The news that a visually impaired person will be the minister of social and family affairs resonated with a lot of peer  – support communities. Visually impaired people with guide dogs also articulate their opinion actively. Our foundation summed up send-offs  in 5 points. These are based on the answers to the questions addressed   to our own community what they want to draw Kátai-Németh Vilmos’ attention to.

The majority of the respondents welcomed the ministerial appointment, and besides they emphasized how difficult duty he will have and the result will not depend only on him but also on the support he will get from the government and his colleagues.

Guidance for  the road ahead for the minister

1. The appointment holds symbolic significance. The minister can reinforce the real-world experience that people with disabilities are fully capable of taking action for their community as decision-makers, rather than being mere beneficiaries of support systems.
2. Through them, the community gains a major opportunity for the cause of disability rights to be restored to its rightful place and for genuine results to be achieved.
3. He should represent all groups of people with disabilities. Measures must be implemented based on objective criteria. No unfair advantage should be given to anyone—neither to those in the minister’s immediate circle, nor to specific individuals with disabilities, nor to any representative advocacy organizations.
4. Hopefully, improving the labor market position of people with disabilities will be a key government objective. The minister is expected to do everything in his power to ensure more employment opportunities for people with disabilities, enabling them to earn a decent living.
5. He should advance and promote the cause of accessibility.

Summary of the survey

We got to know from the answers of visually impaired people with guide dogs that if the minister is successful, it will support equal opportunities to gain grounds.

The majority of the respondents think that the fact he knows their situation can bring profound changes and he can really have an effect on positive changes in their living and housing. Furthermore there is an expectation which is definitely important for the community: they trust that because of the higher standard of living more of them will be able to have a guide dog. (Our foundation gives over its guide dogs only if the applicants can ensure proper living and supplying conditions for keeping a guide dog.)

It was a historical moment

Baráthegyi Guide Dog School Foundation evaluates that Kátai-Németh Vilmos’ invitation to the ministerial position is a happy and at the same time a historical moment. He has got an opportunity to prove: a visually impaired person getting chance will do well with the same professionalism and responsibility as a sighted person.

The background of the survey

In the last 20 years our foundation has given over guide dogs to almost two hundred visually impaired people. We regularly ask our clients about theit opinion on the affairs that are important for them. The respondents  – the clients who got a guide dog  from us – are of different professions: teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, experts by experience who do awareness raising  work and there are others who are working though not in their learned profession, or are unemployed. We received answers from 20 of them, aged between 30 and 50.

This year we celebrate our 20th anniversary. Over the past two decades, we have provided more than 200 assistance dogs free of charge.

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Our tax number for 1% donation: 18449149–1–05

Baráthegyi Guide and Assistance Dog School Foundation

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