MEON Valley MP George Hollingbery walked blindfold with a dog through a busy town square on Friday to understand the challenges facing the visually impaired.
He saw what life was like for a blind person as guide dog Walker helped him navigate The Square in Wickham.
Mr Hollingbery described the 20 minute walk, judging traffic and watching his step, as an "immensely humbling" experience.
The event, organised by the Guide Dogs charity, highlighted the lack of facilities for visually impaired people in the square, such as audio signals at crossings or tactile paving.
"Even though I had Walker with me all the way, crossing roads in such a busy and noisy environment as The Square made me very nervous indeed," Mr Hollingbery said.
"But I tried to remember that these are the challenges that visually impaired people go through every day. My 20 minutes gave me just a little understanding of what those challenges are.
"It was an immensely humbling and, at times, quite scary experience to take part in the blindfold walk.
"Walker really was a brilliant companion and Guide Dogs do a superb job helping people lead an active life."
The 18-month-old dog is one of hundreds trained by the charity. For more details visit guidedogs.org.
George Hollingbery with Gunner and Walker (centre), plus owner Ian Morris and Erin Li from Guide Dogs
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