[nagdu] Speed of sight

[Ginger Kutsch]

October 27, 2008 
Speed of sight 
With dog's help, Palm Coast teen doesn't allow limited vision to slow her down 
By KENYA WOODARD 
Staff Writer 
PALM COAST -- In many ways, Amanda Fadden is like any other teenage girl. The Matanzas High School senior counts shopping, surfing the Web and hanging out with friends among her favorite pastimes.

But unlike many of her peers, male or female, Amanda, 18, brings her pet with her to school every day.

Hughes, however, is more than a pet -- he's Amanda's guide dog. The black Labrador helps Amanda, who has been visually impaired since 5, navigate the school's hallways.

Amanda said how well she can see depends on the lighting of the room or environment. Her limited vision, however, has never prevented her from living a full life.

Growing up, Amanda has played sports and taken up tap dancing, ballet and gymnastics.

"I did everything that everyone else did," she said. "(My limited vision) didn't really bother me."

Having Hughes by her side has boosted Amanda's popularity among her peers, said best friend Stephanie Garrison, 16.

"People come up and talk to her and say 'hi,' " she said. "I don't think people last year took notice, but Hughes is a big neon sign that says 'dog right here.' "

Amanda, who was born in Sanford and now lives in Palm Coast, said she's never had a hard time getting around. But after years of using a cane, she felt it was time for a guide dog.

"I wanted to get him because it makes me more confident and I feel more secure," she said. "When I'm walking, he shows me things and helps me get around a lot because sometimes I'm not paying attention."

The dog's popularity, however, was initially problematic, said Sammie Smith, who translates textbooks and documents into Braille for Amanda and other Matanzas students who are visually impaired.

"In the beginning, everyone would pet him," Smith said. "But then the principal explained that he's a working dog, so please don't pet him."

Amanda said she doesn't mind other students getting excited over seeing a dog at school. But the extra attention threatens to prevent Hughes from doing his job well.

"I didn't know really how to keep the people from touching him," she said. "When he's on the harness, he can't be petted because he can become distracted."

Hughes, who received four months of training at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, Calif., remains "under probation" until March, Amanda said. After that, he can have more interactions with humans, she said.

At school, Hughes is all business, a stoic figure that lies quietly at Amanda's side in the classroom.

But at home, Hughes "is really wild," Amanda said.

"He flips out and when he gets his toy, he grabs it and runs around," she said.

Amanda has lived with her grandmother Bernita Fadden, 80, since she was a toddler. The two were living in Las Vegas when Amanda's eyesight began diminishing, Fadden said.

Searching for answers, Amanda visited a number of doctors and specialists, but no one could explain why her vision was deteriorating. The cause remains unknown, Fadden said.

Bernita Fadden said she soon realized she had to prepare Amanda to live independently. Amanda learned how to use a cane and to read Braille. Fadden pushed Amanda to be active, taught her to embrace her disability, and surrounded her granddaughter with other blind people who led active lives and held jobs.

"It was very important for me to get her ready to spring into the world," Fadden said.

Amanda has blossomed, thanks to her spunky, can-do attitude and her willingness to be active and ask others for help, Fadden said. "Amanda does show that confidence," she said.

Amanda also sets a great example for other students with disabilities by showing them they can carry on active, independent lives, said Myra Middleton, director of Flagler's Exceptional Student Education department.

"She is exceptional," Middleton said.

For Amanda, life after high school includes getting her own apartment and enrolling in massage therapy school. A move overseas to either Scotland or Germany also is likely, she said.

Ben Fischer, who teaches independent living skills at the Center for the Visually Impaired in Daytona Beach, said Amanda should have no problem adjusting to living on her own.

"We see nothing but potential for Amanda," he said.

kenya.woodard at news-jrnl.com

Did You Know?

Guide dogs are much more than well-trained pets. It takes thousands of training hours to create a partnership that enhances the life of both the person and the dog.

· Trained individually prior to being matched, the pair can take up to a year learning to move as a team.

· Skills the dogs learn include leading a person in a straight line and stopping for obstacles. If the dog perceives danger, it will display "intelligent disobedience" by refusing a command.

· When the harness is off, they have time to play. In fact, play time is essential in maintaining the bond between a person and their guide.

· The Americans with Disabilities Act specifies that a guide dog is allowed any place a person can go. It's important for a working dog to stay focused, though, so if you'd like to pet a guide dog, it's essential to first ask permission.

SOURCES: Compiled by News Researcher Janice Cahill from www.guidedogs.com, www.guidedogsofamerica.org.