Ingrid's dog 'brought her back to life', then helped her make history

Tonight, Ingrid Barnes will be among the thousands of LGBTQIA+ Australians walking in Sydney's Mardi Gras Parade, but until recently she struggled to even watch the event from the sidelines.

Barnes has Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a genetic degenerative eye disease that has rendered her legally blind. She had now no family history, making her case a shock.

"I was diagnosed correctly in 2018 around my 25th birthday. Talk about a quarter life crisis," Barnes tells 9Honey.

Ingrid Barnes with her guide dog Banner. — Ingrid Barnes credits her guide dog Banner for 'bringing her back to life'. (Supplied)

As a child, her ophthalmologist did detect possible retinal dystrophy but further tests weren't ordered and she grew up wearing strong contacts and thick glasses.

Her vision began to deteriorate more seriously in 2016, before taking a rapid nosedive in 2018 before she was correctly diagnosed.?

"Essentially, RP causes your peripheral vision to deteriorate over time like a shrinking tunnel," Barnes says.

"I have an extremely narrow field of vision at about four degrees, the average person's is about 170-180 degrees."

As a result of the condition, Barnes has no depth perception and night blindness, meaning zero she has vision at night and in poorly lit environments.

It's also expected that she will lose any residual vision in the next 10 years.?

That knowledge is part of the reason marching in the parade is so important to her this year, especially as Sydney is hosting World Pride.

"It's important for people to know when they see those marching with Guide Dogs Australia that vision loss doesn't discriminate," Barnes says.?

Mardi Gras has always been an exciting time for the Paddington local, who identifies as bisexual, but getting involved in the parade itself has been difficult.

"When I was in high school, I attended the parade a couple of times however, with my night blindness, it was often quite an overwhelming experience," Barnes says.

"This was before I knew what was happening to my vision and I didn't have the tools or techniques to feel confident navigating large crowds.

"As I got older, I was less likely to go to watch the parade due to my vision, and it all became a bit much."

As a bisexual woman, being cut off from such a massive community event because of accessibility issues was disheartening, and it wasn't just Mardi Gras she missed out on.

For a long time, Barnes struggled with events where she couldn't sit, or there was low lighting or flashing lights. Coming to terms with her vision was a huge challenge.

"Something that people often don't talk about is the emotional side of experiencing changes to your vision," she says candidly.

"For someone like me losing their vision out of nowhere at a young age, you go through many stages of grief.

"You grieve for the loss of your sight, and the life you had thought you would have lived."

Going blind was the most traumatising experience Barnes had ever faced and in the early days she felt isolated and lost, but was nervous about needing help.

"I was so worried about getting my first cane. It's a massive step to make your invisible illness visible," she admits. That all changed when she connected with Guide Dogs.

Barnes confronted her fears of living with a visible disability and learned to use a cane in public, regardless of if it made her look "different".

From day one, the staff and specialists at Guide Dogs helped build her confidence and put her back on the path to independence.

Then in 2019 she was matched with her very own Guide Dog named Banner and "felt like [she] had been brought back to life".

They've been together ever since, going on countless adventures on planes, to live events and even vineyards, where Banner helps Barnes be independent.

Knowing how much Guide Dogs her life, Barnes jumped at the opportunity to march with the organisation in the Mardi Gras parade for the first time ever in 2020, making history in the process.

"It was an incredible feeling to be part of something I'd only seen from the sidelines," she says.

This year, she'll be joining the parade with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT again, this time with one of her best friends as her walking buddy while Banner watches happily from home.

The giant 4.3-metre fibre-glass Labrador Guide Dog Gulliver will be back at the event after making his debut in 2020.

Gulliver, the group's 4.3 metre tall fibre-glass Labrador mascot made his debut atop the Guide Dogs float in 2020. (MCA) (MCA)

Guide Dogs will also offer an audio description service to clients seated in the parade's official accessible viewing area, as well as those marching in the parade.

Mardi Gras has set the bar high in terms of accessibility, making it easier than ever for LGBTQ+ people of all abilities to safely attend.

For Barnes, that means providing plenty of information ahead of time, as well as clearly labelled accessibility information sections, or even grass sections for service dogs.

"Just knowing that a venue will have people there to help and be welcoming to people with disabilities goes a long way," Barnes says.

It's hard for her to fully articulate how much Guide Dogs has changed her life in the last few years, both as a client and now an employee.

Ingrid Barnes with her guide dog Banner speaking at a Guide Dogs event. (Supplied)

As a speaker for the organisation, she's been able to advocate for the blind and low vision community and has really found her voice.?

"Real representation for the low vision and blind community is sorely lacking and I am thrilled to be a part of that change," she adds.

"Being involved speaks volumes to others who are starting their vision loss journey, who might also be feeling worried or afraid."

Not only does Barnes relish the chance to be involved in such a major event representing other blind and low vision Australians, it's thrilling to be involved in the biggest pride event of the year as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community herself.

"Each one of us marching with Guide Dogs is living proof of the vibrant, brilliant and fulfilling lives we can live, no matter our eye conditions," she says.