Guide Dogs for the Blind Launches Advocacy Month in April to Celebrate Progress Made in Disability Rights

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has designated April as its inaugural Advocacy Month, a time to celebrate progress in disability rights, educate the public, and activate its community. GDB has designed a series of events to create a more inclusive world by removing obstacles and teaching people about laws that make the world more accessible to everyone.

“Advocacy Month is about empowering our community to create a more inclusive world by helping people understand the rights of guide dog teams and people who are blind or visually impaired” -Kirsten French, manager of community education, outreach, advocacy

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“Advocacy Month is about empowering our community to create a more inclusive world by helping people understand the rights of guide dog teams and people who are blind or visually impaired,” said Kirsten French, manager of community education, outreach, and advocacy at GDB. “Advocacy is not just a theme for the month; it’s a foundation of all our work, but it can be as simple as starting a conversation or telling your story.”

The month’s activities will include several webinars on advocacy, access, and mental health, as well as a Virtual Book Club, whose featured book this month is Being Heumann by legendary activist Judith Heumann. This powerful memoir details both the progress made on disability rights and the work that still needs to be done. In addition, GDB’s Central Bark podcast will devote two episodes to advocacy and access.

To commemorate Advocacy Month, GDB will also issue the Access Flyer Challenge, which is an appeal to every member of its community – including clients, volunteers, employees, donors, and supporters – to share GDB’s illustrative access flyer with at least one local business in April. The flyer focuses on service dog laws, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) rights, and businesses’ responsibilities to comply with these laws and rights. It includes a QR code that businesses can scan to get more detailed guidance.

The access issue is paramount to guide dog teams and people who are blind or visually impaired. For example, a 2023 GDB survey revealed that more than 83 percent of guide dog handlers in the U.S. and Canada have experienced rideshare denials. The survey highlighted that these illegal refusals, which include drivers verbally refusing the dog, are widespread and create significant barriers for travelers with visual impairments.

For the full list of dates, registration links, and Advocacy Month details, visit https://www.guidedogs.com/blog/advocacy-month.

About Guide Dogs for the Blind

Headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is the largest guide dog school in North America. It is a passionate community that prepares highly-qualified guide dogs to empower individuals who are blind or visually impaired to move through the world more safely and confidently. More than 16,000 guide teams have graduated from GDB since it was founded in 1942. Over the course of more than 80 years, GDB’s mission has expanded to three kinds of programs: a Guide Dog Mobility Program, an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Program, and a K9 Buddy Program. GDB not only improves mobility for its clients, but it also furthers inclusion and advocates for policy reforms that change how the world views blindness. GDB recently broke ground in Spring 2026 on a new state-of-the-art client residence and community hub that will more than double its capacity to serve clients at its campus in Boring, Ore. GDB’s services are provided free of charge, and it receives no government funding. The organization was the subject of an award-winning documentary feature called Pick of the Litter, which is available on various streaming platforms. For more information, visit guidedogs.com, or call 800.295.4050.