[nagdu] Do's and Don't's

Tue Jun 2 14:17:40 UTC 2009

I use a percolator for my coffe and love it. 
Like anything on the stove, you need to be aware of it, and you or at
least I am not comfortable putting it on and then going to take a
shower, so in that spect it has its limitations. 
That being said, your friend can use what he wants/enjoys and can set a
timer. If he can hear the microwave beping, he can use that as a timer. 
Lots of things are fire hazards, and yet, we only worry about a few of
them. Use wisely and all will be well. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Garry and Joy Relton
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 4:51 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Do's and Don't's

Rox,

Thank you so much for all of your information. Unfortunately, my friend
told me that the folks at HKNC told him that blind people should not
cook with gas. He was told that he cannot use a coffee pot because it is
a fire hazard because he wouldn't hear the alarm. I know that is not
true because he hears fairly well. I'm waiting to invite him to my home
and show him how to use my coffee pot. I enjoy my first couple of cups
each day and have a good measure for the amount of water I use, if the
water quantity changes, or I'm careless in measuring my coffee might
bring the dead back to life. Since I like to drink the stuff I have an
incentive to get it right. 

I'll ask my friend about the hand-held device but I've never seen him
use one yet. He's beginning to use a longer cane and to try to walk out
more independently which is great. I think that he has to get better
general mobility skills before he will be able to use a dog but I think
that there is great potential there.

Thanks for all of your information.  

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of The Pawpower Pack
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 4:32 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Do's and Don't's

Hi Joy,

I do travel quite a bit on my own.  When I am in airports I use a small
bluetooth keyboard and my braille note to communicate with airline
workers, TSA workers and the like.  Sometimes, if I'm packing a lot of
valuable things or if I just feel like I need to, an American Sign
Language interpreter comes with me.

I cross roads on my own using some remaining vision, a tactile mini
guide which is a hand-held device which uses ultrasonic vibration to
detect things in my path including moving cars.  Also my dog has had
quite a bit of extra traffic training.  My biggest problem is
miscounting streets and being unable to tell small intersections from
huge major 6 lane ones.
I hope that a use of a GPS will assist with this, but I'm still trying
to figure out the best system for me.

I can't believe someone told your friend to never cook or make coffee.
That is just silly.  There are so many adaptive techniques one can use
to successfully complete these tasks.  Well, I must admit that I don't
make coffee because I don't drink it so I tend to forget the amount of
ground beans to water and it ends up either being very weak or so strong
that it'd bring a dead man back to life.

Has your friend thought of contacting the HKNC; Helen Keller National
Center for Deafblind people; they're in New York but have
representatives all over the country.  I am in Louisiana but my rep is
in tx but he comes to visit me and such.  You don't have to know ASL to
get help from them; they also work with people who are hard of hearing
and who use speech.

As for dogs on the table; my youngest dog, Laveau has not been trained
to help with table tasks because she still likes to counter surf and
it's important for them to understand that the table is at my direction
only.  I'm waiting for her optional brain module to arrive, then we can
commence with this type of training.

She is a fantastic guide and her house manners have improved ten fold  
from when I got her as a puppy, but she still has a ways to go.   
However, Mill'E, my seven-year-old golden does retrieve objects from the
table.  I have a vestibular disorder which means that I am pretty much
very dizzy all of the time.  We have found, through much trial and
error, and mess-making that it is better and less messy if I go stand by
the fridge and have Mill'E bring me things that need to go in there,
like the jug of milk which she grabs by the handle, or a loaf of bread
which she will grab by the top of the bag.  Then I go to the sink and
she brings me the dishes and silver.  This way I don't drop things, or
fall or if I do fall I can catch myself easier without having to worry
about things in my hands.

Rox and the Kitchen Bitches

Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
"Life breaks us all, but afterwards, many of us are strongest at the
broken places." -- Ernest Hemingway
  pawpower4me at gmail.com

MSN: Brisomania at Hotmail.com
AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss	

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