By Matthew Sims
Berwick resident Peter Frank was born blind in one eye and was declared legally blind in both eyes about six years ago.
However, meeting his Seeing Eye Dog Anya changed his life forever.
The joint Petbarn Foundation and Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dog Appeal launched on Monday 26 June.
With $50,000 needed to teach each Seeing Eye Dog, this year’s $1 million target would help train 20 Seeing Eye Dogs to support Australians who are blind or low-vision.
Mr Frank said he had always lived with blindness and low vision.
“My journey with blindness stems from birth,” he said.
“I was born totally blind in my left eye, due to a tumour at the origin of the left optic nerve, causing the nerve not to grow sufficiently to reach the brain.
“After life-saving neurosurgery in 2002 and a subsequent visit to a plastic surgeon for corrective surgery, scans in 2005 revealed a tumour on my right optic nerve, which is limiting blood supply and will eventually kill the nerve.”
According to Vision Australia, an estimated 453,000 Australians were blind or visually impaired and by 2030, it is estimated there will be 560,000 Australians affected by blindness and low vision.
While about 12,500 additional people each year experience vision loss, only 24 per cent of blind and low vision Australians were employed full-time .
Mr Frank was in his 30s when he started to lose vision in his right eye and has less than a 10-degree field of vision from central fixation, a reduced visual acuity and a 50 per cent loss in contrast.
“I was declared legally blind in August of 2017 and ceased my career as a physical education teacher at Beaconhills two months later,” he said.
“I have always been sensitive towards blindness given I’ve lived my life with sight in only one eye.
“However, when you find yourself in an unexpected situation that I do now, you’re far more aware of blindness and low vision and the impacts that it has.
“What I thought I knew and appreciated was only the tip of the iceberg.”
Mr Frank joined the Hawthorn Football Club AFL blind team and has been working as a facilitator for the club’s Hawks For All school program, which involves him and one of his team mates travelling to schools, talking to students about their journeys and the sport of AFL Blind and showing them what it is like to be legally blind through simulators.
“Whilst I don’t play too many games due to work commitments, both interstate and with the Club’s AFL team, it has been a wonderful experience and opened up the door to the school’s program,” he said.
Mr Frank said he felt there was still much more education needed to ensure people reacted appropriately to people with blindness and low vision.
“I’ve encountered unsavoury remarks towards me when using my cane or with Anya, my Seeing Eye Dog, from people who believe that you must be blind in order to have such mobility aids, which is just not true.”
“I’ve been refused Uber rides because of Anya and drivers’ ignorance of the anti-discrimination laws.
“There are however, many wonderful people out there who do show basic courtesy and consideration to those with blindness or low vision.”
Mr Frank said his Seeing Eye Dog Anya helped to guide him through crowds, serve as a visual cue for others to step out of his path and negotiate airports as his job involves flying often.
“Anya has been crucial to me,” he said.
“Whilst she doesn’t have to work all the time as there are activities I can still do independently, there are other activities I would no longer be able to participate in without her.
“Crowds are especially inhibiting so going to the football on my own for example, isn’t doable.”
Mr Frank said meeting Anya had helped him feel like a part of the community.
“A Seeing Eye Dog enables those with visual limitations to maintain doing the things they enjoy,” he said.
“They are also wonderful companions and the bond you form is special, especially when you consider the very limited amount of time you spend apart.
“It’s such a wonderful program and I can’t speak highly enough of all those, be they employees of Seeing Eye Dogs, volunteers or organisations that run appeals to fundraise.”
Petbarn Foundation manager Janelle Bloxsom said they were proud to have partnered with Vision Australia for 10 years running.
“We’re so grateful for the generous support from the community for the Petbarn Foundation Seeing Eye Dogs Appeal over the years,” she said.
“We are aiming to again reach the $1 million milestone with 100 per cent of donations going directly to Vision Australia to help train-up Seeing Eye Dogs puppies and make an invaluable difference to the lives of another 20 Australians.”
Vision Australia chief executive Ron Hooton said The Petbarn Foundation Seeing Eye Dogs Appeal is the biggest annual fundraiser for Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs.
“By donating, you’re not only helping us train and provide Seeing Eye Dogs to Aussies who need them, but you’re giving someone the gift of greater independence,” he said.
“On behalf of the team at Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs, I want to say a big thank you to all the Petbarn customers who have supported us over the past 10 years, we really appreciate it,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to the next 10 years continuing to help Australians who are blind or have low vision by training up as many Seeing Eye Dogs as possible.”
For more information about how to donate, visit www.petbarn.com.au/seda
