The IGDF Ken Lord Award is, without doubt, the most prestigious honour that can be bestowed upon an individual from within the international guide dog world.
Ken Lord was one of the co-founders of the International Guide Dog Federation, where he served as Chair of the new Board that was elected to forge professional links between like-minded organisations around the world, in an effort to strengthen the voice of guide dog organisations, and enable the sharing of best practice to the benefit of all guide dog users.
At the establishment of the Ken Lord Award, Ken had dedicated more than 40 years’ service to the guide dog movement and had risen to the position of CEO with the South African Guide Dog Association.
Named in his honour, the Ken Lord Award recognises the lifetime commitment of an individual who has served the international guide dog movement in an exemplary manner.
Nominations are sought, by the IGDF Board, in advance of the IGDF Seminar – at which the selected recipient is named and presented.
They then join an elite group that have been honoured for their part in shaping the international guide dog world we all recognise today.
Previous Ken Lord Award recipients:
2002 – Ken Lord – South Africa
2004 – Keith Holdsworth – Australia
2006 – William Thornton – Canada
2008 – John Byfield – USA
2010 – Doug Roberts – USA
2012 – Alan Brooks – UK
2014 – Jane Russenberger – USA
2016 – Michele Pouliot – USA
2018 – John Gosling – Australia
2023 – Sam Tawada – Japan; and
2023 – Lukas Franck – USA
