Ágnes Mészáros, vice president of the Central Hungarian Regional Association for Blind and Partially Sighted People likes helping others and she feels that she is in the right place to do that. Ágnes has been visually impaired since her birth, and her condition further deteriorated when she was a teenager. Three years ago, Ágnes decided that she would like to have a guide dog, so she submitted her application to our foundation.

In her current position, she is responsible mainly for operative tasks, furthermore her tasks include selecting tenders, preparing the applications for them and coordinating them. She is also responsible for community
building.

Ágnes cannot see at all with her right eye. With her left eye she can only see colours and contrasts. She needs a magnifying glass to use her phone or fill in a cheque, but she cannot recognise even her own child from a distance of one or one and a half meters, if they don’t speak.

Ágnes has a very positive personality, but three years ago she decided that her independence would be further reinforced by a guide dog. Ion, the two-year-old black Labrador has been living with Ágnes and her family since April. Soon they are going to take a traffic safety exam.

“Ion gives a lot; he is a great help,” said Ágnes in a programme of Médiaklikk, with a smile on her face. She had to learn to communicate with Ion and to give instructions to him. “We connected very quickly.”

Zsolt, Ágnes’s partner also supported the idea of a guide dog. Now he thinks that Ágnes moves around with more confidence, which also affects their relationship. “Getting a dog is a big decision, it is a commitment for 10 to 15
years. I am happy that we got Ion. He fits in the family and we treat him as a family member,” says Zsolt.