[nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog

Alan awheeler at neb.rr.com
Tue Apr 6 19:04:30 UTC 2010 

It's actually spelunking, if that helps.

Are you using a longer white cane, or a typical one that goes to about your 
sternum?

A man who says he has never been scared is either lying or else he's never 
been any place or done anything.
- Louis L'Amour |

Alan Wheeler #8568 on Telespace
Columbus, Nebraska
awheeler at inebraska.com
Msn: outlaw_cowboy at live.com
wwww.twitter.com/cowboy_alan
----- 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: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog


> But Albert, I failed to mention that I am a "Positive Reinforcement" 
> trainer--I wouldn't think of punishing the dear skinny, white, hairless 
> pogo stick!
>
> Maybe I'll have to shop for a Gentle Leader to fit its curious little 
> nose.
>
> I haven't been able to identify any treats that the slim darling likes 
> more than the depths of those sidewalk cracks though, so it's difficult to 
> reward it for the rare occasions when it controls itself enough to pass up 
> the opportunity to go spilunking.  (How do you spell "spilunking" anyway?)
>
> Anyway, I wish you luck with your presentation in DC.  Are you there now, 
> or are you back in NYC already?  I hope you got to enjoy DC in cherry 
> blossom season.  I attended undergraduate school in DC, so am familiar 
> with the charms and pleasures of the nation's capital.
>
> Best,
> 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: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 12:52 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog
>
>
>> lol. if it continues to focus on the distractions you mentioned, then put 
>> it
>> in a crate and remind the cane in a stern force, bad cane very bad cane.
>>
>> 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 Ann Edie
>> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 10:50 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> 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
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> 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/m-johnson%40bigpond.c
>>> om
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ----
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> No virus found in this incoming message.
>>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>>> Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2784 - Release Date: 04/01/10
>>> 18:32:00
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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/annedie%40nycap.rr.co
>> m
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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/annedie%40nycap.rr.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/awheeler%40neb.rr.com
>
> __________ NOD32 5004 (20100406) Information __________
>
> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
> http://www.eset.com
>
>

More information about the NAGDU mailing list