[nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

Linda Gwizdak linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Fri Dec 4 17:09:19 UTC 2009


Hi Albert,
A telescoping cane is just that - it closes in on itself like an antenna on 
a portable radio or the old kind on a car for its radio.  You can get them 
through the NFB store in Baltimore, MD.  I think there's an on-line catalog 
on the NFB website.

Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 5:41 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities


>I keep hearing about these telescope canes. I have a solid one I got 
>through
> the nfb and another one which I think you described a thinner one I use 
> for
> formal events and such. Then I have another one which folds up into 4 
> pieces
> and has an elastic cord running through it.  I am curious about the
> telescope cane I keep hearing about. Tell me where I might be able to find
> one please?
> 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 Tamara Smith-Kinney
> Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 8:27 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>
> Rebecca,
>
> You raise really great points.  It's easy to get caught up in the reason 
> why
> to chose a guide dog.  But it gives a good perspective to hear a guide dog
> user's reasons why she chose *not* to have a guide dog again.
>
> I can really see how a cane would be more useful in the situations you
> describe.  Even without a squirming, stinky toddler, there have been a
> couple of times I wished I had a cane to hand to find out what the heck is
> all around me.  /smile/  My telescoping cane sort of blew up and no longer
> telescopes, and it was a while before I got a new identity cane -- this is 
> a
> tiny, skinny folding cane, very light and fragile, but it does fit in my
> pocket or purse.  Only when it's in my current purse, which carries a 
> bunch
> of junk but is totally impractically for someone with her other hand full 
> (I
> can't carry on my dog shoulder because it falls off and bonks the poor 
> dog),
> I can't just whip it out to use to investigate!  Usually where I start
> feeling a bit lost and confused is public restrooms, where I really don't
> want to touch anything to find what it is Mitzi is showing me.  /shudder/
>
> We will not talk about the porta potty incident.  I am still grossed out!
> And I made it a point to stop procrastinating getting a "pocket cane."
> /grin/
>
> Thanks for sharing.
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----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 9:34 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>
>
> Thank you Meghan.
> A couple other things which I failed to leave out of my earlier post.
> I found that when I was using a dog, people expected the dog to just
> know things. For example, I wanted a high chair for my daughter and when
> I asked for assistance, the question was "Can't your dog find one"? She
> could find chairs, but she couldn't distinguish between a high chair and
> a big person chair. So, no, in this case, she couldn't do the task I
> asked of her. When I used my cane, people were happy to help. The same
> thing was true of diaper changing facilities. Some places have changing
> tables in the rest rooms, some places hve tables that come down from the
> wall, and some have nothing. Other places have "diaper changing areas".
> My dog couldn't find the tables that fold out of the wall, and she
> treated the kind that are standing like counters. I find changing a
> diaper on the floor extremely painful and prefer to use a surface when
> possible, though I also want to use the right surface if one is present.
> The general attitude seemed to be "Won't the dog find what you need?" I
> even had someone ask me once, when my daughter was having a red-zone
> tantrum once "Why won't the dog calm her down"?
> With a cane, I get none of this. People are willing to show me things,
> sometimes a little too much, but at least they have the right attitude
> even if it may be for the wrong reasons. And, wrong reasons don't much
> matter when you've got a squirming kid with a poopie diaper stinking up
> the joint.
> The other thing is that you cannot ever leave a child alone. So if I got
> into a situation where I had to decide which one I was going to take, it
> was always the kid. I can remember once trying to get ready to go
> someplace, my daughter was fussy, it was pouring down rain, and I just
> couldn't deal with putting her down, getting my coat on, taking the dog
> out to go park, and then getting my daughter ready. I'd already gotten
> wet once taking the dog out at her regularly scheduled park break which
> was about an hour before we were to head out, I didn't think she would
> use the bathroom, and I simply didn't have it in me to take her out
> again for an event that was unlikely to happen.  So, I left the dog home
> and used my cane. Leaving my daughter home and taking the dog was not an
> option legally or morally. We can debate all day if I morally was in the
> right with regard to the dog, but I didn't do anything illegal. I left
> water for her, I'd be home soon and she'd had a chance to go park.
>
>
>
> Finally, it's physically easier to use a cane with my daughter. She
> likes to stop and look at random things, flowers, trucks, other kids,
> lights, and my dog was getting frustrated. She didn't understand why we
> didn't keep on moving. She would also get frustrated when I'd use my
> hands to look for the forementioned changing tables. She would either
> take me to the sink or the toilet, or she'd shut down and be like "Well,
> if you don't want me to guide in here, then I just won't guide when
> we're done either".I sympathize with the dog's perspective as nobody
> likes to feel useless, but I also couldn't deal with it either. It just
> took too much out of me.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Meghan Whalen
> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 10:25 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>
> Thank you for this post.  I can tell a lot of time/thought went into it.
>
>
> Thanks for sharing your thoughts Bebecca.
>
> meghan
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rebecca.pickrell%
> 40ngc.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
> .net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/albert%40myblindspot.
> org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/linda.gwizdak%40cox.net 





More information about the NAGDU mailing list