[Blindtlk] Canes and Dogs, the In-House Checkup

[Michelle Medina]

I don't own a guide dog, but I would definitely agree with this, and
now that I KNOW about not being guaranteed to hold onto a Dog, if I
ever did decide to get one, I won't be getting one.

On 12/16/12, Diane Graves <princess.di2007 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Now that would be a good idea. After all, we have a strong O&M program run
> by our own for cane users. Why *not* have a guide dog program? I like that
> idea.
>
> Diane Graves
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Peter
> Donahue
> Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2012 1:49 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: [Blindtlk] Canes and Dogs, the In-House Checkup
>
> Good afternoon everyone,
>
>     I'm increasingly becoming convinced that some of this misunderstanding
> is being generated by our own guide dog users and not just those outside
> the
> federation. This came clear to me judging from the reactions of those
> attending this year's NAGDU Meeting in Dallas last summer concerning
> several
> issues being discussed.
>     For years the NFB has been trying to convince guide dog schools to end
> the practice of retaining ownership of their dogs and adopt a policy
> similar
> to that of The Seeing Eye. Put simply as Lucas Frank said last summer "We
> have no (Ownership policy)! When students complete training they leave the
> school with their dog and it is there's."We also know that a number of
> schools that retain ownership have wrongfully taken dogs from their
> handlers
> with no explaination of why. We just picketted Amazon last Wednesday. I'll
> retract this belief concerning the use of guide dogs when NAGDU organizes
> pickets of guide dog programs that wrongfully take dogs from their blind
> handlers to bring public awareness to this shabby practice.
>
>         Likewise I worked with several NAGDU Members to craft a "Guide Dog
> consumer Bill of Rights." During the NAGDU meeting schools at the
> convention
> were asked to indicate whether or not they would "Sign on" and recognize
> the
> rights of the blind consumers they serve. Some refused to comment. Others
> side-stepped the issue all together and still others wanted to "Negotiate."
>
> I shure hope we don't go down the negotiation path and allow these outfits
> to water down this document. As far as I know not one guide dog program has
> signed on to the Guide Dog Consumer Bill of Rights.
>
>     Going back to the matter of ownership retention when Marion Gwizdala
> and
> a few others spoke out strongly against the beliefs of guide dog programs
> that ownership was necessary pittifully few in attendence applauded. Yet
> these same people joind others to help bring the house down when it came to
> cheering on those that spoke in opposition to the continued payment of
> subminamum wages to blind shop workers! If you asked me something is very
> wrong with that picture!
>
>     If the NFB was more agressive in addressing these matters we would be
> more visible and people would know that we do indeed recognize one's choice
> to use a guide dog for independent travel and are a force in the affairs of
> guide dog users. If folks find this offensive I'll gladly retrack what I
> said when the following conditions are met:
>
> 1. Greater publicity is given to the practice of ownership retention of
> dogs
> by guide dog schools.
> 2. All schools recognize the NFB'S Guide Dog Consumer Bill of Rights as it
> was originally drafted.
> 3. More is done to urge all guide dog programs to employ blind persons as
> guide dog trainers and class instructors.
> 4. (This is the big one.) We entertain discussion concerning the NFB'S
> establishing its own guide dog program; a program operated by guide dog
> users for guide dog users!
>
>     I have repeatedly suggested such a discussion to President Gwizddala
> but
> to date it has not been an item for discussion during the NAGDU Meeting.
>
>     If there are still folks that think we're anty guide dog we should look
> within our organization to see if there are actions and lack of actions
> that
> are still perpetuating this myth. Persuing more agressive solutions to the
> issues I've discussed above could put us further down the road to ending
> this misunderstanding. All the best.
>
>
> Peter Donahue
>
>
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