[nabs-l] Training centers

[Karl Martin Adam]

Hi=20Antonio,

I=20definitely=20agree=20that=20for=20most=20jobs=20it=20doesn't=20matter=20=
if=20you're=20
blind=20or=20not=20and=20we=20shouldn't=20segregate=20ourselves.=20=20Being=
=20blind=20
does=20make=20one=20more=20qualified=20for=20certain=20jobs=20though.=20=20=
If=20I=20want=20
someone=20to=20teach=20me=20blindness=20skills=20like=20O=20and=20M=20or=20=
daily=20living=20
skills=20or=20how=20to=20use=20a=20dog,=20I'd=20much=20rather=20have=20a=20=
blind=20person=20
doing=20it=20because=20they=20have=20experience=20using=20the=20things=20th=
ey're=20
teaching=20instead=20of=20just=20learning=20them=20from=20a=20book.=20=20Fo=
r=20the=20same=20
reason,=20if=20I=20want=20to=20be=20a=20lawyer=20or=20a=20social=20worker=20=
I'd=20rather=20
study=20under=20people=20who=20have=20practiced=20as=20lawyers=20or=20socia=
l=20
workers.=20=20It's=20not=20about=20discrimination;=20it's=20about=20the=20
difference=20between=20book=20knowledge=20and=20practical=20knowledge.

Best,
Karl

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20Antonio=20Guimaraes=20via=20nabs-l=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To:=20Valerie=20Gibson=20<valandkayla at gmail.com>,National=20Association=20
of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Fri,=2015=20Aug=202014=2008:48:27=20-0400
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20Training=20centers

Valerie,

Thank=20you=20for=20your=20message,=20especially=20since=20you=20had=20to=20=
type=20it=20
twice,=20and=20still=20got=20your=20thoughts=20out=20there.

I=20am=20hoping=20to=20be=20swayed,=20or=20at=20least=20have=20a=20better=20=
understanding=20
how=20blind=20people=20can=20train=20a=20blind=20and=20dog=20team=20for=20m=
obility.

I=20am=20slightly=20confused=20when=20you=20said=20that=20here=20is=20why=20=
a=20blind=20
person=20can=92t=20teach=20guide=20dog=20work.=20Then=20you=20made=20great=
=20points=20on=20
how=20a=20blind=20person=20would=20be=20able=20to=20do=20it.

I=20don=92t=20think=20it=20is=20difficult=20to=20gage=20the=20dog=92s=20tem=
perament,=20and=20
to=20understand=20also=20the=20person=92s=20energy,=20then=20match=20all=20=
that=20to=20
see=20how=20the=20tea=20works=20together.

This=20is=20all=20very=20interesting=20since=20it=20gives=20me=20informatio=
n=20I=20
didn=92t=20realize=20went=20into=20matching=20a=20person=20with=20a=20dog.

In=20my=20case,=20I=20am=20a=20mello=20person,=20and=20was=20matched=20with=
=20a=20very=20
energetic=20gold=20retriever.=20I=20needed=20a=20dog=20with=20a=20very=20li=
ght=20pull,=20
and=20that=20is=20what=20I=20god.

What=20you=20do=20training=20dogs=20may=20be=20frowned=20upon=20by=20many,=
=20including=20
most=20schools,=20and=20many=20dog=20users,=20and=20blind=20observers.=20Bu=
t=20you=20
prove=20to=20me=20to=20be=20good=20at=20what=20you=20do,=20and=20you=20love=
=20it,=20too.

I=20would=20not=20sign=20on=20to=20an=20individual=20trainer=20for=20my=20g=
uide=20dog,=20
blind=20or=20sighted.=20Maybe=20excluding=20those=20trainers=20who=20came=20=
from=20
the=20background=20of=20working=20at=20a=20dog=20guide=20school.=20I=20woul=
d=20in=20the=20
latter=20case=20question=20why=20that=20trainer=20left=20the=20school.

I=20think=20the=20schools=20are=20there=20for=20a=20reason,=20and=20they=20=
know=20what=20
they=20are=20doing.=20They=20offer=20follow=20up=20and=20support=20for=20th=
eir=20grads,=20
so=20I=20would=20much=20prefer=20to=20be=20actively=20involved=20with=20a=20=
school.

Now,=20I=20may=20not=20mind=20having=20you=20train=20my=20dog.=20I=20think=
=20you=20know=20
what=20you=92re=20doing,=20you=20know=20dogs=20and=20people,=20and=20you=20=
are=20
competent.=20I=20don=92t=20know=20your=20background,=20but=20I=20can=20say=
=20with=20
certainty=20you=20love=20dogs,=20and=20have=20been=20around=20them=20for=20=
a=20long=20
time.

You=20have=20the=20skills,=20the=20love,=20and=20the=20drive=20to=20teach=20=
dogs=20to=20
guide,=20or=20to=20do=20other=20things.=20I=20can=20tell=20from=20your=20me=
ssage=20that=20
you=20have=20a=20large=20repertoire=20of=20techniques=20you=20use.

You=20made=20no=20mention=20of=20how=20much=20you=20can=20see=20in=20the=20=
original=20
message,=20and=20it=20doesn=92t=20really=20matter=20if=20you=92re=20applyin=
g=20for=20a=20
job,=20and=20you=20sound=20like=20a=20great=20candidate,=20and=20you=92re=20=
going=20to=20
train=20my=20dog.

If=20you=20were=20to=20do=20that,=20I=20might=20freak=20out=20when=20I=20fo=
und=20out=20you=20
are=20blind,=20which=20is=20how=20we=20usually=20experience=20things.=20Pre=
judice=20
is=20all=20around,=20including=20from=20those=20of=20us=20who=20are=20blind=