[nabs-l] my blog about my experiences at LCB

Sat Sep 12 06:27:06 UTC 2015

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I did work 8-10+ hours a day in the office at times this summer. My
dog wasn't locked in a room while I was off, knowing that I would come
back. He was at my side constantly. I could take him out on my lunch
break and give him lots of ice. Yes, he still got play time. But that
doesn't mean that they should be left alone for extended periods of
time. Work and play time for a short period in the evening does not
account for the work they would do during the day.
On 9/11/2015 5:41 PM, Aleeha Dudley via nabs-l wrote:
> While I do believe that leaving the dog alone may be wrong, do not
> many employed blind people with dogs not work them for eight hours
> a day? If you get out and work in the evenings, practice obedience,
> do plenty of bonding and play exercises while you are at your
> apartment, I see no reason that the bond should we can as long as
> your dog understands that you will come back.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Sep 11, 2015, at 1:33 PM, Danielle Sykora via nabs-l
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Not allowing students to use guide dogs in travel classes is 
>> understandable since it would significantly alter the skills the 
>> student is being taught. I do think that incorporating the dog
>> into travel classes once the student becomes proficient in
>> structured discovery methods would be beneficial to the student.
>> This would give her the opportunity to start applying the skills
>> she has learned while traveling with a cane to a dog while still
>> having the opportunity to receive feedback and ask questions to a
>> qualified instructor. Orientation skills are important regardless
>> of the type of mobility aid, but the feedback one gets from the
>> environment differs with a cane when compared to a dog.
>> 
>> That being said, I see the NFB center policy that forbids
>> students from being allowed to work their dogs during other
>> (non-travel related) classes to be blatantly discriminatory.
>> There is no reason why a student should not bring her dog to say
>> Braille instruction. These students are adults who need to find a
>> balance between working their dogs and practicing cane travel.
>> How do centers handle non-guiding service dogs? More complicated,
>> what are their policies regarding guides that are cross trained
>> for other tasks?
>> 
>> I truly think some non-dog users do not fully understand how
>> guide dogs work. You can not expect leaving a dog for a near
>> constant eight hours a day, five days a week will not have
>> negative consequences from damaging the bond to stress and
>> boredom related behaviors to more frequent mistakes due to lack
>> of work. I know the majority of NFB members are respectful of
>> others mobility choices, but an anti-dog ideology still lingers
>> no matter how much people deny it. Perhaps it is due to lack of
>> education. It seems as if people with anti-views often have a
>> distorted idea of how a guide dog partner ship works in my
>> experience. I honestly don't know.
>> 
>> I find it troubling that negative experiences and criticism of
>> NFB sponsored programs is so discouraged on these lists. I'm not
>> trying to be derogatory or critical. I want to make situations
>> better, and you can not do that if you only focus on the
>> positives.
>> 
>> Danielle
>> 
>> 
>>> On 9/11/15, minh ha via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote: 
>>> Organizational differences aside, I'm honestly disappointed
>>> that members of this list cannot express negative opinions
>>> without being branded as disagreeable and as someone who is
>>> actively working against the NFB. Everybody is entitled to
>>> their opinions, and other people have expressed displeasure at
>>> how they have been treated by the NFB training centers, and
>>> yet, only Tyler have been targeted by you and Katherine on list
>>> for his messages. This has been a recurring problem from what I
>>> have seen, and if I didn't know any better, I would say you and
>>> Katherine have a personal issue with Tyler since he is on 
>>> ACBS's board. And quite frankly, organizational affiliation
>>> doesn't even have any relevance in this conversation when it
>>> comes to being discriminated by the NFB.
>>> 
>>> Minh
>>> 
>>>> On 9/11/15, Derek Manners via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>> wrote: Hello all, mostly Kate, Tyler, and Hope.
>>>> 
>>>> First,  I agree that Kate should not try to shut down
>>>> negative opinions. However, I think Kate did a poor job of
>>>> articulating what she meant when she expressed disapproval of
>>>> Tyler's message. Her problem with it, I assume, is the tone.
>>>> You can disagree without being disagreeable and
>>>> unfortunately Tyler has shown a propensity to be
>>>> disagreeable, specifically to Kate during her campaign
>>>> announcement which he later apologized for.
>>>> 
>>>> Second, the NFB training centers have a certain philosophy
>>>> when it comes to guide dogs. I think of it as being a similar
>>>> philosophy as to why my cousin taught me how to drive a car
>>>> even though I can't legally drive one. 1. There may come a
>>>> time when I'd need to and there may come a time in a guide
>>>> dog user's life when they need to use a cane over a dog and
>>>> being versed in both is important if you are a dog user.
>>>> Second, there are lessons that came travel teach you about
>>>> mobility with regard to structured discovery that are 
>>>> important when using a cane or a dog.
>>>> 
>>>> As to the computer training, I know for a fact that LCB gives
>>>> advanced instruction to those who need it. Specifically, my
>>>> friends Kate Webster and Syed Rizvi have gotten/will be
>>>> getting training on coding as a blind person. Talking to a
>>>> trainer informally who may or may not know what they are 
>>>> talking about is quite different than working out a formal
>>>> plan through voc rehab and the center.
>>>> 
>>>> Finally, Tyler, you really ought to disclose to folks when
>>>> you are talking about your philosophical views about the NFB
>>>> that you are on the ACB student board and that ACB routinely
>>>> publicly criticizes NFB and our philosophy. Your opinions are
>>>> not those of someone who normally agrees with NFB philosophy
>>>> who is pointing out a minor difference, you are someone who,
>>>> in certain instances, works against our legislative efforts,
>>>> our philosophical message, and actively tries to influence
>>>> state agencies that we are wrong and your organization is
>>>> right.
>>>> 
>>>> You can obviously post anything you like and I think it's
>>>> healthy to debate philosophical differences. But you should
>>>> do it in an agreeable tone and you should fully disclose your
>>>> elected position.
>>>> 
>>>> Best regards Derek Manners
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>> 
>>>>> On Sep 11, 2015, at 12:48 PM, Carlos Montas via nabs-l 
>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> I would say that is why you have consumer choice as to what
>>>>> kind of rehabilitation center you would like to attend.
>>>>> That is the wonderful thing about America the freedom of
>>>>> choice.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Sep 11, 2015, at 8:40 AM, Hope Paulos via nabs-l
>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I have to chime in here.  I also have a dog and won't
>>>>>> attend a training center because I can't use him. I
>>>>>> understand not being able to use them for travel classes,
>>>>>> that makes sense, but not being able to use him for 
>>>>>> cooking, shop, and braille classes? I am also put off by
>>>>>> the arrogance of some of the NFB center instructors. I
>>>>>> was working the booth as a trainer at the convention for
>>>>>> an assistive technology company.  A center instructor
>>>>>> came up wanting to look at some of the products we had
>>>>>> on display. I showed them the products, and then
>>>>>> proceeded to ask them a question. Because I have a
>>>>>> graduate certificate in assistive technology, as well as
>>>>>> a graduate certificate in technical support, I wanted to
>>>>>> know if my technology classes would be tailored to my
>>>>>> advanced needs. The instructor proceeded to laugh at me,
>>>>>> and told me "graduate certificate or not, you will go
>>>>>> through the same class as everyone else, starting with 
>>>>>> keyboarding." My colleague, who was sitting beside me,
>>>>>> and I were shocked at this person's attitude… keep in
>>>>>> mind, I am a trainer for an assistive technology company,
>>>>>> and I have to start with keyboarding? I also have a 
>>>>>> bachelors degree in education… The first thing that you
>>>>>> learned about teaching is that everybody learns
>>>>>> differently, and everybody is on different levels…
>>>>>> Education cannot be "One-size-fits-all." Unfortunately, 
>>>>>> this seems to be the philosophy of the NFB centers. Sorry
>>>>>> for the rant! On a more positive note, I look forward to
>>>>>> reading your blog, and hope that you have A wonderful
>>>>>> time and learn a lot.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hope Paulos
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> On Sep 11, 2015, at 8:29 AM, Littlefield, Tyler via
>>>>>>> nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>> 
> I was going to ask about your experience with a dog, given the name
> of your blog. I find it rather amusing that NFB-associated centers 
> discrimenate so hard against dogs, yet they're the first to scream 
> discrimenation. I was not hired to a program last summer and it
> was mostly because I didn't answer the rather pointed questions
> about what I would do with my dog (like if he could stay in a room)
> for classes, quite the way they wanted. There I think my hope in
> the NFB, at least what remained of it shattered to pieces. We're
> the first to ask for equal access, yet equal access is not provided
> unless you have a straight white cane and drink the Cool-Aid.
>>>>>>>>> On 9/11/2015 8:17 AM, Aleeha Dudley via nabs-l
>>>>>>>>> wrote: Hey all, If you’d like to read about my
>>>>>>>>> experiences at LCB, here is a link to my blog.
>>>>>>>>> http://4pawsatmyside.wordpress.com 
>>>>>>>>> <http://4pawsatmyside.wordpress.com/> I will be
>>>>>>>>> detailing my experiences in class, as well as those
>>>>>>>>> with my guide dog, Dallas, especially given the
>>>>>>>>> center’s policies about guide dogs. I apologize if
>>>>>>>>> this is off topic for the list. Feel free to write
>>>>>>>>> me off list with questions. Aleeha Dudley 
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> 
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- --
>>> Minh Ha Boston College | Lynch School of Education '16 
>>> minh.ha927 at gmail.com
>>> 
>>> "All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in
>>> the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that
>>> it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men,
>>> for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them
>>> possible." T. E. Lawrence
>>> 
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- -- 
Take care,
Ty
twitter: @sorressean
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