Doing non-visual geographies: the guide-dog human relationship

自从Wolch和Emel(1995：pp.636)呼吁“把动物带回来”以来，人与动物的关系一直是一个值得注意的地理调查领域。然而，仍然存在一个重大差距，即残疾地理位置和动物地理位置之间的关键关系，以及援助或支持动物的作用未得到充分研究。这个项目将认真调查导盲犬及其与视障和盲人的关系，以及他们日常生活的地理位置。目前，英国有200万人患有失明，约36万人在当地政府登记为盲人或部分视力(RNIB，2017)。此外，18万人很少因为抑郁和孤立感而独自离开家。目前，英国有4800只导盲犬伙伴关系(导盲犬，2018a)。该研究项目将研究人类和动物在日常生活中是如何体现和体验这种跨物种关系的。使用非代表性的方法(Andrews等人2014)，并向Hall和Wilton(2017：pp.727)呼吁进行研究，以“促进我们对残疾的复杂和新兴地理的理解”，学生将优先将导盲犬关系作为一个关键例子，通过它可以理解人与动物的相互交织的能力。该项目的总体目标是探索人-导盲犬的空间和情感关系，以及它是如何在日常生活中实施的。

Human-animal relations have been a notable area for geographical inquiries since Wolch and Emel's (1995: pp.636) appeal "to bring the animals back in". Nonetheless, a significant gap remains, namely the critical relationship between disability geographies and animal geographies, and the understudied role of the assistance or support animal. This project will critically investigate the guide-dog and its relationship to visually impaired and blind persons, and their everyday geographies. Currently in the UK two million people are experiencing sight loss and around 360,000 people are registered with their local authority as blind or partially sighted (RNIB, 2017). Moreover, 180,000 people rarely leave home alone due to depression and struggles with feelings of isolation. Currently there are 4,800 guide-dog partnerships in the UK (Guide Dogs, 2018a). The research project will examine how this cross-species relationship is embodied and experienced in everyday lifeworlds by humans and animals. Using a non-representational approach (Andrews et al 2014) and addressing Hall and Wilton's (2017: pp.727) call for research to "advance our understanding of the complex and emergent geographies of disability", the student will privilege the guide-dog relationship as a key example through which entwined human-animal capacities can be understood. The overall aim of the project is to explore the human-guide-dog spatial and affectual relationship and how it is enacted in everyday life.