Exquisite Guide Dog partnership on show at South Australia Charity Lunch

Getting on and off an escalator isn’t the easiest thing for any four-year-old, but what if the child only has about two per cent vision on a good day?

That’s the experience of Alana Tiller, currently a Psychological Science student at the University of Adelaide, who has a genetic condition called oculocutaneous albinism.

Tiller, a speaker at this year’s ANZIIF South Australia Charity Luncheon says it was a bit of a shock for her family to discover she had the condition because no one else had had it.

Tiller’s parents wasted no time — they did their research, attended conferences and reached out to a variety of support groups.

A part of everyday life

As a result, Guide Dogs SA/NT has been a part of Tiller’s life from a young age. “They have provided me with a variety of services and assistive technology ever since I can remember,” she says.

“I’ve been lucky to have that independence to get around on my own in certain situations, for example, learning how to use a white cane.

“I was a bit of a rebel child. I never liked using my cane, but Guide Dogs SA/NT taught me how to use it.”

Tiller particularly remembers an Orientation and Mobility Instructor who taught her to get on and off an escalator when she was four years old.

“That was the scariest thing ever,” she says.

Goalball and mentorship

From the age of five, she started playing the Paralympian sport of goalball, which is designed specifically for people living with low vision or blindness. The game involves a 1.5 kilo ball with bells inside, which players roll around to score the most goals.

“Playing goalball enabled me to meet people with the same condition as me who were doing adult things like getting a job, being a teacher, being a game developer,” recalls Tiller. “I never got that exposure to people like me from media as there isn't a lot of coverage in the media of disabled people.”

Participating in goalball also provided Tiller with access to mentoring she might not have otherwise received, including from her goalball idol, an Olympic player, Jenny Blow.

“Jenny used to live in New South Wales and she was a teacher,” Tiller says. “She has the same eye condition as me and we became pen pals for a bit when I was around nine years old.”

“I thought she was the coolest person ever. I stole her jersey number in goalball. We were never on a team together because we were different ages, but we both wore the number one in our teams because I looked up to her a lot.”

The love of a dog

When she was 18, Guide Dogs SA/NT gave Tiller her first guide dog, Rocket. On her first day of university, the organisation supported her to take her first steps on campus assisted by Rocket, who was trained specifically for the job.

“It's a really big campus so being able to have both my Guide Dog Instructor Taylor and my university Disability Coordinator orient me and Rocket around for the first time was very reassuring,” she says.

“If I get into an unfamiliar area, or maybe take a wrong turn, I'm able to orientate myself back into a space that I know using the skills Guide Dogs has taught me.”

Although relying on Rocket completely is a new experience, Tiller says she can fully trust him to make sure she avoids walking into things or going in the wrong direction.

She adds that Rocket is a good identifier for others to become aware that she has a disability.

“They get out of my way rather than me having to look out for them,” she says. “They see me and Rocket, and they give me room to move.”

A companion and a comfort

For Tiller, Rocket is much more than a guide dog. He is a companion and a comfort.

“Whenever I'm having a bit of a cry about uni work being stressful, he's always the first one there to cuddle up with me,” she shares.

But Tiller says Rocket has two modes: when he's working and when he's not working (If only it were so simple for humans!). “He knows that when he's in the harness, he's got a job to do,” she explains.

“His demeanour completely changes. But when he's off the harness at home or not doing anything, he's just a pet.”

One of the misconceptions Tiller would like to address is the view that assistance dogs are “worked to the bone” and never get to do the fun things that normal dogs do.

“It’s quite honestly the opposite,” she says.

“Rocket loves working. Whenever the harness comes out of the drawer, he's instantly running to the door.

“At home, he's really a puppy at heart, I think, and he's very loved.” One of Rocket’s few requirements is that he's not allowed on furniture.

“He needs to know never to go on furniture,” Tiller confirms.

“So you often see me or one of my family members sitting with him on the floor, having a bit of a pat.”

“But for me, Rocket and I have that special relationship, that whenever I go somewhere in the house, he's following me around.”

Disability advocacy

At the 2024 ANZIIF South Australian Luncheon, Tiller plans to speak about disability and inclusion advocacy, which is her passion, especially in relation to Guide Dogs SA/NT, this year’s chosen charity.

“Guide Dogs SA/NT has given me so much in my life that I like to give back to them by volunteering and speaking on their behalf as a client,” she says.

“I like to communicate to audiences about how thankful I am to them and just showcase their work. Conveying to an audience what an obedient and fully trained guide dog does for me, I think is a huge and often emotional experience for people.”

Tiller also asserts that there are huge misconceptions about disability in our society.

“I like to break those and share my experiences of being a person with a disability in Australia and how there are so many, so many challenges within our society,” she says.

Room for growth

While Tiller says Australia is one of the leading societies in terms of being inclusive, she says there's a long way to go.

“I think for any society we're constantly growing. I don't think we'll ever be considered perfect, but it would be lovely to aim for that.”

She says she’s fortunate to have grown up in Australia as it is so accessible compared to many other countries.

“Everything can be adaptable to some degree. I've grown up very privileged to go to public and private schools and now a university that is so inclusive and willing to learn and adapt.

“I’m confident we can create a more inclusive society within Australia. I think we are getting there, and we are definitely good, but there's always space to grow.”

Rocket will be on hand at this year’s South Australia Charity Luncheon to show off his expertise.

Find out more about the 2024 South Australian Charity Luncheon