[nagdu] Speed of sight

Jennie Facer puppya at clearwire.net
Mon Oct 27 21:26:07 UTC 2008


I liked that story.  It kind of reminds me of me when I was her age.  I
hadn't a care in the world, and I was set out to do anything.

Jenn

TO THE WORLD YOU ARE SOMEONE, BUT TO SOMEONE YOU ARE THE WORLD!

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Ginger Kutsch
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 7:46 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] Speed of sight

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.

 
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