There's more to Geraldine than meets the eye.

This week Simon chats to Geraldine Lane, a dog guide and wheelchair user, and Matt Wood, a Seeing Eye Dog instructor; about the importance of having a service dog and the confidence they bring.

When Geraldine's health was affected by a lung disease she was seriously concerned that her independence and physical activity would be restricted, not necessarily by having to use a wheelchair, but by not being able to use a Seeing Eye Dog. Geraldine reached out to Matt and the team at Seeing Eye Dogs Australia (SEDA) who are implementing a program to train dogs to serve wheelchair users. With the help of her dog, Noodle, she has regained confidence and freedom of movement to complete everyday activities.

Please remember the golden rule with Service Dogs is that when they're in the harness, they are working and should not be disturbed. We hope you enjoy this informative and inspirational episode.

Seeing Eye Dogs Australia relies on support and donations. Click the link if you're interested in sponsoring a puppy.

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On this week's episode Simon has a chat with Paralympian and project officer at Rebound WA Natalie Alexander. Natalie discusses her wheelchair basketball career from winning silver in the U25 World Championships in 2011 and 2015 to competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

She uses her passion for sport, community and resilience in her Project Officer role at Rebound WA, a not-for-profit organisation that helps people with physical disabilities engage in sport and recreation opportunities. Natalie chats with Simon about how wheelchair basketball operates, her role at Rebound WA and the joy of helping people find themselves and community through sport.

If you're interested in learning more about Rebound WA you can click here to get involved.

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This week Simon revisits his chat with Louisa Norman, Engagement and Regional Manager at Perth Festival.

Perth Festival will light up Perth city for a massive summer of art and culture from 6 February to 1 March (with the Lotterywest Films program already underway). The Festival will activate the city and your imagination across a dazzling array of art forms, with numerous venue locations, there's something for everyone no matter your interest, ability or access needs.

The Perth Festival team has gone to a lot of effort to ensure that many of the program and events are as accessible and inclusive as possible, which is clear through Simon and Louisa's conversation. The Festival website has been designed to make finding shows and places that are suitable for different accessibility needs easy to find, with lots of detailed information.

Find out more about the Perth Festival program on their website. The accessibility widget can be found in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.

You can read more about the Festival's commitment to accessibility here on their website.

And replay their recent Access Information Evening session on YouTube here.

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