Radio announcer set to 'see' city under blindfold

Cairns HOT FM announcer Jess Eva will go under blind fold and walk Cairns with a White Cane next week to highlight how local people who are blind ‘see’ the city.

Miss Eva will do the walk on 13 October under instruction from Guide Dogs Queensland Orientation and Mobility Instructor Samantha Kidston who specialises in White Cane training.

Guide Dogs Queensland is best known for Guide Dogs, but provides training in the White Cane and electronic mobility aids to hundreds of Far North Queenslanders every year.

GDQ is offering the experience ahead of International White Cane Day on 15 October to highlight the obstacles faced by people with little or no vision, and how society responds to the issues.

Ms Kidston will provide Miss Eva with some essential tips before the pair set off from the Guide Dogs Queensland office in Abbott St to walk along the Esplanade to Orchid Plaza where they will tackle escalators.

GDQ’s records show the top five most common obstacles for people who are blind include overhanging branches, wheelie bins, cars parked on footpaths, chairs and tables blocking pathways and display boards in front of shops.

GDQ Community Relations Coordinator Gillian Bolton hopes the exercise will encourage others to consider the city from a different perspective and keep footpaths clear.

“International White Cane Day is our chance to highlight the challenges local people face every day when they are relying on an aid, whether it’s a White Cane or a Guide Dog,” she said.

“Vision loss is expected to almost double by 2020 as a result of our ageing population and eye disease, and with that comes added responsibility to provide a safe public environment.”

Despite blindness becoming more prevalent, Guide Dogs Queensland continues to receive complaints about discrimination against both Guide Dog and White Cane users.

A recent example was a restaurant in Central Queensland refusing to take a booking for a group of people who were blind on the basis that they “wouldn’t be able to see what they were eating and would spill food on the floor.

While the incidents are isolated, clients also report being refused entry to night clubs and shops on the basis of their cane being a potential hazard to patrons or items on display.

Miss Eva’s blindfold experience will finish with a meal at a local restaurant.

The walk will begin at 10.30am on Thursday, 13 October followed by a media opportunity at 11am near the Lagoon.

Guide Dogs Queensland relies on donations to fund the vast majority of its White Cane services – and receives no Government support for rural and regional Queensland, or to breed, train and place Guide Dogs.

What: Blindfold Walk with HOTFM Announcer Jess Eva

Where: The Esplanade, Lagoon

When: 11am, Thursday, 13 October.

Who: Cairns HOT FM Announcer Jess Eva, GDQ Orientation and Mobility Instructor Samantha Kidston; GDQ Community Relations Coordinator  

Contact GDQ Community Relations Coordinator Gillian Bolton 0415 582 972  or email: g.bolton@guidedogsqld.com.au