LAURA J. NILES FOUNDATION, INC.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind – Assisted Disabilities
For nearly fifty years, Guiding Eyes for the Blind has been dedicated to providing blind and visually impaired men and women with the freedom to travel safely with the assistance of professionally trained guide dogs. Graduates are assured greater independence, dignity and new horizons of opportunity. Specially bred and meticulously cared for Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers, coupled with a professional training program, reach people in search of the independence that a guide dog can bring. Also, Guiding Eyes’ innovative Special Needs Program provides dogs to people with disabilities in addition to blindness, such as hearing loss or orthopedic problems.
Of equal importance to the organization’s mission is its desire and ability to assist the blind and visually impaired with technical and other marketable skills so that they might enter the workforce. This collective experience has proven to build confidence and self-assuredness, thus leading Guiding Eyes’ graduates to a life style of meaningful independence.
The Laura J. Niles Foundation partnered with this exceptional organization as part of an effort to enhance both facets of the organization’s mission. The result was the modernization and expansion of three specific Guiding Eyes priorities: (1) veterinary equipment; (2) the kennel environment; and (3) adaptive technologies.
Since its founding in 1954, Guiding Eyes has graduated more than 6,000 guide dog teams and is considered one of the foremost guide dog training schools in the world. The organization provides Guiding Eyes dogs free of charge to blind and visually impaired men and women of all ages and from all walks of life.