[blparent] Stroller Fail!

Wendy Meuse w_meuse at telus.net
Thu Mar 17 23:58:40 UTC 2016 

Hi Jo Elizabeth:  That was excelent.  Thank you for sending this.  I know a couple of people who may really be able to make use of 
this.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto via BlParent" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
To: "Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at msn.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2016 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Stroller Fail!


Here are some tips I received from my guide dog school about working a guide
dog and using a stroller.  I've posted them before, but they might bear
repeating now, with new moms on the list.  I, for one, did not like the
jogging stroller.  I liked the small umbrella stroller because I found that
it was very easy to pull and it was close to my body size.  But different
strokes for different folks, I guess.


WORKING A GUIDE DOG WHILE PULLING A BABY STROLLER

Summaries
Project Goal: To research and develop a technique which enables a guide dog
user to safely and effectively use a baby stroller while working a guide
dog.

Project Results: No fully safe method was identified.  Although workable
techniques were recognized, even the safest use has an element of risk for
the stroller to leave the sidewalk or tip on uneven surfaces.  Reasonable
technique and equipment was identified for a physically capable guide dog
user to utilize at their own risk.

Methods
Considerations: While it is generally safer to carry an infant in a Snugli
or backpack when working a guide dog, there will be situations where itbs
necessary to use a stroller. Example: Guide dog user has back or shoulder
problems, which prohibit him/her from carrying a child. Or, the weight of
the infant exceeds the limits of the backpack/Snugli according to
manufacturer specifications. Pushing the stroller is not an option for a
visually impaired traveler, the individual should pull the baby behind the
team.
**NOTE: The infant should (at least) be big enough to have developed
head-control before being pulled in a stroller. That way, if there is any
tipping, the risk of injury is reduced.

Mechanics of pulling a stroller: Depending on the style of stroller, it may
be preferable to attach the stroller to the handlerbs waist. (For our
purposes on campus, we have a leather harness that connects the stroller to
the handler.  This harness was custom-made and is not readily available.)

For strollers with a solid bar handle, a belt can be used (a wide,
bweightliftingb belt is more comfortable than a standard belt). However, it
is possible to simply hold onto the bar handle with the right hand without
attaching the stroller to the handlerbs body.

For strollers with separate bhookb handles, a support cane can be attached
to one side to extend the handle. This allows handler to hold onto stroller
and maintain a more natural arm position.

Customized Training Dogs:
            Prerequisite b GW basics must be well established before
introducing baby stroller work. Ideally, the dog will respond reliably to
verbal commands only. Hand gestures will not be possible as both hands are
occupied.

       Custom Training
At down and up curbs, give the bforwardb command, immediately followed by
the bhaltb command. This will allow the handler to enter/exit the street,
then stop so that the stroller may be lowered/lifted safely. The dog must be
easily handled with only the harness hand for these bcurb haltsb before
progressing to a toleration of the stroller.

            Stroller Introduction  - Training dogs should be allowed to
sniff and socialize with the stroller before GW is attempted.
Heel the dog in several environments while pushing the stroller ahead,
allowing the dog to see it move and make all itbs noises.
Once the dog has been socialized to the stroller, harness up and pull the
stroller behind while heeling the dog for a block or two. This allows the
dog to get used to the stroller noise behind them.




Guidework Introduction  - Once the dog is fully comfortable heeling with the
stroller in-tow, it is safe to begin guidework. Begin with a long, straight
walk.  It is necessary to hold onto the stroller handle with the right hand
in order to stabilize it. Otherwise, it may tip over or bfish tail.b
                        Street Crossings: At the downcurb, the bforwardb
command is immediately followed by the bhaltb command. This allows the
handler to enter the street, then stop so that the stroller may be lowered
safely to street level. Once this is accomplished, the command bforward,b or
bhopp-upb are given to finish the crossing. At the upcurb, the above
(bforward, haltb) is repeated to lift the stroller to sidewalk level.
(NOTE: Regular curbs and ramped curbs pose the greatest risk of the stroller
tipping over. Caution is advised.)
       Turns:  Mechanics depend on the type of stroller, however, it is
usually necessary to hold onto the stroller with the right hand.  No hand
gestures are possible, only clear body facing to help communicate to the
dog. Turns will be slower and more awkward due to the logistics of
maneuvering the stroller. In some cases, it is preferable to tip the
stroller onto two wheels (usually the rear, stationary ones).
Full About Turns (180 degree turns) are very difficult to perform with the
stroller.  The handler must heel the dog holding only the leash while also
stabilizing the stroller with both hands.
Distractions:  Handling distractions while pulling a stroller can be
challenging. For this situation, it is easiest when the stroller is attached
in some manner to the handler so that his/her hands are free to regain
control of the dog.

Student instruction:
First and foremost, any student must be advised of the potential risks (to
the child) when working a guide while pulling a stroller. Even with the most
capable traveler, there is risk involved.

Review above technique with student and have him/her practice working a dog
with the stroller in tow. It is imperative to have the approximate weight in
the stroller to demonstrate how the stroller will move with the child in it.
(Obviously, the dog should have been exposed and trained to this experience
prior to class.)
It is important that the student understand that the dog is NOT responsible
for clearance errors involving the stroller. The dogbs job continues to be
safely guiding the student/graduate ONLY.

Stroller styles: There are many styles of strollers. Most can be modified to
accommodate work with a guide. Here are some comments from GDB graduates
currently pulling strollers with their guides.
b"           Strollers with reversible handle allows baby to face forward and
makes steering easier, according to one grad. She likes the bigger strollers
with the storage underneath for diaper bags, etc. She works her dog on wide
sidewalks with the stroller slightly offset to the right. She does not
attach the stroller to herself, just holds onto it. She has had no problems
with tipping. Recommends that users purchase a bfive-pointb harness that can
be placed in stroller to secure baby, if it does not already have one.
b"           Another graduatebs opinion is that the baby and stroller must
face backwards. She recommends all-terrain type strollers with single-hand
steering ability.
Note: When we were btest-drivingb a three-wheeled, all terrain jogging
stroller, we found it to be the most uncomfortable, unstable and unsafe type
of stroller. It tipped over easily, was virtually impossible to steer and
the wheels bumped into the dogbs hind legs at stopping points. Therefore, we
do NOT recommend jogging strollers in conjunction with guidework.

Recommended Safety Considerations and Equipment:
b"           Five-point infant harness, if stroller does not have one.
b"           Solid knowledge of the routes surfaces.
b"           Travel surfaces wide enough to easily negotiate the stroller.
b"           Bicycle flag attached to back of stroller to alert
motorists.
b"           Red flashing bicycle light or reflectors.


Jo Elizabeth

"The Bright Side of Darkness"
is my newly published novel,
available in Kindle, audio, and paperback formats at Amazon.com.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Jolynn Page via BlParent
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2016 4:53 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Jolynn Page
Subject: Re: [blparent] Stroller Fail!

Hi,
I have a three-month-old son and I am still trying to figure out how to use
the stroller. I have a guy dog and she has learned to compensate for the
wider pathway she needs to make for the stroller. What I have done is when
going places that I need the car seat or even if I don't, I will put my son
in the car seat and snap the car seat into the stroller. Then, I push the
handle of the car seat back so that it is behind his head and I will pull
the stroller using the car seat handle. It works when they are little enough
to be in the car seat. I have not figured out how to use the stroller
without the car seat. I was able to buy a Graco travel system that can
change configurations depending on how you set it up. Anyways, that is the
best that I have come up with so far.

Jolynn and Maraba

> On Mar 17, 2016, at 1:42 PM, Judy Jones via BlParent <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>
> We didn't even start with our girls in the stroller until they were
> probably closer to a year old, plus we used our packs most of the time.
> Their preference, wanting to be close.
>
> Judy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Star
> Gazer via BlParent
> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2016 2:24 PM
> To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Cc: Star Gazer
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Stroller Fail!
>
>                Hi Steve. That's why the carseats that snap on top of the
> stroller are so popular, if it is safe for a car, it's safe for a baby at
> walking speed. All this being said, I was anxious about having my girls in
> the stroller when they were tiny. I have no idea why.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Steve
> Jacobson via BlParent
> Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2016 3:53 PM
> To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List' <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
> Subject: Re: [blparent] Stroller Fail!
>
> Allison,
>
> Check the wheels on your stroller.  On some of these strollers, each wheel
> has a lock that keeps the wheel from swiveling left to right.  If all four
> wheels are allowed to swivel, this will cause the exact behavior that you
> are observing.  You would not want to lock all four wheels because turning
> would then become very difficult.  I found that when pulling the stroller,
> it worked best to lock the wheels that are on the end of the stroller away
> from the handle.  When pushing the stroller, locking the wheels nearest
> the handle works best.  However, you might want to experiment to see which
> works best for you.
>
> On the strollers I have seen, the lock is sort of a slide just above the
> wheel that cam be moved up and down.  The slide will only lock the wheel
> when the wheel is turned so that the wheel is parallel to the stroller, in
> other words, oriented as they need to be when you are traveling in a
> straight line.
>
> I am almost certain this is the problem you are having, so if you do not
> find any kind of lock, check the instructions in case it is done in a way
> that is not obvious.
>
> In some ways, though, I might be a little hesitant to wheel a baby that
> young around in a stroller.  My kids arrived when they were older, though,
> so I am not a good judge of this.  I only know that when kids are very
> young, you don't always know what they are doing in a stroller.  If they
> can be restrained in a way that you feel is safe, this might be an issue.
> However, to have their head at at a bad angle when you hit a bump in the
> sidewalk might not be so great for a baby whose neck strength is not
> completely developed.  However, I'm an old dad whose kids are grown, and
> some of the more current parents here might have better advice.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Allison
> via BlParent
> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 10:27 PM
> To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List' <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Allison <allison82 at cox.net>
> Subject: [blparent] Stroller Fail!
>
>
>
> Hi Everybody,
>
> My daughter, Allyssa, is 9 weeks old now. I love my baby. It turns out
> that I also love getting out of my house sometimes. I had a lot of great
> plans for this when I was pregnant, plans about how I could successfully
> get out in the world with my child, and I can now safely say that almost
> none of them have worked out. LOL.
>
> I tried a bunch of strollers at a local store before my daughter, Allyssa,
> was born. I bought a Graco Click Connect in the end because it seemed like
> the best balance of usability and affordability that I could find at the
> time. It has a stroller with a car seat that clicks right into and out of
> it. I tested it at the store with my cane and verified that I could in
> fact pull it behind me. I also tried it on the sidewalk in front of my
> house when I brought it home. Great, right? Yeah, only great because it
> did not yet have a baby in it. I tried it with said baby in it last
> weekend and it was less than successful. The stroller now wobbles and
> wavers when I try to pull it behind me. It is only slightly less awful
> when I pull it next to me, but when it's next to me, I worry that my cane
> arc isn't wide enough to safely cover me and baby both because the
> stroller takes up a lot of space.
> Moreover, the stroller was nearly impossible to manage when encountering
> anything other than a 100% flat surface, and turning or changing
> directions was something like trying to heard cats. As a result, I've
> mostly been wearing Allyssa in a front carrier when I'm out. I like this
> option a lot because she's safe, my hands are free, and Allyssa likes it,
> but I'm worried that my body won't allow me to wear her as she grows
> heavier. Pretty much every carrier I've tried pulls on my neck or
> shoulders at least a little.
> Sooner or later, I will probably want to travel with her in a stroller.
> And so far, the stroller has been a bit of a fail as it zigs and zags all
> over the place. I could buy a new one, but buying multiple strollers will
> get expensive quickly. Does anyone have any solutions for this stroller
> craziness? Does it get better somehow? Will I become that blind mom who
> never leaves the house alone with her kids? Please please tell me that is
> not my future. If I start to think that it is, I may be tempted to drown
> myself in my breast milk. So please share some words of wisdom!
>
> Thanks,
> Allison
>
>
>
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