Is your practice equipped to accommodate visually impaired clients? A new report from the United Kingdom looks at this question in depth.

According to the paper, published in the Journal of the British Veterinary Association, there are approximately 5,000 guide dogs in the U.K. that provide mobility, independence and improved wellbeing to blind and partially sighted adults and children. Approximately 60 percent of guide dog owners are completely blind or have severe visual impairment; the remainder have varying degrees of residual vision. With the increase in the number of working dogs and their routine veterinary consultations occurring every six months, it is increasingly likely that many veterinary practices will have blind and partially sighted owners among their clients.

In the U.S., there are an estimated 10,000 guide dogs, so it is quite possible that many U.S. practices could face the same issues. The entire article is open access and can be read online at http://inpractice.bmj.com/content/36/9/435.full