[nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

Fri Dec 4 17:30:22 UTC 2009

Got it and will order one at the nfb for sure. would like to investigate it
as an option in cane choices. Thanks Linda 

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 Linda Gwizdak
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 12:09 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities

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
>
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