with those who have guide dogs.

Our veterinary services team provides the highest quality care for all of our extraordinary dogs, including those that have been placed with graduates.

Graduates, staff members, puppy raisers and other volunteers meet with schools and other community groups across the country to make the public more aware of the capabilities of people who are blind and visually impaired and the mission and work of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. They also meet with business and community leaders to help educate them about the rights of access for guide dog handlers and their dogs.

Every one of our puppies and dogs is valued and finds its place in the world, whether as a guide dog, another type of service dog, or as a loving family pet.

Our puppies and young adult or “career change” dogs are in high demand. Because we receive significantly more applications for adoption than we have dogs available, our selection and matching process is based on suitability rather than on a first-come, first-served basis. Dogs are matched in consideration of the needs of both the dog and the potential adopting home. All of our dogs require a commitment from their adoptive families to spend the time, energy, and investment to make the match work.