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What is the Connections Service?
Opportunities to meet people and make friends.
Whether you have recently experienced a change in vision or you have had low vision or blindness from birth, you can be a connected member of the community.
Our Connections Service provides opportunities to meet with other people who have low vision or blindness. By sharing stories, understanding, experiences, and friendships, you can draw support or simply enjoy making new friends.
Guide Dogs invites you to CatchUp
An accessible online community platform for people with low vision and blindness.
Check out your new home base for social connection, information, and more. It’s called CatchUp. You’ll find social discussions, resources and news, events, and opportunities to connect with people with low vision and blindness.
Current programs: Young Adults Program
Connect with others to form new friendships, enjoy activities together, and share stories of lived experience.
The Young Adults Program (YAP) is designed for young Victorians aged between 18 and 35 who are blind or have low vision. The program aims to enhance independent mobility and living skills in a supportive group setting, focusing on areas of interest for young adults including:
- Social skills
- Technology
- Travel skills
- Health and wellbeing
- Adventurous activities
- Personal Development opportunities.
YAP events run every month either online or at various locations around Melbourne.
YAP is proudly supported by the Collier Charitable Foundation.
Download our YAP factsheet to find out more about YAP and see the 2022 calendar of events.
Call Guide Dogs Victoria on 1800 804 805 or email CSAdmin@guidedogsvictoria.com.au for more details or to join YAP today!
Current programs: Connect with Community and Peer Groups
Connect with Community and Peer Groups
Connected Together is an initiative which supports community and peer groups led by people with low vision or blindness, their families, carers or support networks to connect with each other through a one-time funding opportunity for sports, arts, cultural and social activities – either in person and online.
Call Guide Dogs Victoria on 1800 804 805 or email at connections@guidedogsvictoria.com.au for more details, or download the FAQs here. Connected Together is supported by the Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Grant program.
Current programs: Client Connect
Get to know others living with low vision or blindness in your local area.
Client Connect provides monthly opportunities to join a group chat via Zoom from a landline, smartphone or computer and get to know others living with low vision or blindness in your local area. Client Connect currently runs in Bendigo and Geelong.
Sessions run for 1 hour and are casual, friendly and informal and may be general discussion or have a set topic. New Clients are welcome to join. These sessions may provide support and discussion on many topics including living with low vision or blindness.
Call Guide Dogs Victoria on 1800 804 805, email connections@guidedogsvictoria.com.au, or fill in the Expression of Interest form below if you’d like to be involved in Client Connect!
