Graduation special: Nemoy and Benji, Youth Program, Jasmine and Mikey

00:14 S1

On Vision Australia radio. You're listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs Show - with me, your host, Harriet Moffat. On this episode, I have a bit of a graduation special for you. 

On Wednesday, September 18th, we celebrated 42 graduated client and seeing eye dog teams who graduated in the 2023 to 2024 financial year. Specially, these include three graduates from our youth program. The in-person celebrations took place at Kensington Town Hall in Victoria at our Vision Australia Parramatta office in New South Wales, hosted by instructors Luca Taliana and Michaela Smith, and in our Perth office hosted by instructor Matt Wood in Western Australia. Some graduates even travelled interstate for this day together with their friends from their class client training experience. 

So we had some special heart warming reunions between people, dogs and those dogs who have trained together. We also had graduates attending online as well as members of our community. The event's theme was Life changing Connections and Nemoy Malcolm, who will be joining us on the show today, was our MC as well as a graduate. We also had some speeches and anecdotes which were shared from the Honourable Bill Shorten, who presented certificates to those attending in person, along with Ian Walters MP, Vision Australia chair Bill Jolley, Chris Edwards, Seeing Eye Dogs Client and Vision Australia's manager of Government relations advocacy and NDIS, and aged care and seeing eye dog graduate Elena Campbell. 

We also celebrated our youth program graduates, including Jasmine Sullivan, who will be back joining on the joining us on the show this episode, talking about her experiences on the youth program and her partnership with Mikey. 

Our youth program for 2025 is open for applications now. The youth program is designed for young people who are blind or have low vision to discover what it is like to have a seeing eye dog and work on mobility skills that would prepare them for dog guide mobility. It's a great way for people to decide if having a seeing eye dog is right for them, and is run nationally with a zoom component incorporating work with their local ONM in their home state or area, and with two camps in Victoria at Seeing Eye Dogs headquarters in Kensington, where participants get to experience caring for and working with a Seeing Eye dog, please note that participants must be able to independently administer any medical care or medication they require on the camp. 

If you'd like to find out more about the youth program. You can head to our website to find out more at Cedar Vision Australia. Org forward slash youth hyphen program. You can email Brooke at Brooke Anderson at Vision Australia. Org or call Seeing Eye Dogs on 1800 037 773. Any adults considering got dog eyed mobility? We'd love to have you reach out to the team and chat to. You can call the same number, head to our website or email us at info at Sidorenko. And now here is my interview with Nemoy Malcolm about graduation and his partnership with Benji. Hi Nemoy, thank you for joining me on the show today.

03:50 S2

Hey. My pleasure.

03:52 S1

Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your role at our senior dog's graduation?

03:58 S2

So my name is Nemoy, Nemoy Malcolm. And in my day-to-day life, I am the emotional and social support programs lead at Vision Australia and at the Seeing Eye Dogs graduation. I had the privilege of being the emcee on the day.

04:17 S1

So what? What is kind of the role of an MC, for anyone that is not aware?

04:21 S2

So my role on the day was really to present the fantastic speakers that we had on the day, as well as try to keep it to time so that we started on time and finished on time, and really to be aware of space because we didn't want too many silences, we didn't want too many pauses, but conversely, we didn't want any traffic jams either. So I got to play a bit of traffic controller and timekeeper for the day.

04:56 S1

Which, given the number of speakers, is quite impressive because it really could have gone very over quite easily, I think.

05:04 S2

Look, when you have such passionate speakers like the Honorable Bill Shorten, like Chris Edwards, manager of advocacy and NDIS, when you have a chair like Bill Jolley, who are all very passionate individuals about what we do here with seeing eye dogs. You're right, Harriet, it could have gone... very long.

05:30 S1

So what exactly, you know, was celebrated on the... graduation event.

05:35 S2

So we really got the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of... the handlers and the dogs really becoming a team through the efforts of seeing eye dogs and the instructors, the puppy raisers, the donors. We really had an opportunity to celebrate success in getting people to live the life that they choose.

06:03 S1

And this event, the one that you attended was onsite, in Kensington around, kind of closest to our facility in Victoria. And then there were others as well, in person in other states as well. So, you know, who were the types? You know, what was the kind of general vibe of, I guess, the event that you... were at in Victoria.

06:23 S2

So the vibe was celebratory. If I had to give it one word, focus on the day, were really happy. They were really enthusiastic. We had a mix of handlers. We had dogs, we had puppy raisers, we had volunteers, we had family, we had friends, we had politicians, and we had staff. I think there were smiles all around. There was laughter. We even had a couple of cute babies in the background. The day was really joyous, really bright, really festive. And underneath that was the idea that we're all here for something special. We're all here to not only... give thanks for what we have received as handlers, but to understand that there's a huge achievement that has taken place. 

And we really want to celebrate that achievement. And that achievement is bringing together a individual with a dog and creating a handler team, a bond that will exist for the next 6 to 10 years or longer.

07:39 S1

And the name of this event officially was... Have Life-changing Connections wasn't it? And it really is about that, isn't it? It's... a connection or a partnership or a team. It's not the dog graduating or it's not the handler graduating. It's very much a pair, isn't it?

07:55 S2

Absolutely. It is a pair when you put an individual and a dog together. One of the things that you do is in time. You reduce the cognitive load. You reduce the thinking that it takes in being able to travel between point A and point B. One of the other things that happens is you give the community a reason to make contact, to get in touch. You give them a talking point. I can't tell you how many times I've been approached and told how beautiful my dog is. I got Benji, who is a beautiful, reddish brown golden retriever, and we are really coming to understand each other. We're really working together, and we're moving in a way that is starting to feel effortless. And that's really what, as a handler, I'm aiming for.

08:54 S1

A lot of those partnerships. So it's all kind of people that have graduated with a dog in the last kind of year. It's financial year based. Some of the handles have maybe been together for a year and a few months and others has really, you know, it's only been a few months together. And you as a handler yourself as well, like, don't quite know when that partnership at such an early, early stage really to be all coming together in a room that is so busy too.

09:21 S2

Yes. I, Benji and I graduated in April of this year. And so it's only been a couple of months that we've been together working as a team without the support of an instructor on a daily basis during training, you're with an instructor for between 2 and 4 weeks. And between the three of us, we make a team. And that team really supports each other to understand that bond between the handler and the dog. The instructor is there really to support that relationship building, to help the handler and the dog to understand each other's needs and wants and desires, and to really help to begin that team-building so that as you move forward as a team, you have a basic understanding. You being the handler and you being the dog. You have a basic understanding of what each other is trying to accomplish.

10:32 S1

And what was the highlight of the event for you?

10:37 S2

For me, I think the highlight of the event was watching 18 handlers and dogs getting together for a photo. It was there was a lot of movement. There's a lot of people. There's a lot of pause... nd it just worked. You know, these animals, these animals just just worked. But for me, that was the highlight.

11:05 S1

It could have been complete chaos. And although there was probably some degree of that, you know, lots of fun, lots of movement, like you said, lots of different moving, moving parts. The fact that you guys could actually all get together for a photo - you know, with... minimal blur, other than the tails, which is, which is fine, we'll allow that - is quite, quite an achievement. Really.

11:26 S2

Agreed, agreed.

11:30 S1

I mean, even some of those some of those dogs, it was the first time that they'd been together ever. And then there were also some littermates in there, too, which is kind of cool. I gather you got to meet one of Benji's siblings.

11:42 S2

I did, towards the end of the day, I was approached by a handler and I learned that, Benji's... litter mates were often present on the day, and they got to meet. They got to have a play. And it was interesting because I didn't know if Benji would recognise his litter mates, but he sure did. His tail was going a mile a minute.

12:08 S1

So why do you think that it is so, you know, important to celebrate graduation?

12:15 S2

I think graduation is all about achievement. It's all about that connection between not only the handler and the dog, but being a part of our community and saying that we graduate together, we understand each other. We we now have a bond that we join in as handler and dog team. There have been many who have gone before us and there will be many who come behind us. But that celebration of achievement and accomplishment in the beginning. Of the journey, I think, is the the really important part of celebrating this milestone. When you as you move forward in life as a team, it's really important to look backwards to see where you've come from. 

And I think, a great thing to look back on is the idea that I graduated, that I am seen by my peers and by my instructors as ready to move forward in my journey as a handler dog team.

13:30 S1

What does it mean to you to have your partnership with Benji?

13:35 S2

For me, it means freedom of movement. It means... reduction of cognitive load. It means knowing that, in my everyday travels, that I have someone with me who's going to do their best to try and keep me safe. It really does mean that, as I move through my world, I can feel a little bit more confident with every step that I take.

14:16 S1

The fact that you had actually already traveled there together. And now returned home was a pretty big journey for you, too. Were you quite kind of confident going down? Was that your first flight together?

14:26 S2

It was my first flight together. And, with every first flight, you always worry about whether or not the dog is going to be okay on the plane, if there's going to be any accidents, if it's going to be any of that sort of stuff. But... the professional that Benji is, he was great on the plane. He charmed all the flight crew. He charmed all the people sitting around him, you know, and I had a little sneaky chat with the person sitting next to me, sharing the row with me and just exclaiming about how good Benji was. And when he found out, he was too, this gentleman said, I can't. I could never see my dog sitting that still on a plane. So it was, it's always a proud moment to see, to be a part of, of the experience for people who don't really understand what goes into... the training and the care of these four legged friends of ours.

15:28 S1

It is quite funny when you say about, you know, the... your seat. Seat, mate, um, whatever you call it, your neighbor saying about him being two is when we think about all of those dogs that graduated, um, you know, they all they are all so young. None of them are, you know, any older than three? Um, which, you know, I think a lot of pet dog owners, especially lab owners, will say, oh, my lab didn't really slow down until there were eight or didn't really mature into adults. So, you know, it's such a big achievement, um, for, you know, as teams for you guys to be so happy and bonded at that stage. Um, it's quite, quite remarkable really, when they're just. Yeah, kind of silly babies to some degree.

16:11 S2

I like that. Silly babies. Yes, they do act like silly babies. I don't know, but you're you're right. Your your description is apt. I was at home this weekend, and, I opened the back door, and Benji has run outside, and he's just doing zoomies around the backyard. The funny thing was, he was doing them with a teddy bear in his mouth. Yes. You know, silly baby babies. Yeah, exactly, which....

16:41 S1

You have to forget. You probably have to forget about that when you then put the harness on you and you're working. Although to be fair, they seem to forget about that too.

16:47 S2

They do. They do.

16:49 S1

They are very, very good at knowing the difference. And, you know, for any members of the public out there who are not aware, they get a lot of time to be... silly babies and zooming and playing and that type of stuff. People just don't necessarily realise that seeing eye dogs are very much still dogs that are allowed to have fun.

17:06 S2

Mm, agreed.

17:08 S1

Well, thank you so much for coming on the show. Congratulations not only on your fabulous emceeing, but on your graduation together. And wishing you many, many more wonderful years of your partnership.

17:21 S2

Wonderful. Thank you Harriet.

17:28 S1

You've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs Show on Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed my interview with Nemoy Malcolm, seeing eye dog handler to Benji and MC at our graduation event, about the event and graduation. If you'd like to find out more about seeing eye dogs and becoming a handler yourself, head to our website at sed.vision.org or reach out to the team at info at Sidorenko. 

Now I've got Jasmine Tevelein, Seeing Eye Dog Graduate as well as part of our Youth Program. Who is going to be chatting to us about her experiences on the youth program and her partnership with Mikey. Without further ado, here is Jasmine. Hi Jasmine, thank you for joining me on the show today.

18:12 S3

That's okay. Thank you for having me again.

18:14 S1

Great to have you back. Could you introduce yourself, please? Yeah.

18:18 S3

I'm Jasmine. I was on in the Seeing Eye Dog Youth Program, and, yeah.

18:26 S1

Could you please introduce your seeing eye dog and tell us a little bit about, you know, him and how long you've been working together?

18:32 S3

Yeah. So my seeing eye dog is Mikey. He... not long turned two in August, and I got him... how long now? I got him on the 29th of April, so it's been a few months now, which is really exciting. He's like a yellowy color, and he's a big boy. He's... a really big boy.

19:03 S1

Are you tall?

19:05 S3

Yes.

19:05 S1

Okay. So. Okay. So it makes sense. Really. It's not like, you know, you're kind of a little short person, and... he's giant.

19:13 S3

He's... the perfect height for me.

19:18 S1

So how what types of outings have you done with your seeing eye dog so far?

19:22 S53

So I've gone on the bus with him. Like I go on the bus with him every two times a week now. And he comes to Melbourne when I go to appointments, and he's really good with that. and I do a lot more night walks with him because I can't see at all in the night. So he's he's really good with that. And yeah...

19:51 S1

Was that something you kind of didn't do or avoided before?

19:55 S3

Oh, avoided. It was my, I avoided with a passion with my cane. And if I did, I walked, like, super slow. But now, like, me and Mike are like, we're like a rocket. We're, like, going.

20:12 S1

Maybe you could do it. But it wasn't comfortable and it wasn't super fun. Whereas now it's kind of something that you can do a bit more relaxed.

20:19 S3

Yeah, definitely.

20:21 S1

Do you guys go to school as well?

20:23 S3

No, but I do like a course. So we take the bus to the place where we do the course. Yeah.

20:33 S1

So I guess thinking thinking back, what made you decide to start thinking about getting a seeing eye dog?

20:40 S3

Well, my mum had a guide dog and it made her so much more independent. And it's something that I've always, like, wanted to do. Like I had a cane since I was like five. So I've had my cane for ages and it still feels really weird, like not using my cane. Knowing that mum had so much more independence made me want to do that.

21:09 S1

I mean, I guess there's no kind of better testimonial than having someone else, you know, in your life using one.

21:16 S3

Yeah, exactly. And then my brother also did have one, and he's going for one as well.

21:23 S1

For you, I guess it means that you have a bit more flexibility. Like...

21:29 S3

Yes. Yeah.

21:32 S1

So what was the Youth Program like, and how did it prepare you for having a seeing eye dog?

21:37 S3

Yeah. So the youth program. It was over a course of a year, and we had Zoom calls each month, and we would talk about our orientation and mobility. And then there was two camps... that we did, throughout the year. And each camp we got to actually work with the Seeing Eye dog to like, just walk with the dog and find out what it is like to actually look after a living thing.

22:14 S1

Yeah, because it's not kind of like, you know, a cane that you can fold away, is it? You know, Mikey has needs.

22:21 S3

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Like, it's a big responsibility to actually look after a dog, even though, like, it can sound like, super easy. And then it's like, since I've gotten in it, a lot of people have asked, Oh, it must be so easy now. You've still got to train with the dog. It's not like it comes trained with you. Well, it does, but you've still got to keep up that training.

22:48 S1

Yeah. And I guess it's one of those things as well. You have to learn to work together too. It's not just like he does all of the work, you know? It's very much a partnership, isn't it?

22:56 S3

Yeah, exactly. It's like people are like, Oh, how did you know how to cross the road? And he doesn't. I have to know how to cross the road. And then he just guides me across the road. And you know, and people are like, Really? I was like, yeah, yeah.

23:11 S1

Yeah. It's not kind of like one person does all of the work, or one person or one dog does all of the work. It's very much like you have to read each other in a different way. 

23:21 S3

Exactly. Like he... I have the tendency of accidentally saying the wrong left or right, and then he just knows that. I mean, the other one, he's like, It's okay, I got you.

23:32 S1

Oh, it's nice that, I guess he can understand, because, I mean, left and right being two of them, you know, I guess more crucial thing out of skills. It's pretty tricky. 

23:44 S3

Yeah, yeah. Like, I do like the right footing, but the wrong word.

23:48 S1

Yes. So does he go with your footing rather than your words? Because he doesn't trust your words as much...?

23:53 S3

He does both. Like he especially he knows where we're going because he has the schedule, like in our head, like, Oh yeah, we're going to, like church. And he knows it the way, he's like, No, we're not turning into a dead end. We're turning the right way.

24:09 S1

He's like, Why would we go there? Why are you telling me this? Yeah.

24:14 S3

Yeah. Sometimes he like, I feel him like looking at me like, Why, why, why do we go that way?

24:21 S1

So, like,  I'm not sure you know where you're going. Yeah. So would you recommend taking part in the Youth Program?

24:29 S3

Yes, definitely. It just tells you whether or not you are ready and whether or not you actually do want to have a seeing eye dog as your mobility aid. Because when I'd done it, there was a couple of people that decided, Oh, look, guide dog mobility isn't for me. And then there was other people that were like, Yes, this is for me. And it the people that run it, they're amazing. Oh, my God, he's coming over. And they're amazing. And they support you throughout the whole thing. And even when I got my key, they were still there supporting me. Yeah. Yeah. So it is definitely the best... program to produce, especially if you're younger in the age bracket of these program, to really find out whether or not you can do it.

25:28 S1

And I guess it's really good for someone to kind of think about if they are a little bit on the fence and like, will that actually fit in with my life? Like you said, it's kind of some people decided. Yes. Other people decided not now or not. 

25:41 S3

Yeah, exactly. And like they the people that run it, they supported you with whatever decision you made. And...

25:52 S1

So how for you and I guess you kind of probably touched on this a little bit, but how do you think that having a seeing eye dog has changed your life?

25:59 S3

Oh, like 100 times better? It's... really amazing because, like... you're not afraid to go outside by yourself. Like, some people don't feel like that with a cane. And some people feel hesitant with a cane. But like with Mikey, I just feel like, Oh, I know I can do this, I know I can do that. And like, he follows me around like a shadow. So it's like you got a best friend as well. But it's such a good mobility aid, and they're amazing. They really are.

26:39 S1

Is there anything else that you would like to share about either the Youth Program or having a seeing eye dog? 

26:45 S3

I just want to say, like, if you are thinking about these programs, just go for it - because there's nothing that you can lose. And if you do it, there's heaps that you can gain as well. And don't be shy, because they are amazing people that run the program.

27:01 S1

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show. And please give Mikey a really big pat from from not just me, but also I'm sure all of the listeners would agree that he probably...

27:10 S3

I will thank you for having me again.

27:20 S1

You've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dogs Show on Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed my interviews with Nemoy Malcolm and Jasmine Sullivan. 

If you'd like to find out about becoming a seeing eye dogs handler, our friendly team are on board to help people who are blind or have low vision with their goals through dog guide mobility. And if you've considered becoming a handler with us, we're happy to chat about your needs. You can email us at info at [?Sidorenko], or give us a call on 1800 037 773 to chat about eligibility or assessment, or for us to answer any questions you have. If you're interested in the Youth Program and you're aged 12 to 18, you can head to sed.visionaustralia.org forward slash Youth Hyphen program or email Brooke at brooke.anderson@visionaustralia.org ...

Thank you for listening. And another very big congratulations to our graduates for the year. Thank you for listening. And don't forget to tune in, same time next week for another episode of The Seeing Eye Dogs Show.