Fellow's Profile
Helen Vaterlaws
Fellow's Profile
Helen Vaterlaws
Guide-Dog and Tech Together: A UK Framework for Sight Loss Mobility
Fellowship
- Themes
- Focus
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Combining assistance dogs and emerging technology to enhance people's independence
- Countries
- Fellowship year
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2026
Contact
Biography
I'm an independent consultant working with charities. Before this I led the science behind assistance dog partnerships that people with a disability rely on every day.
My Fellowship investigates how new technology can extend independence without eroding the relationships, trust and judgement people depend upon. It tackles a simple but overlooked problem: too often people feel they must choose between their assistance dog and the latest technology, when the real benefit comes from using both. I've seen people face that choice and learnt that the strongest outcomes come when people, dogs and technology work together.
I'll learn from leading organisations in the USA and Australia, and work remotely with experts in Japan. In the short term I'll co-create a practical framework with people with a vision impairment to support guide dog partnerships, then extend it across the wider assistance dog sector. Ultimately this isn't just about dogs; I believe the best solutions combine trusted relationships with the power of technology, and if we can make that work with one of our oldest partnerships, a person and their dog, then maybe we can apply those lessons far more widely.
Disclaimer
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.
Disclaimer
All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.
Contact this fellow
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