A Three-Day Challenge to Dye the World of Note a Little Bit in Guide Dog Colors ③ Today, May 22nd, is Assistance Dog Day for the Physically Disabled — It's Not Just About Conveying Sound, It's About What Hearing Dogs Connect Us To

Does everyone know what day it is today?

Those of you who have been reading my articles for a while have probably heard it more than enough over the past few days, right?

Yes, today, May 22nd, is "Assistance Dog Day for the Physically Disabled."

This day became "Assistance Dog Day for the Physically Disabled" following the enactment of the Assistance Dog Law for the Physically Disabled in 2002.

So, for these past three days.
"I want to dye the world of note a little bit in guide dog colors."
I have been taking on a challenge filled with the wishes of myself and Happy-ojou.

And today is finally the last day.
Moreover, today is the actual Assistance Dog Day for the Physically Disabled.

That is precisely why today, more than ever, I hope the world of note will be...
A day overflowing with many assistance dogs—guide dogs, service dogs, and hearing dogs.
I would be so happy if it became a day like that.

Good morning.
Thank you for always reading the notes of Happy-ojou and me.
I am Natsuko, a consultation support specialist for the visually impaired.

"I want to dye the world of note in guide dog colors."

That challenge has finally reached its third and final day.

Everyone, thank you so much for all your cooperation.

Yesterday, too,
you wrote articles,
you added hashtags,
you used images,
and you supported us with likes and comments...

I am truly filled with joy.

Actually, before starting this project,
I was quite anxious.

"What if I do this and no one reacts?"
"What if it just ends in self-satisfaction?"

Honestly, I had many such feelings.

But once I actually started,
so many people
supported Ojou and me,
and worked on it together with us.

That makes me truly, truly happy,
and my heart is full.

And above all,
I am extremely happy that
everyone is writing about assistance dogs for the physically disabled
in your own words.

Since many wonderful articles have been posted,
I would be very happy if you all could read them as well.

Many others have also
added hashtags,
left comments,
supported us with likes,
used images...

Inside note,
it is overflowing with many assistance dogs.

I am truly filled with joy that you are creating such a world together with me.
Today is the third and final day.

But I hope that

this won't end with just today,
but that this will be a catalyst
for assistance dogs to naturally overflow in the world of note even more,
and for them to exist there as a matter of course.
I hope such a warm world will spread.

So everyone,

please continue your cooperation today as well ☺️
And although this challenge will come to a temporary pause after these three days,

I would be happy if you could continue to
support assistance dogs for the physically disabled in the future.

It feels like the article has already ended, but...
This is where the main topic of today's article begins ☺️

Today is
the third day of the "I want to dye the world of note in guide dog colors challenge."

And,
since it is the actual Assistance Dog Day for the Physically Disabled,
I would like to write an article about assistance dogs for the physically disabled today as well.

Since I introduced service dogs yesterday,
I hope to write about the other type of assistance dog,
the "hearing dog," today.

However, to be honest,
I am not extremely knowledgeable about hearing dogs.

So this time,
I will write about what I learned
by watching YouTube and researching various things.

And,
what I personally felt through that.
I would like to write about that today.

If you also
are interested in guide dogs, service dogs,
and hearing dogs, and have researched them,
or if you have any memorable episodes,
I would be happy if you could introduce them ☺️

So—
the main topic starts here.

🐾 What kind of dog is a hearing dog?

When you hear the term "hearing dog," what kind of image comes to mind?

To be honest, I have often shared information about guide dogs, but I didn't know much about hearing dogs.

But this time, while researching and watching YouTube in line with Assistance Dog Day for the Physically Disabled,
I felt many times that "hearing dogs are truly amazing beings."
First, I found a wonderful YouTube video, so please watch it if you'd like ☺️

The work of hearing dogs,

the lives of the users,
and what kind of thoughts they live together with.
I think it's a video from which you can learn a lot.

I cried a little while watching it, so...

You might want to have a handkerchief ready.
Or maybe I'm just a crybaby... lol

Hearing dogs are assistance dogs that do the job of conveying "sound"
to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

For example—

The intercom.
The phone.
An alarm clock.
A fire alarm.
A baby crying.
Someone calling your name.

They are beings that tell you,
"A sound just went off!"
for those "sounds in daily life" that we hear casually.

And they don't just bark; they come to the user,
tap them with their front paw,
or nudge them with their nose to let them know,
and then they guide them to where the sound is coming from.
It's truly amazing, isn't it?

And while researching, I felt once again that "sound" is extremely important.

Since I lost my sight,
I have been living while being helped by so many sounds.

The sound of cars.
Car horns.

Traffic signal sounds.
People's voices.
Bicycle bells.
Train announcements.
Intercoms.
Broadcasts.
I think I rely on "sound" in my daily life more than people who can see.
Sounds actually tell us a huge amount of information.

For example, breaking news on TV.

I think you all
hear that unique sound like
"piron-piron"
and realize, "Oh, it's breaking news."
We visually impaired people

can notice that "something happened"
from that signal sound.
But after that,
if the content of the breaking news is only in text on the screen,

there are many times when I don't know what actually happened.
So, while researching hearing dogs this time,
I felt that "missing information due to not being able to hear"

is something that surely overlaps with us visually impaired people.
We who can hear
are actually unconsciously directing our attention to a lot of information

through "sound."
The sound of breaking news.
Station announcements.

Warning sounds.
Chimes.
By hearing a sound,
we can naturally notice,

"Something is happening."
"Important information is coming up now."
But people with hearing impairments
cannot receive that "trigger to direct attention" itself.

So,
if they happen to be watching TV,

and there is text on the screen, they can get the information.
But conversely,
if they aren't watching, they can't notice.

Not being able to receive the sign that "important information is coming up now"
is, I thought, something that leads to very great difficulties

in obtaining information.
But if a hearing dog were there to
tap them and say, "Something just made a sound,"
only then could they

direct their attention to the TV.
And
they would be able to see the breaking news text.

Thinking about it that way,
I thought that hearing dogs are not just "dogs that notify you of sound,"

but beings that create a "trigger to notice important information."
I felt that that

must be a truly great support
for living with peace of mind.
And I

also felt a commonality between visual impairment and hearing impairment there.
Both visual impairment and hearing impairment
are "disabilities of the sensory organs."

That is precisely why
I feel there are many overlapping parts

in the difficulty of "obtaining information" and the feeling of being left behind by information in society.

And another thing,
I thought the difficulty regarding "communication"
is also very great.

For us visually impaired people,
it is difficult to even go to a place of communication in the first place.

We don't know who is there,
or we don't know the timing to speak up.

Even if we are in the same space,
there are times when I feel a loneliness as if I am the only one left behind,
wondering, "What is everyone looking at and laughing about?"

But if you face the other person
and a conversation starts properly,
communication itself is relatively easy.

However, for people with hearing impairments,
it is difficult to enter the "conversation itself."

Communication, of course,
includes non-verbal exchanges like facial expressions, gestures,
and the atmosphere.

But after all,
I think the center of our communication
is "voice" and "words."

Because they cannot hear that voice,
they might not understand the flow of the conversation,
or the timing to join the talk might be difficult.

Even though they are in the same space,
they are the only ones left behind.

I thought that loneliness and anxiety
must be greater than we imagine.

Visually impaired people,
and surely people with hearing impairments too,
I think there is a bit of a hurdle
for the "first step" of communication.

"How should I speak to them?"
"Will it be conveyed properly?"
"Will I be a nuisance?"

While carrying such anxieties,
entering into relationships with people
is actually something that takes a lot of courage.

But by having guide dogs or hearing dogs,
they create that "first trigger"
very naturally.

"They're cute,"—
a conversation starts from that one word,
and from there, the relationship deepens little by little.

Personally,
since I met Ojou,
many people have started speaking to me because of Ojou.

If you have a visual impairment,
it takes courage to speak to people yourself.

But because Ojou is there,
conversations with people around me are born naturally.

I feel that
they are not just helping me move,
but are creating a "trigger to connect with people."
I think hearing dogs are surely the same.

For people with hearing impairments,

having a trigger for conversation born,
having others take an interest in you,
and having relationships deepen little by little from there.
I think that

has a very great meaning.
Assistance dogs

are not just supporting our lives,
but I felt once again this time that they are also beings that give us the "courage to connect with people."

While researching hearing dogs and watching videos this time,
I felt once again
that hearing dogs are truly amazing beings.

Conveying sound.
Notifying of danger.
Creating a trigger to notice important information.

Of course, that is also
the important work of hearing dogs.

But surely,
it's not just that.

The anxiety and loneliness born from not being able to hear or being hard of hearing.
The distance from people.
The difficulty of communication.

I thought they might be beings that are also quietly staying close to those things.
And I

felt once again that visual impairment and hearing impairment
have something in common
in the difficulty of "obtaining information" and "connecting with people."
That is precisely why
I think assistance dogs

are not just beings that help with daily life,
but are supporting "living like themselves."
Going outside with peace of mind.
Connecting with someone.

Going to places you like.
Living an ordinary daily life.
They are quietly supporting such days
right by our side.

I felt that
that is what guide dogs,

service dogs,
and hearing dogs are.
For these three days,
I wanted to dye the world of note a little bit in assistance dog colors.

With that thought,
I have continued to post with Happy-ojou.

Many articles.
Many likes.

Many comments.
And,
many kind feelings.
Thank you very much.
Thanks to everyone,

I was able to see such a warm scene

where many assistance dogs are walking inside note.
This three-day challenge is coming to a temporary pause today,
but I would be happy if you could continue to
keep assistance dogs for the physically disabled in your mind,

even just a little bit.
And,
if you see assistance dogs in town,
please watch over them warmly 🐾