[humanser] Jury finds IA Dept. for Blind's guide dog policy does not discriminate

Fri Feb 20 19:19:37 UTC 2009

James,
    As the President of the National Association of Guide Dog users, I would 
like to offer my comments to answer your questions. I believe that the use 
of a long white cane is the fundamental skill of mobility. Unless one is 
able to travel with a cane, one will not be fully competent with a guide 
dog. In addition, there are many circumstances in which a guide dog is not 
the most appropriate choice for mobility tools, e.g., going to a concert, 
roller skating, or going to someone's house who would prefer to not have a 
dog in their residence.
    When a person goes to guide dog school, they expect to learn to use a 
dog. These people are not upset when they are asked to put their canes aside 
during training so as to learn how to effectively use the guide dog! I do 
not understand why people are so upset that a training facility that focuses 
upon using the white cane wants you to put aside your guide dog for a time 
in order to focus upon that skill! As I mentioned earlier, unless a person 
has a variety of mobility tools and learns how to make use of them for their 
specific circumstances, that person is not fully independent. A carpenter 
has many tools in his arsenal and has learned to use each one, as each has a 
specific application. you cannot build a house with a hammer, but you need a 
hammer in order to build that house! JMHO!

fraternally,
Marion Gwizdala, President
National Association of Guide dog Users
National Federation of the Blind


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Brown" <jbrown321 at comcast.net>
To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 10:27 PM
Subject: Re: [humanser] Jury finds IA Dept. for Blind's guide dog policy 
does not discriminate


> Hello all,
>
> Can you share some knowledge with someone who has always been a cane user?
>
> Setting aside all the legalities, what does everyone think about this 
> case? Any die hard cane users out there?  How about you guide dog lovers, 
> what do you think?
>
> Is there a significant difference between using a cane or dog?  Is either 
> one really that perfect?
>
> Are we trying to shape other blind people into our own image, all the 
> while damaging the individuality of the blind population?
>
> whether it's a stick or a dog, aren't we all depending on something?
>
> Is this a kind of twisted psychology, or is it more about being practical?
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
> JB
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Wilson,Joanne (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)" 
> <JWilson at nfb.org>
> To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 4:24 PM
> Subject: [humanser] Jury finds IA Dept. for Blind's guide dog policy does 
> not discriminate
>
>
>
> ----------
> From: Brammer, Robert [AG] [mailto:rbrammer at ag.state.ia.us]
> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 1:53 PM
> To: Brammer, Robert [AG]
> Subject: Atty. Gen. release: Jury finds IA Dept.
> for Blind's guide dog policy does not discriminate
>
> To News Editors.   From Bob Brammer (Iowa
> Attorney General's Office - 515-281-6699.)
> Please find a release pasted below.  This will be
> posted soon at
> <http://www.iowaattorneygeneral.org/>www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.org
> .  A jury entered a verdict Wednesday in this
> case in Polk County District Court.
> Best regards,  Bram
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> For immediate release - Thursday, February 19, 2009.
> Contact Bob Brammer - 515-281-6699
>
> Jury finds Iowa Department for the Blind's
> Guide Dog Policy Does Not Discriminate
>
>             Des Moines.  A Polk County jury has
> rejected a Des Moines woman's claim that the
> State of Iowa Department for the Blind
> discriminated against her by refusing her request
> to use a guide dog while she attended the
> Department's orientation and adjustment training program.
>
>             The Department for the Blind
> orientation and training program is a
> comprehensive program that utilizes a totally
> non-visual approach to teaching blindness
> skills.  Students with partial vision are
> required to wear eyeshades to prevent reliance
> upon any visual cues during training.  Department
> policies prohibit the use of any visual aids
> within the orientation and training program,
> including guide dogs.  The Department has no
> objection to guide dogs in other situations.
>
>             Stephanie Dohmen, who is legally
> blind, attended the program for several months
> beginning in September 2000 and sought to
> re-enter the program in June 2002 accompanied by her guide dog.
>
>             Dohmen claimed in her lawsuit that
> the Department's policy violated her rights under
> the Iowa Civil Rights Act and under federal laws
> that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.
>
>             After a six-day trial, the
> eight-person jury rejected Dohmen's claims in a verdict entered Wednesday.
>
>
>             The Department for the Blind, which
> was represented in the trial by the Iowa
> Attorney General, argued that a totally
> non-visual approach - and training without
> assistance of a guide-dog or other visual aids -
> is the most effective approach for
> visually-impaired persons who are learning skills
> and techniques for dealing with blindness.
>
>             The Department places no limitations
> upon the use of guide dogs in other settings,
> including in the Department for the Blind
> building in downtown Des Moines.   For example,
> Karen Keninger, the Director of the Department,
> uses a guide dog, and the dog accompanied
> Keninger during her testimony at the trial.
>
>             The orientation program typically
> includes about six months of full-time training
> in various problem-solving skills, such as
> cane-travel on public streets, using Braille,
> using computers, and dealing with many other situations.
>
>             The Department for the Blind's
> orientation and adjustment program was
> established in 1959 and is considered by many to
> be one of the most effective in the country.
>
>             During the trial, the State
> Department for the Blind presented testimony from
> Joanne Wilson and Frederic K. Schroeder, each a
> former Commissioner of the U.S. Rehabilitation
> Services Administration, which oversees programs
> for the blind around the country.
>
>             "Iowa's orientation program
> profoundly changes lives," said Wilson, who also
> is Executive Director of the National Federation
> of the Blind.  "It works.  It's a cutting-edge
> program and a model for other states."  Wilson is
> a Webster City native and ISU graduate who went
> through the Iowa Department for the Blind's orientation program herself.
>
>             Schroeder said:  "To me the central
> point is that individuals have a choice in the
> type of training they take.  While programs must
> and should make reasonable accommodations, they
> cannot be required to alter the fundamentals of the program."
>
> - 30 -
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> humanser mailing list
> humanser at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/humanser_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> humanser:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/humanser_nfbnet.org/jbrown321%40comcast.net
>
> _______________________________________________
> humanser mailing list
> humanser at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/humanser_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> humanser:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/humanser_nfbnet.org/swampfox1833%40verizon.net