[blindkid] Canadian Study on Guide Dog Use by Children

Albert J Rizzi albert at myblindspot.org
Thu Jan 21 02:50:52 UTC 2010


Well said. Each case as each handler regardless of age needs to stand on
their own merits. It is not for the faint of heart to take on the
responsibility of a guide dog, but if one is up to the task and meets the
standards at least leave that option open to all blind people regardless of
age, within reason.

Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."


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-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Peter Donahue
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 2:20 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: [blindkid] Canadian Study on Guide Dog Use by Chilldren


Good afternoon everyone,

    As a guide dog user not afraid to think out of the box I've been 
interested in issues like this for many years. I became aware of the 
research project discussed in the attached document when I wrote a paper on 
guide dog schools in North America in 2002. Foundation Mira of St. Madaline 
Quebeck, (Outside of Montrael) has been training guide dogs with blind 
children for over 15 years with success. There are occasional placements of 
guide dogs with blind teenagers by our own schools but for the most part 
guide dogs are only given to blind adults for the reasons others have 
discussed previously. Although I'm not in support of the wholesale issuance 
of guide dogs to young children each case should be evaluated individually 
and thorough thought should be given to the placement of guide dogs with 
cblind children and youth. Perhaps an evaluation process described on the 
page whose URL appears below should be undertaken when blind children and 
youth applicants are considered for training with a guide dog:
http://www.mira.ca/en/programs/7/guide-dog_25.html

    The URL for Mira Foundation's Home Page is:
http://www.mira.ca/en/

    Perhaps NOPBC, the National Association of Guide Dog Users, the NFB 
Jernigan Institute,  and some of our guide dog programs could partner to 
conduct a similar research project here in the states. If any program to 
train guide dogs and place them with blind children and youth is to be 
established in this country I would rather see it be done by none other than

the blind themselves. Blind adults, parents, and educators of blind children

and youth understand all aspects of such a venture and would be positioned 
best to create a program of this kind. It's for this reason I'm all in favor

of the NFB establishing its own guide dog program as many of our current 
guide dog training programs leve much to be desired. All the best.

Peter Donahue





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