It’s vegan season! Nauga season! Vegan season! Nauga season! Vegan season! Vegan season! Nauga season! Vegan season! Oh, okay … bang
It does (as well as pets in general), but lots of blind people don’t use seeing eye dogs, either. (There’s also some debate in the vision-related community as to whether those who use canes are actually better at getting around while those who use dogs become more dependent on them.)
hawksgirl, I’d leave it up to her to cope with, unless your director is insisting that you must find some acceptable-looking alternative rather than risk her coming up with something that sticks out like a sore thumb. And to add an addendum to my previous advice, I think a thin but stiff sheet of plastic, or that “plastic canvas” stuff from a craft store, would hold up better as a cap base than cardboard would. First stiff rain would destroy a cardboard-backed hat.
Sounds like she can wear any type of hat she wants. But it needs to be stiff to support buttons and other ‘flair’?
How about a big old staw ‘farmer’ hat.
I wear one to my Wifes races. Lot’s and lots of people. And besides from protecting me from the sun, I’m easy to find.
I donno, maybe spray paint it black and cut some of the brim off? Should be plenty sturdy enough.
Excuse me, hawksgirl, but are there at least 15 pieces of flair on your hat?
Would any of these work? There’s a phone number on the site, maybe she could call and ask about materials. There are other hats listed there that specifically say “felt”, so I’m guessing these aren’t.
At least. That picture is three years old; I’ve acquired quite a bit more since then. Which reminds me, my largest button is bright purple and says “If we aren’t supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?”. 
Its my favorite, after my “Reading is Sexy” pin.
I didn’t follow the link to the picture, so forget that “sticking out like a sore thumb” thing. 
Let her get her own damned hat.
Fake fur!? Do you know how many Muppets were killed to make that dress!?
(Yes, I do love “Get Fuzzy”.)
Hawksgirl, while I do appreciate the kindness that leads you to look for a hat for the girl, I agree with some of the others that you should let her find her own hat. She has made a conscious decision to be vegan. She needs to start learning that the entire world is not going to say “Oh, you’re vegan? How wonderful!” and revolve around her. If she wants to participate enough to find her own hat, great. If not, you probably don’t need her anyway.
This is easy, since its mid-September already:
Buy a pumpkin larger than her head, cut out the bottom and stick it on her head. The statement it will make will say it all.
Won’t somebody think of the pumpkins???