How the 'amazing' Pretzel will help Scott march in Sydney's iconic Mardi Gras parade
Scott Dixon-Smith and his guide dog Pretzel are "stoked" to march in the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. (ABC Radio Sydney: Isabella Michie)
Scott Dixon-Smith, who is blind, will be marching with new-found confidence in tonight's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, thanks to his guide dog, Pretzel.
Pretzel has been assisting Mr Dixon-Smith for more than a year and this will be his first time at the parade.
"It just felt like a natural thing to do," Mr Dixon-Smith said.
"What a great way to demonstrate to others how easy it is and how effortless it can be with a guide dog … he's just amazing."
Pretzel will enjoy the march but won't attend the after-party, as it may be too overwhelming. (ABC Radio Sydney: Isabella Michie)
Mr Dixon-Smith will pack a bag full of Pretzel's favourite treats, including kangaroo and chicken tenderloin, along with extra water, to ensure he is well cared for during the march.
"I am not worried," Mr Dixon-Smith said.
"However, I am familiar with the signs and if it looks like he is getting stressed out, we will take some time away."
After years of hiding his sexuality, Mr Dixon-Smith never thought he would be marching in a pride parade in front of thousands.
"But when I walked through the closet door, I closed it and never looked back," he said.
The pair will be marching with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and Pretzel will wear a special harness so he can easily be seen by the crowd.
'Like Pac-Man eating up retinal cells'
Mr Dixon-Smith was 20 and studying at Westminster College in the US on a sports scholarship when he suddenly started missing tennis balls.
His coach thought he was just being lazy.
Scott Dixon-Smith was born in the US but moved to Australia after meeting his husband, Geoffery. (ABC Radio Sydney: Isabella Michie)
"He said, 'Stop trying to give them points. Let's get it done.' And I said, 'I wasn't trying to give him points,'" Mr Dixon-Smith said.
"All of that led to more serious conversations."
After multiple consultations with various doctors, Mr Dixon-Smith was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disease that slowly takes away vision, in 1979.
"[It's] kind of like a little Pac-Man running around and eating up the retinal cells," he said.
After his diagnosis, Mr Dixon-Smith shifted away from a career in professional tennis and later took a marketing role at IBM.
Accepting of blindness but not sexuality
Accessibility in corporate America was "pretty challenging" in the 1980s, but Mr Dixon-Smith's workplace made adjustments to accommodate his level of vision at the time.
"They took all my course materials and they increased the font size. The colour of the page, they dimmed it to make it easier [to read]," he said.
His colleagues accepted his disability, but Mr Dixon-Smith felt he had to keep his sexuality a secret.
"I knew at the time going into corporate America, it wasn't something that was readily approved of," he said.
After hearing derogatory comments towards gay people made by his colleagues, Mr Dixon-Smith decided to create two lives — personal and professional.
"It just kind of put me on notice that I need to keep things to myself … and to suppress any of that [sexuality] because, I mean, that's just where it was back in the day," he said.
That changed when Mr Dixon-Smith decided to start his own company.
"When somebody would ask me if I were married or if I was dating, I would let them know — 'Yes, and his name is so-and-so,'" he said.
"I felt good about that … If somebody else has an issue with that, that issue belongs to them, not to me."
Navigating with 'the greatest of ease'
By the time he was 40, Mr Dixon-Smith had completely lost his vision.
He considered a guide dog but did not have a spare eight weeks to dedicate to training.
"I had just started my software company … it just wasn't something that was in the cards at that point," Mr Dixon-Smith said.
As work demands eased, he decided to seek training to help improve his use of a cane. A mobility instructor suggested he consider a guide dog.
Scott Dixon-Smith says Pretzel has made him feel able to go out and explore his neighbourhood independently. (ABC Radio Sydney: Isabella Michie)
In September 2024, Mr Dixon-Smith met Pretzel and the connection was instant.
"You cannot even begin to imagine the amazing difference it has made in my life," Mr Dixon-Smith said.
After more than 30 years, he folded up his cane and swapped it for the harness of his new best mate.
"I had no hesitation. I grabbed the harness and off I went. I thought 'OMG' — you could not take the smile off my face," Mr Dixon-Smith said.
Before getting Pretzel, he would never go for a walk down the street by himself.
"Now with Pretzel, he and I glide down to the wharf," he said.
"We just do it on our own, which is great. It's amazing — we navigate escalators [and] stairs with the greatest of ease."
No more barriers
Pretzel and Mr Dixon-Smith's next outing will be marching in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on Oxford Street tonight.
"I hope it gives them [parade attendees] the opportunity to say, 'Hey I'd like to talk to him', because I would love for anybody to reach out to me and I welcome that conversation," Mr Dixon-Smith said.
"I have never allowed my disability to define me. I think that's important."
Scott Dixon-Smith it felt like a "weight had been lifted" when he came out. (ABC Radio Sydney: Isabella Michie)
Reflecting on his closeted days hustling in the corporate world, Mr Dixon-Smith is proud of how far he has come in expressing who he is.
"I could never imagine this [marching in a pride parade]," he said.
Mr Dixon-Smith hopes he will motivate others with vision impairment to take a greater part in community events.
"There should never be a barrier and we should be proud of who we are," he said.
"The only barrier is the one we set for ourselves — and we are better than that."