Love Leads the Way tells the true story of Morris Frank; who with the help of the first seeing eye dog (Buddy), opens the path to service dogs becoming accepted by both society and the law. If not for their hard work & determination; visually impaired people; would not have the option of being able to go everywhere a sighted person can go today. The seeing eye also is credited with opening the door to service dogs that are becoming more accepted for different medical disorders, early seizure detection, etc.

This film has only been aired twice:

1. "Love Leads the Way: A True Story" is a 1984 television film that originally aired on the Disney Channel on October 7, 1984.

2. It was later re-aired on The Disney Sunday Movie on ABC on May 4, 1986 as Love Leads the Way.

3. The movie was only ever made available on home VHS. (VHS tapes and VHS players are no longer available for people to buy - current technology is either DVD or Blu-ray).

Movie Synopsis:
A recently blinded boxer (Morris Frank) becomes one of the first American users of a seeing eye dog (Buddy) and must fight to remove the legal barriers impeding there use. Morris Frank having become permanently blinded during a sparring match while training as a boxer; loses his sight and in a time when being a blind man, meant being home bound. Not able to see traffic signals, or see vehicles on busy roads; or even obstacles in his path; even going for a simple walk around the corner could be a dangerous endeavor for a blind person. Then Morris learns of a Seeing Eye dog facility in Germany, founded by Dorothy Eustis. Morris travels to the Seeing Eye facility and trains with his first seeing eye dog (Buddy). After spending many months in Germany training along side Buddy, they return to the United States only to be met with doors closing in their faces from public transportation, to restaurant owners, etc. Then Morris & Buddy reach out to senators/congressmen to get laws changed or create new laws that would classify seeing eye dogs as service animals to be allowed into places of business and public transportation, etc.

While I was in college (1989-1992), I had the opportunity to meet someone who was visually impaired from the age of 8 years old who had lost his sight due to a disease. I asked my room mate who used a seeing eye guide dog, if he had ever listened to the movie: Love Leads the Way and he told me he had never heard of it. I reached out to Disney directly, some years ago about this movie being re-released onto DVD or better yet onto Blue-ray. And the response I received at the time via email; was that, if enough people would request the movie to be released onto DVD/Blue-Ray they would consider pulling it out of their movie vault.

This movie, can be an inspiration to both teens/young adults & adults who may have suddenly (via an accident or over a long period of time are losing their sight due to illness). This movie can give them inspiration to not give up and that they can still be just like a sighted person to some extent; and not someone who feels all they can do is only sit in their home or apartment. But can venture out into the world with a seeing eye dog and still enjoy everything life has to offer. Let this petition lead the way to having this Disney movie be re-released onto current technology (Blu-ray discs) for newer generations to both enjoy and be inspired!