[nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog

Tue Apr 6 19:58:36 UTC 2010

Never thought of it that ways before.  I like it!  So good of you to explain
my guide dog user experience to me.  /grin/  Actually, I'm going to start
thinking of things that way since now that it's spring and Portland has
people out and about all over the place, I need to suddenly remember how to
navigate around the two-legged ones again.  Mostly that means being more
aware and working more tightly with Mitzi.  I'm always shocked at how sloppy
I get in winter when I hardly ever have to deal with hordes of people even
in the middle of the city.  All those silly things they say about "here in
Portland..." because of our rain really are true!

So, thank you for giving me another way to manage my head space so I can
manage my people space and my dog space now that I live in a highly
populated city again.  /smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 12:50 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog

I could argue that working with a guide dog is more about management
skills v. cane skills. You need to be able to work with and trust
another living being, to communicate with it and to get from a to b.
With a cane, there is none of that communication. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Albert J Rizzi
Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 8:38 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
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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