[blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

Heather craney07 at rochester.rr.com
Thu Jan 21 18:15:19 UTC 2010


But, I was sixteen, I was not twelve.  When I was twelve I was still very 
bright, and when I had to be, very mature, but, I fully achknowledge that I 
should have not had a guide dog at twelve.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)'" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:42 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?


> How much richer were your lifes experiences because you had a guide dog?
> You sound like a remarkable soul, to have had the drive and determination 
> to
> do all that you did and to travel the distances you did at the hours you 
> did
> tell me how responsible you are. How would your experience have been
> different if you did not have a guide dog, or more pointedly someone other
> then yourself or your parents decided you could not have gotten a guide to
> be there to help you garner the life skills, experiences, and confidence 
> to
> do what you did?
>
> 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."
>
>
> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Heather
> Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 1:55 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
>
> Hi there.  I am a guide dog user.  I have been using a guide dog since I 
> was
>
> sixteen, and my mother has been using guide dogs for over thirty years and 
> I
>
> grew up with them, but still waited until I was sixteen.  I honestly don't
> think that most sixteen year olds should have guide dogs or need them, but 
> I
>
> walked a block to the school bus stop, took my dog on the bus to school,
> navigated the halls of my highschool for three class periods, then walked
> three blocks and crossed some really nasty parking-lots to take a city bus
> downtown to the Eastman School of music, then I would have classes there 
> for
>
> a while, then take a cab to college for night classes, and take a
> paratransit bus home at almost midnight.  My dog would sit with me on 
> stage
> during performances, I was a voice student.  She would navigate the pool
> room at the YMCA, while I swam, and she traveled with me to many festivals
> and performance venues.  If I wanted a sandwich I would have to find a
> student, ask them for dirrections to a good place to get a meal, then 
> strike
>
> out on my own and hope for the best.  I would explore downtown, 
> discovering
> the best coffee shops and cafes.  If I missed a para transit bus, I would
> have to take a city bus from the college downtown to the line up at eleven
> thirty at night, then transfer to another bus that would drop me off four
> blocks from home.  If I didn't have such a great need, I would, not have 
> in
> good conscience applied for a dog.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dr. S. Merchant" <smerchant at vetmed.lsu.edu>
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)'"
> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:23 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
>
>
>> Well- I don't weigh in often and this is also my opinion, AND, I am
>> sighted
>> so I don't have a dog, but my understanding is that the guide dog user 
>> and
>> guide dog have to constantly learn from each other, the learning and
>> teaching of the dog doesn't stop when the dog graduates from school, and
>> if
>> it does stop then over time the guide dog becomes less and less helpful.
>> (I
>> do know this need for reinforced training from being a veterinarian for
>> the
>> last quarter century).  So when one takes that into account, the guide 
>> dog
>> user must be mature enough and able enough to continue to train their
>> guide
>> dog.  I think this is one of the age concerns.. but would invite a guide
>> dog
>> user to this conversation.
>>
>> Sandy Merchant Taboada
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Carol Castellano
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:54 AM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
>>
>> Well, I'll chime in with a different view.  My experience observing
>> young guide dog users leads me to believe that even at 16 or 17, it
>> is the RARE young person who has the required all-around ability to
>> use a guide dog.  I have no statistics for this; my opinion is based
>> only on observations...over the past 20 years or so.
>>
>> Another concern I would have for allowing a 12-year-old to use a dog
>> is that in order to be a good traveler with a dog, the blind person
>> needs to be a good traveler in general.  A person would need a lot of
>> experience in all aspects of travel in order to be successful with a
>> dog.  For example, much information needs to be kept in mind when
>> traveling without the direct contact with landmarks, etc., that cane
>> travel provides.  How many 12-year-olds have such experience?  Have
>> they traveled much independently at that point?
>>
>> Last but not least, many people out there--some parents
>> included--believe that a guide dog would protect their child and take
>> him/her places safely.  They see dog use as a panacea for what they
>> perceive as the travel difficulties and safety issues facing their
>> blind child.  This is no basis for getting a guide dog!
>>
>> So, all in all, my feeling would be against this idea.
>>
>> Carol
>>
>> Carol Castellano, President
>> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
>> 973-377-0976
>> carol_castellano at verizon.net
>> www.nfb.org/nopbc
>>
>> At 10:09 AM 1/20/2010, you wrote:
>>>Here here!  Wy set the bar low when in fact a child of 12 years or 13
>>>years
>>>has the capacity and maturity to handle the responsibility? Isn't it our
>>>responsibility  to give all children those tools they need based upon
>>>their
>>>individual abilities to achieve all things possible in their lives. I do
>> not
>>>see the reason for nor the reluctance  to allow any teenager an
>>>opportunity
>>>to exercise their choice for mobility and that it include a guide dog.
>>>
>>>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."
>>>
>>>
>>>Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>Behalf Of Doreen Frappier
>>>Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:40 AM
>>>To: (for parents of blind children)NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List
>>>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
>>>
>>>I am not opposed to having responsible 12 year olds own and care for a
>> guide
>>>dog.  I believe that children mature at different rates. For example, 4-H
>>>children own and care for animals (on their own) at very young ages. 
>>>They
>>>are responsible for feeding and caring for that animal. One of my
>>>children,
>>>(sighted) is 13, and has been the sole trainer of a dog since she was 9
>>>years old.  She has won many awards and competitions with her dog,
>> including
>>>adult dog shows. She is responsible for feeding and caring for that dog.
>>>When the dog gets her check ups at the vet, she comes to the vets office.
>>>It's true, a young person can not take care of the expenses of a guide
>>>dog,
>>>but I am all for training teaching blind children to be independent as
>> early
>>>as possible. I think each situation is different.  I am not aware of
>>>everything that goes into caring for and owning a guide dog, but I think
>>>some children are capable and should not be excluded because of
>>>  age.
>>>
>>>Doreen
>>>
>>>--- On Wed, 1/20/10, Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>From: Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com>
>>>Subject: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
>>>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
>>><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>>Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 7:22 AM
>>>
>>>I just wanted to get some feedback on this from some parents of blind
>>>children and teens.  I, personally, was absolutely apalled to hear that a
>>>local guide dog school, not mentioning names *coughs* Freedom guide Dogs
>>>*Coughs* has preposed a program to place guide dogs with twelve year 
>>>olds.
>>>All of the other schools in the US accept teens no younger than sixteen 
>>>or
>>>eighteen years of age, depending on the school, but twelve?  I am happy 
>>>to
>>>note that at present, no O and M instructors, parents or twelve year olds
>>>have contacted the school to enquire about this program, but I am 
>>>dreading
>>>the day.  This makes a mockery of those exceptional blind teens who are,
>>>at
>>>sixteen or seventeen, responsible enough, committed enough and have
>>>demanding enough schedules to properly care for, utalize and actually 
>>>need
>> a
>>>guide dog.  At what age would you consider supporting your teen in
>>>researching guide dog schools?  At what age would you support them
>>>actually
>>>  submitting applications?  How old would you want your teen to be before
>>>actually being placed with a guide dog?  Do you think that you would have
>>>the blunt honesty to deny your support of your child getting a dog guide,
>> if
>>>they were not emotionally, mentally, etc capable of utalizing a guide 
>>>dog,
>>>at that time in their life?  Do you think that you could restrain 
>>>yourself
>>>from taking care of the dog, interacting with the dog, or doing things
>>>that
>>>would undermine the ownership of the dog by your blind teen, 
>>>acknowledging
>>>their sole ownership and responsibility for the dog, even if you, as 
>>>their
>>>mother or father still have all other rule-making power in the 
>>>house-hold?
>>>Finally, would you ever, honestly let your twelve year old apply for a
>> guide
>>>dog?  I just felt this should be brought to the list's attention.  Just 
>>>me
>>>personally, I would not encourage my blind teen to start researching 
>>>guide
>>>dog schools until age fourteen or fifteen, and I would not
>>>  allow them to apply to schools until they were at least fifteen, and
>>> that
>>>is assuming that they are emotionally ready to deal with the demands of a
>>>guide dog, such as handeling an emergency vet situation, mentally able to
>>>care for the dog, such as, researching and selecting safe toys, effective
>>>medications and appropriate foods, mature enough to deal with the social
>>>implications, such as access issues, and that they actually had a need,
>>>not
>>>just a want for a guide dog, due to a challenging travel area or complex
>> and
>>>demanding schedule of activities and classes.  Please share your 
>>>thoughts.
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>blindkid mailing list
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> o
>> o
>>>.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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