The guide dog world is a small one. It surprises people to learn there are only 10,000 guide dog users in the United States. There are lots of reasons the number is small: blindness is a low incidence disability; not every blind person likes dogs; two thirds of “the blind” in America are over 65 which means, among other things, they may not be genuinely healthy enough to walk with a powerful dog. Add the indisputable fact the US doesn’t have comprehensive national rehabilitation services (providing outreach and information to newly disabled citizens) and “voila” you have the prospect that many people facing vision loss don’t know they qualify for a guide dog and they certainly don’t know guide dogs are offered free of charge.
via www.planet-of-the-blind.com
Planet of the Blind 