Guide Dogs for the Blind: Tails of Trust and the Power of True Partnership

Jane Flower is the Youth Outreach Programs Supervisor at Guide Dogs for the Blind. In her presentation, she shares her personal journey with vision loss, from her childhood diagnosis of Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis to the empowering role her three guide dogs have played in helping her live with independence, confidence, and connection. Through honest storytelling and real-life examples, Jane busts common myths about blindness, highlights the wide spectrum of vision loss, and offers practical ways we can create more inclusive communities for people with disabilities. Her message is rooted in lived experience and aims to expand understanding, shift perspectives, and celebrate the partnerships that make greater independence possible.

Before joining Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) in 2013, she spent over a decade supporting older adults with low vision in Southern California. Jane travels across the U.S. and Canada with her third guide dog, Pilaf, sharing the impact of guide dogs and advocating for inclusion and greater understanding of the spectrum of vision loss.