[Blindtlk] The Infinet Loop of Help Frustration

[Mary Donahue]

Hello Liz and everyone,

	We're really getting tired of this infinite loop!! If other agencies
and organizations of the blind can point blind consumers to various
resources that may assist a blind person with their needs guide dog schools
should do likewise. This is in no way undermining the responsibility factor
associated with owning a guide dog. The decision to retired a dog with a
friend, members of a breedclub or rescue group or to seek veterinary
assistance from such groups is still the responsibility of the graduate.

	We heard this same garbage when it came to finding volunteers to
assist with reading, transportation, and other tasks. Down here we have a
terrible problem with organizations including one of the largest churches in
San Antonio holding the attitude that blind persons need to live in
assistive living facilities when in truth they're very capable of living on
their own. When we approached local agencies and organizations of the blind
for assistance we found ourselves being used as tennis balls being referred
from one entity to another and back again and infinet loop of frustration
rapidly building to anger!

Just as guide dog schools can point their graduates to possible sources of
help perhaps the NFB Jernigan Institute could create a list of volunteer and
even for hire agencies blind people may wish to use for assistance with
daily living services when they feel it appropriate to do so. The only way
we finally resolved this for ourselves was to have Visiting Angels come
several times a month to help us with in-stor grocery shopping, reading
snail mail and to assist us with other tasks when appropriate. One of Mary's
co-workers is helping us with Johnny's needs. Johnny is my guide dog. It's
time that the guide dog community demanded the creation of resource
databases for their graduates to serve as a starting point for seeking help
with issues in question. What happened to networking in the blind community?
If I ran a blind agency anyone harboring such an attitude resulting in blind
consumers being plunged into infinite loops of desperate searches for help
with various issues only to experience frustration and unearthing horrible
attitudes concerning the abilities of the blind being harbored by those they
thought were their allies causing their frustrations to spill onto a list
such as this would not be on our staff. This has happened to us over the
past few years and we're tired of it!

Peter and Mary Donahue



	

-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth Campbell [mailto:batescampbell at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2017 8:25 AM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
		Cc: 'Mary Donahue'
Subject: RE: [Blindtlk] Please Help a Friend and Fellow Grad/Handler If you
Can!

Hi Mary and others on this list.

As Seeing Eye graduates, we are granted ownership of our dogs upon
completion of our training. I believe it is my responsibility to plan for my
dog's medical expenses as well as for retirement.
I am very fortunate that I can keep my retired guide since I am a homeowner
and have good neighbors to help walk him and so forth.

I know there are circumstances where it isn't possible to keep our retired
guides, but I also believe it is our responsibility to do our own research
and vetting in terms of finding friends or others who are willing to give
our dogs wonderful homes when they can no longer work.
Rescue groups are fine organizations, but their primary responsibilities
involve finding homes for dogs that have been abused or that were found
roaming the streets, so to speak.
I don't think we should be asking the school for this type of assistance.

Best regards

Liz

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mary
Donahue via blindtlk
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2017 8:01 PM
To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List' <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Mary Donahue <braille at satx.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Please Help a Friend and Fellow Grad/Handler If you
Can!

Good evening everyone,

	I sent a scathing message to SE last week concerning support for
graduates retiring their dogs and for finding area resources to help with
this and veterinary issues such as those your friend is facing. They need to
partner with area breed clubs and rescue groups to assist graduates with
such issues. Fortunately one of my wife's co-workers is helping us take care
of some issues concerning Johnny. Se is holding a graduate phone conference
later this week. We need to let them know that such support is needed and
they need to do something about it so graduates in need can insure that
their dogs receive the best veterinary care possible and can find suitable
retirement homes for dogs no longer able to work.

Peter Donahue



-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle
Ledet via blindtlk
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2017 11:40 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org; acb-l at acblists.org; blindtlk at nfbnet.org;
GduiChatList at guidedogusersinc.org
Cc: Danielle Ledet
Subject: [Blindtlk] Please Help a Friend and Fellow Grad/Handler If you Can!

Hello Listers,

I have a friend and fellow TSE grad who is experiencing a health crisis with
her dog. Her dog has a medical condition causing her to have difficulty
walking and urinating issues. She also asks about doggie diapers, what to
buy? See the link below to her GoFundMe page and do help if you can.
On behalf of Irena and Darla, thank you!

https://www.gofundme.com/save-my-seeing-eye-dog-darla
--
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of
the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of
these.
George Washington Carver
Email: singingmywayin at gmail.com

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