Lachelle Smith

Although Lachelle Smith has been visually impaired since birth, she never considered herself "blind." Her family had taught her to never let labels define who she was. "I was low vision, but I had to live the sighted life because I was in a mainstream school," she says. It wasn't until she attended college that she began to use adaptive technology.

Lachelle came to realize that with the amount of traveling she did, the cane was slowing her down. "I had a tendency to run into things more or just was never able to really view my surroundings without a quick scanning. I was constantly moving my head back and forth, and I would get very tense."

Before choosing the Guide Dog Foundation, she made sure to do her research. It was also important to her that the Foundation is accredited by both the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International. "I thought it was a really great program. I love the small class sizes, the convenient location to my home, and the actual [learning] strategies."

Lachelle was teamed with Lyra, a Standard Poodle, because her husband has severe allergies to dog dander. "The training experience was wonderful," she says. "My trainer was very patient … I had a lot of questions. He helped me to link this new information with things I could relate to past experiences so there would be a bridge of understanding. I really connected with that."

Lachelle's faith is very important to her. "I believe that my visual impairment is a blessing to my life. There are burdens associated with blindness, but for me, the blessings significantly outweigh the burdens."

Her guide dog is one of those blessings.