News
Colin stays connected!
Colin is an active and involved member of his community. Whether he is volunteering, getting involved at his church, discussing current affairs with his men’s group, or performing at the local theatre, Colin strives to stay as engaged in community life as possible.
Colin has retinitis pigmentosa and is legally blind. At 88 years young, Colin is a long-time Client of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and has accessed a range of services over the last 40-odd years. In particular, the Orientation and Mobility training Colin has received from Guide Dogs allows him to safely navigate the community, get to where he needs to go, and do what he is passionate about.
Colin is involved with a charitable organisation where he volunteers to provide cooked meals to those doing it tough. Once a week, Colin travels to the kitchen where meals are prepared. He helps by washing up and spending some time talking with Clients. Thanks to the training he received from Guide Dogs, Colin is able to call a taxi, get into the kitchen and confidently move around.
Colin is also actively involved in a choral group and in last 12 months has started singing with a local theatre organisation. He is currently involved in a three-week production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Much like a busy kitchen, Colin says that moving around the backstage of a theatre is like navigating a minefield. While he acknowledges he can’t do everything everyone else can do and may need a hand from time to time, Colin doesn’t let accessibility hurdles get in his way.
With the support and training he has received from Guide Dogs, Colin is able to navigate the chaos of the theatre and remain confident in his abilities to get involved in the community activities that are meaningful to him.
