[nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog

cheryl echevarria cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
Tue Apr 6 10:50:34 UTC 2010


oh mine constantly does that also.

Albert has a dog.

Cheryl Echevarria
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ann Edie" <annedie at nycap.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 10:49 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog


> Hi, Albert,
>
> Please tell me how you trained your cane to ignore distractions.  Mine is
> continuously poking its little nose into cracks in the sidewalk and
> insisting on stopping so abruptly to explore what's in there that i take a
> kick in the diaphragm from its butt end.  I would truly appreciate 
> learning
> the secret of training the dear hairless creature to guide me around those
> cracks and holes instead of persisting in thoroughly investigating each 
> one
> to my frequent pain and frustration.
>
> Thanks,
> Ann
>
> ----- 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: Saturday, April 03, 2010 8:38 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog
>
>
> > Thank you . it does help. understanding the need to demonstrate our 
> > sense
> > of
> > orientation, positioning, our gate and stride, all that needs to be
> > assessed
> > and most probably assessed to determine our confidence and ability to 
> > take
> > to independent travel. The cane is the only other tool we have which
> > affords
> > us independent travel outside of those of us who have usable vision and
> > can
> > manage without either of the two options discussed herein. So it does 
> > make
> > sense, and it is not, in my opinion, about anything  more then our 
> > ability
> > to travel independently and confidently, additionally it could also be
> > about
> > how we would fair handling another living breathing tool as opposed to 
> > the
> > lifeless cane which we control and which is not prone to distractions.
> > thanks
> >
> > 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."
> >
> >
> > Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> > Behalf
> > Of Michelle
> > Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 6:00 AM
> > To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog
> >
> > Hi Albert,
> >
> > I agree with you in part. What I'd like to say to you is that cane 
> > skills
> > are necessary because it's better to get around with one than nothing at
> > all
> >
> > before getting a dog. I understand guide dogs are obviously better as a
> > mobility aid, I have one myself! (big smile) I don't understand why some
> > schools of thought hold to not having to use a cane as a kid or a 
> > toddler.
> > Maybe it depends on the situation? I don't know. But I guess the
> > instructors
> >
> > want to know that you've got a good sense of direction so when you get a
> > dog, you'll know that you can direct the dog appropriately most of the
> > time,
> >
> > and at least the instructors will feel safe about your travelling
> > adventures.
> >
> > I hope this helps,
> >
> > Michelle
> > ----- 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: Saturday, April 03, 2010 5:32 AM
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog
> >
> >
> >> Why is it a requirement for being considered getting a guide dog 
> >> anyway?
> >> I
> >> would like to understand the rationale. I am not agreeing or 
> >> disagreeing
> >> just wondering about the reasons. Then too, if cane mobility is so
> >> integral
> >> to independence, why are there some schools of thought on not 
> >> introducing
> >> the cane to toddlers or blind youth as soon as they can hold one?
> >>
> >> 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."
> >>
> >>
> >> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> >> Behalf
> >> Of Tracy Carcione
> >> Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 2:33 PM
> >> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> >> Subject: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog
> >>
> >> Marion, I don't necessarily agree that good cane skills should be a
> >> prerequisite for getting a guide dog.  It's a nice theory.  It would
> >> certainly be helpful.  But I know too many people who don't have
> >> spectacular cane skills, but do great with a dog.  Some of them are 
> >> older
> >> people, who started getting dogs when cane training was not very
> >> available.  Some of them are from places where services for blind 
> >> people
> >> are not very good.  Some of them went blind as senior citizens, and 
> >> quite
> >> a few agencies don't serve that population very well, since they won't 
> >> be
> >> employed.  Should we tell these people they have to wait until they can
> >> somehow get cane training?  I don't think so. I've met enough people 
> >> for
> >> whom the dog was the thing that got them back out, living their lives,
> >> and
> >> I think getting out and living one's life is a great thing. I'm not
> >> willing to stand in someone's way over whether or not their cane skills
> >> measure up to some philosophical mark.
> >>
> >> Should we take good orientation as good enough?  Or should the guide 
> >> dog
> >> schools offer cane training to prospective applicants who they feel
> >> should
> >> have it? They seem like reasonable approaches to me, and I believe they
> >> are
> >> the ones being carried out. Encouraging good cane skills is fine, but I
> >> wouldn't make it a prerequisite for a guide dog.
> >> Tracy
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> org
> >>
> >>
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> > om
> >
> >
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