Blind Cardiff City Councillor Joan Ward, recording her notes while her guide dog Jenny

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Blind Cardiff City Councillor Joan Ward, recording her notes while her guide dog Jenny

Blind Cardiff City Councillor Joan Ward, recording her notes while her guide dog Jenny looks on. *JOAN WARD, above, made history when she was the first blind person to be elected as a Cardiff councillor in 1979. A former social worker, Joan said at the time: " I was caught on the hop. I was annoyed at the time by some incident and somebody asked me if I would stand for council. I said yes." Joans family would read reports to her, and she would transcribe notes in Braille. She lost her sight in one eye as a toddler after an accident, and her other eye began to deteriorate when she was 13. Joan joined the Labour Party in 1974. With her guide dog, Jenny, she got to know the maze-like chambers of city hall so well that she was often asked for directions. 15th June 1981

Western Mail and Echo Ltd
Cardiff
Wales

Media ID 21638614

© Mirrorpix

Blindness 1981

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> Europe > United Kingdom > Wales > South Glamorgan > Cardiff

> Memory Lane Prints > Mirror > 0400to0499 > 00405

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Blind Cardiff City Councillor Joan Ward, recording her notes while her guide dog Jenny looks on. *JOAN WARD, above, made history when she was the first blind person to be elected as a Cardiff councillor in 1979. A former social worker, Joan said at the time: 'I was caught on the hop. I was annoyed at the time by some incident and somebody asked me if I would stand for council. I said yes. ' Joans family would read reports to her, and she would transcribe notes in Braille. Joan's determination and resilience are evident in this powerful image captured by Western Mail and Echo Ltd in June 1981. Despite losing sight in one eye as a toddler after an accident and facing deteriorating vision since age 13, Joan never let her disability hinder her ambitions. With unwavering support from her loyal companion Jenny, a devoted guide dog who stood faithfully by her side throughout countless council meetings at city hall, Joan navigated the maze-like chambers with ease. Her familiarity with every nook and cranny of city hall became so renowned that she often found herself being sought out for directions. This photograph serves as a testament to Joan's indomitable spirit and trailblazing achievements within local politics during the 1980s. It is a reminder that barriers can be overcome through determination, adaptability, and unwavering support from those around us.

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