[nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

Thu Dec 3 18:14:43 UTC 2009

Oh, yes!  Very New York.

When my central vision started to go, I started having panic attacks, too.
I am normally very even-tempered and pretty mellow yellow...  So it took me
awhile to recognize a panic attack before it would get the best of me.  OMG!
I've never experienced myself just blowing up before that.

Oddly, the panic attacks ended once I left my marriage.  I was physically
attacked while at the living skills program in our state.  By staff!  The
administration there clearly thinks that it okay, and others continue to
come out with similar injuries.  Very bad.  Also, I had a mentally ill
roommate who became violently psychotic.  Her, I was able to keep from
following through on her attacks, although before she turned violent, she
was always in my space, bumping me into walls and stuff, so I did end up
with some soft tissue injury from that, as well.  The fact that I could keep
an attacker at bay when she was having a psychotic episode and honestly
believed I was out to kill her, but could not prevent the agency staff from
inflicting serious injuries really says it all about their attitudes towards
their clients!  I've never had to consider using active self-defense before,
but if I could go back, I would do so instead of holding back and trying to
resolve things reasonably.  But I digress. /smile/

The point is that I ended up with a healthy case of PTSD that took about six
months to resolve.  Would you believe I didn't have regular panic attacks
during that time?  Unless I had to walk into the agency offices because I
still was trying to get the VR services and tools my tax dollars had been
paying for all this time!

Owner-trainer a young and very energetic poodle has really gotten my zen
back into play.  She's a very mellow poodle, but still a poodle.  /grin/
She picks up on my attitude and emotions, and when she was young would get
overstimulated and start bouncing and levitating and stuff, and I would have
to use a calming touch and voice to keep her earthbound until her heart
slowed down...  Poodles also tend to melt down under negative stress, and
you do not want to be standing in the middle of a crowded sidewalk with a
melted poodle just because you let yourself get a bit anxious...  /lol/  So
I am ridiculously mellow these days.  Most of the time.  /grin/

Also very protective of my dog!  There have been a few times I would have
liked to channel every stereotypical New Yorker in my fury, only I would
have to stay really zen to keep from further stressing my pup...  Where's
the fun in that?

I haven't had a cane stepped on yet -- perhaps because I still have some
residual vision.  I did have it stolen from the dog park once and got to
walk about eight blocks home in the dark when my residual vision was
useless.  So that was interesting.  Now, even when I go out with my cane, I
tend to keep a spare telescoping or folding cane on me at all times.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Albert J Rizzi
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 7:54 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: bts0181 at aol.co; info at myblindspot.org
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

Oh my goodness. Share if I must.  It was only my 3rd month walking with a
cane and only my third month being blind. It was April of 06 and I was to be
training down to Philly for the holiday.  Well I needed a few things so off
I went to cvs,  as I was walking I could hear these two women talking and
getting ever closer.  I knew we were on a trajectory for disaster. I tapped
my cane but no luck.  One of them stepped right onto my cane and snapped it
in half.  I cannot tell you the level of panic that set in immediately. I
started to sweat and if memory serves I even had what I would have to say
was my first panic attack. I was only around the corner from my apartment on
first avenue and 13th street in Manhattan.  Ok, so the cane is broken, the
gal who actually stepped on the cane was very apologetic. and sincerely
concerned.  She wanted to take me to a pharmacy to get a new cane, to wit I
replied you cannot buy these at a drug store.  Well then maybe we can buy
some duct  tape and fix it. No, I said that will not work either, just go
about your day I will be fine. Oh I feel terrible she said, please let me
see you home, and it was right then and there that I lost it. I said what
makes you think I could trust you enough to see me home when you could not
see me in the first place!?  Well her friend, a little hopped up Latina,
started in with the f u's and you should not even be on the street with that
thing if you do not know who is coming at you. I responded you need to shut
your mouth, if you had not been flapping your gums, your nice friend here,
who is appropriately  remorseful, might have seen me before she stepped on
my cane. Then the woman bumped up against me in a threatening manner, I
pushed her off me and she let me know she had a knife and was going to cut
me.  I responded with, bring it on bitch, this cane also doubles as a set of
num chucks. She then started screaming for the police claiming I assaulted
her. To wit I responded, oh I have not even begun to beat you down honey.
What this ignorant woman did not know was that I had been living in the area
for 13 years and knew all the business owners on that street. One by one the
store owners came out and asked if I needed help or if there was anything
they could do. I told them no, I was just getting some trash of the street.
The woman became alarmed by the support for myself which appearred to come
from nowhere. She walked away with her nice friend screaming one expletive
after another telling me to watch my back.  I got assistance from Joel, who
ran one of the stores on that block, I insisted he just get me to the corner
as I could trail the walls to my stoop. I than ran into another neighbor
tony, who I meet that day for the first time formally. He took me to my step
and told me how the entire block had been praying for me and that if I
needed anything I could just yell for him out my window. Very new york of
him. I went home and proceeded to cry uncontrollably fearful of the fact
that once my partner found out what had happened he would prohibit  my
independent  travel for fear of my well being and that I would have to
cancel my trip to Philly.  Well my counselor get me a new cane lickity
split. And I moved on.  I forgave that woman because I new she acted out of
fear and ignorance. She did not want to responsibility for her actions
because it is easier to blame others than do something like take
responsibility. So there you have it.  One month later a similar thing
happened while I was being asses for my mobility skills with my instructor.
I was on my way home to my apartment and had to get on the subway on the
west side to get down town to the east side.  As is as about to make my way
down the stairs a man stepped on my cane and bent it a bit. He was very
sorry and I told him not to worry and to have a nice day. I continued on as
I felt I needed to show my instructor that I had what it took to deal with
the unforeseen. No sooner had I put the cane down another gentleman stepped
on the cane again and this time bent it so badly that I did not think I
could continue, but continue I did.  As I started my way down the twisting
stairs to the long under ground walk I had to navigate until I was able to
enter the train platform, I heard this woman yelling at me go right go
right.  I told her give me a minute, she yelled again go right. Just as I
was about to let loose on her with a few choice words, I heard my mobility
instructor laughing. Now I try to find humor in all things can and will ease
the nerves. remember I was hard pressed to seem the humor in anything. So I
yelled whatever you are laughing had better be good. Oh and it was.  I did
not know it but the woman who was telling me to go right go right had been
talking to her guide dog who had become distracted by my apparent distress.
It was then and there and only one week later that I was accepted into a
program at the gdf on long island, I have never missed the cane and do not
see it ever being my preferred mode of transportation or mobility. If you
can believe it or not, I am not bitter, but again galvanized in my mission
to open the eyes of all people to empathize and understand who we are and
the whys of what we need to assimilate and be looked at as integral
components in all things great and small.

Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (IS)
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 9:55 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

Albert, 
You must share, you and a woman nearly got into a fight over a broken
cane? 
Please share!

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Albert J Rizzi
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 9:56 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

Hello Chris,

Welcome.  I would like to commend you on investigating your options for
mobility. First and foremost we all must be fully aware of our options
in
all things and how those options impact our life.

I am a recent entrant into the blind community and moved quickly from
the
cane to the guide.  I was surprised to find how many blind people feel
negatively about guide dogs and the perception that there is a level of
responsibility which comes with having a guide dog that all to often
precludes one from even investigating  the guide dog as an option.

I must tell you up front that I always have been around animals, which I
think may be an influencing facto in my sense that the level of
responsibility is not overwhelming or insurmountable.  I find the ease
and
swiftness with which I move thru the streets, whether they be in the
suburbs
or in the busy streets of Manhattan, allow me to get anywhere and
everywhere
in half the time it might take by cane. My guide dog allows for a sense
of
freedom and security which I never felt with the cane.  All to often  I
have
heard of people getting their canes stepped on and broken, it happened
to me
3 times within the first 3 months of using a cane.  One of those
incidents
almost turned into a fight due to the level of embarrassment that the
woman
who did not see me felt when it all happened.  

I have not had any incidents as difficult as that with my dog Doxology.
He
takes me all over by plane, train, subway, bus, you name it and does it
with
gusto and pride.  I never thought I would have the level of independence
and
security I do have with him by my side.
 Most of the guides are trained so wonderfully, but much of the success
one
realizes with a guide dog has everything to do with your ability to
reinforce the skill set and level of discipline that these dogs crave
and
need.  They also love to play and if you and your dog bond as my dog and
I
have, they are so in tune to you emotionally, physically  and in ways I
cannot even begin to number.  I would however suggest that you ask,
should
you decide to go that route, for one of the ugliest dogs possible as
everyone will want to be petting your puppy otherwise. LOL.  No matter
how
ugly or beautiful your dog might be I would hole heartedly suggest you
get
one.  It is hard to believe that there are only 10k guide dog users in
the
states  in comparison to the 110k cane users.  I guess if half of those
left
with usable vision move freely and independently  without the need of a
cane
or a guide dog, that might leave 6-7 million others without an option at
all?  Makes my heart so heavy to think about those others sitting at
home
waiting and waiting, when they could have a four legged companion to get
them where they want to go and I have not even mentioned the emotionally
uplifting support they lend to every day of your life.  It is not all
peaches and cream by no means, but I think the cane is the pits.  I do
work
my cane skills every week at least 5 or 6 times as if doxy were to ever
take
ill, I would not be stuck in the house. So I see the value in both as an
option in my life and that's how I like it, a life full of choices and
options. peace.
Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
is
doing it."

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf
Of Chris Jones
Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2009 8:23 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

    Hello,
My name is Chris Jones, and I am new to the list.  I expect to learn
much
from this list.  
I am a lifelong user of the cane for mobility, but I have always been
attracted to the guide dog.  I always held back because I felt that the
responsibility required was too much for what I was willing and capable
of
maintaining.  I would like those on the list to perhaps give reasons why
they finally made that plunge into the guide dog lifestyle.  
On a side note, those of you with guide dogs, have you found the general
public to give you more respect?  I have the assumption that cane users
are
not looked at the same as far as traveling independently in relation to
the
general public.  
Thank you for any response.
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