[nabs-l] accessibility requirement for program question

[Jamie Principato]

This sounds like that old rule they used to have to try to keep blind people
from becoming Orientation and Mobility instructors. "You have to be able to
see your student from how ever many feet away". I'm pretty sure the NFB
handled that issue well. This is blatant discrimination against the blind.
You might consider asking them what having that kind of visual acuity would
accomplish in the program, and demonstrate or explain how you can accomplish
the same tasks without it. I.E. if they say you need to be able to identify
your animal at a distance with other animals around, explain that your
animal can wear bells on its harness, and that you'll hear the difference
between people moving around and animals moving around at a distance.

On Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 10:50 AM, Jewel S. <herekittykat2 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Yes, there is a way to "get around this." This is a violation of the
> ADA. There was a case of this happening at a chiropractorial school,
> requiring chiropractor students have a minimum visual acuity. This is
> disability discrimation! There are many blind dog trainers, even if
> the dog they train is their guide dog...doesn't matter, really. Guide
> dogs are not given training to jump over obstacles and such. The owner
> does that training.
>
> I highly suggest you speak to your local chapter of the NFB to see if
> they can help you fight this. If they don't have the resources,
> contact the national office. This is a clear violation of the ADA and
> obvious discrimination on the basis of vision and should be corrected
> ASAP.
>
> Good luck, and I'm sure you'll be a great trainer!
>
> ~Jewel
>
> On 7/20/10, Valerie Gibson <valandkayla at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > In the next year, as i'm finishing up my general education classes for
> > college, I would like to go into an animal training program.  I think
> > i've said this before, but i would like to become a certified dog
> > trainer so that i can trained obediance, and then maybe work my way
> > into training service dogs such as therapy dogs.
> >
> > I have looked around and have heard of people who have trained their
> > own guide dogs.  Also when i was 12, i took my akita to an obediance
> > class, and the trainer was very good about telling me how to do things
> > nonvisually with him.
> >
> > I love a lot of things, but working with animals is something i have
> > done my entire life.
> >
> > So, I contacted them to get imformation about the school, and i sent
> > an email explaining that i was blind, and that if there was a question
> > that they had on how i was to accomplish something, i would find an
> > answer or talk to others who could help me.
> >
> > The email i got back stated that while they would love to help me
> > achieve a carrier in dog training, they did have physical
> > requirements.
> >
> > i looked on the site and foudn the requirement they meant, an i was
> > wondering if there was a way i could get around this.
> >
> > a. Does the program require a minimal visual acuity? Yes, student must
> > be able to visually observepersons and animals up to 150 feet away,
> > and in a full circle peripherally.
> >
> >
> > --
> > From,
> > Val, the human,
> > or
> > Kayla, the yellow naped amazon parrot
> >
> > "your life is your's alone, rise up and live it!"
> >
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