Guide dogs facing fewer obstacles

BEIJING－Heimengmeng, a guide dog who is over 4 years old, is more than just assistance for Chen Yan. It is her companion and more like family.

"My job requires me to travel frequently. Simply relying on a cane and no guide dog would bring me a lot of unknown dangers," says Chen, a visually impaired piano tuner, adding that the devoted black labrador knows its tasks well and resolutely fulfills them.

Chen is highly regarded for her skills. She goes door to door tuning piano for customers. With the help of her guide dog, she has been to almost every corner of Beijing, and even served people in other cities.

Like dogs in the police, or search and rescue roles, guide dogs also have to go through strict screening and training. According to China's national standards for guide dogs issued in 2018, a candidate dog should have a complete pedigree and a clear origin of three generations, with no record of aggression or genetic defects.

Their entire life traverses through four stages: fostering, training, service and retirement. The service period is between six and 10 years.

Teng Weimin, former vice-chairman of the China Association of the Blind, says that there are 17 million blind people in China, about 9 million of whom are in employment.

According to international standards based on the above figures, China currently has a requirement for 500 guide dogs, but in reality, there are only about 200 in service in the country as the concept is a fairly new one in China, Teng says.

From her experiences with Jenny, Chen's first guide dog, to those with Heimengmeng, who has been with her for more than two years now, she personally feels that Chinese society is becoming more accepting of guide dogs.

"Years back, I was refused entry into many public spaces with a guide dog. I could feel Jenny's sadness," Chen says, adding that many were afraid that guide dogs would defecate, or even attack people.

"I believe it's not because people are unkind, but because they don't know about guide dogs."

Over the past decade, Chen has been trying to create more public awareness of guide dogs through her books, paintings and social media platforms. Her short videos have drawn tens of thousands of followers online.

"Now, even the hospital allows Heimengmeng to accompany me onto the ward," she says. "Patients are also willing to share a ward with me, despite knowing I have a guide dog. I feel gratified."

China introduced the regulations in 2012 which clearly stipulate that staff in public places should provide barrier-free services to visually impaired people with guide dogs. The Beijing rail transit operation safety regulations, which came into effect in 2015, allow visually impaired people to bring guide dogs on subways.

"When I go out with my guide dog, if a bus doesn't allow me to board or a restaurant refuses entry, other passengers and guests always speak up for me. Commuters on subways and buses are no longer surprised to see a guide dog," says Zhou Tong, a guide dog owner who works at a game company.

Candie, 16, is the first guide dog to serve in China with an international service dog certification. Her handler Lian Qin says that, from ignorance at the beginning to better understanding, society's increasing acceptance of guide dogs has been a visible process of transition.

The number of guide dogs in China has grown from zero to hundreds, with a major increase in guide dog training centers. Lian hopes that there will be more supporting facilities to make it easier for visually impaired people to travel.

In September 2020, Didi Chuxing launched its "barrier-free travel service", the first phase of which was aimed at users with guide dogs. More than 1.8 million online car-hailing drivers in 74 Chinese cities have joined the initiative, promising not to refuse passengers with guide dogs, while providing them with any necessary assistance.

On International Guide Dog Day, which fell on April 28 this year, a film themed around guide dogs was premiered at a bookstore in Beijing. The movie has been made accessible to the visually impaired as well.

"I hope the film will help more people learn about guide dogs and convey the spirit of harmonious coexistence," says Huang Yang, the producer.

Xinhua