SHOPPERS in Clydebank will get the chance to walk through a realistic simulation of what visually impaired people go through every single day.

Guide Dogs UK is bringing its sensory tunnel to the Three Queens Square on Saturday, November 28, to raise awareness of the everyday issues people with blindness and sight problems go through.

Gordon Buchanan, of the West Dunbartonshire branch of Guide Dogs UK, said the experience is realistic and encouraged members of the public to attend.

He said: “If anyone has ever wondered what it may be like to be visually impaired, then now is the time to come down to Clydebank’s Three Queens Square and learnsee what it feels like.”

The pitch-black tunnel has different noises, textures and obstacles which distort the senses.

The charity said it would give peopleofficers a chance to experience the challenges faced by the visually impaired.

West Dunbartonshire provost Douglas McAllister and members of the emergency services are due to kick off the simulations at 11am on Saturday.

Mr Buchanan will be on hand as well with Carlo, thea trainee guide dog who failed to pass his tests, and there will be guide dog puppies for visitors to pet.

He added: “Guide Dogs relies so heavily on its support from the public because it receives no funding from the government. 

“The lifetime cost of a guide dog is around £50,000 and it costs about a fiver a day to support each working dog partnership we have. 

“So, events like bringing the sensory tunnel to Clydebank are important to remind people of how valuable the guide dogs are to society.”

Mr Buchanan also told how every penny made in Scotland remains in the country.
The average working life of a guide dog is five to six years, they are then taken in by willing members of the public.

Across the UK, there are nearly 4,800 guide dog owners, but the charity itself is responsible for more than 8,000. 

It breeds around 1,300 puppies every year, but not all become registered guide dogs.
Visit www.guidedogs.org.uk for more information on the work the organisation does.