[nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

Thu Feb 11 01:44:26 UTC 2010

Got to love NY over "JOYZY". Lol.

----- 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: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

> Do not forget the gdf ion long island, that is just a ferry ride away my
> friend.
>
> 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 Mark J. Cadigan
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 7:59 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>
> Thanks all of you for your suggestions. I like both the Seeing Eye, and 
> GDB.
>
> Ware as I live in MA the Seeing Eye is a lot closer. I am a junior in high
> school so I haven't yet decided what college I will be attending. What I 
> do
> know, is I want to be in a big city with access to a good public transit
> network such as the MBTA. I currently take the T to and from places all 
> over
>
> Boston using my cane. Because of this independence I am having difficulty
> explaining to my parents that a dog would only enhance it making me a more
> competent, safer, and faster traveler. Have any of you ever experienced
> complaints about your dog either shedding or smelling bad? Is this a 
> problem
>
> with roommates in college? Like most teenagers my room is never clean for
> long, but it is never that messy. I always take excellent care of all my
> equipment, and don't see how the maintenance of a dog will be a problem. 
> My
> parents seem to have concerns of how I will maintain a dog in college. Any
> thoughts?
>
> ----- 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: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 2:29 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>
>
>> First, where are you located? Maybe there is a guide program in your area
>> which would allow you to sort of host a dog for sometime until the guide
>> is
>> matched up with a handler. This would help to introduce your parents to
>> the
>> concepts  and strength having a guide could and would lend to your life.
>> You
>> could also let them know that their role in your life is to make you as
>> completely independent as possible and that the introduction of a guide
>> dog
>> into your life would do just that. you could also play on their 
>> sympathies
>> by letting them know you are looking to be able to walk independently 
>> with
>> friends and thereby depend less on their eyes and more so on your own
>> senses
>> coupled with the security and independence a guide would lend to your
>> life.
>> Where are you intending on going to college? If you are hoping to go 
>> away,
>> your parents would need to understand  that a guide would help you to 
>> move
>> swiftly and securely through a campus ensuring your timely attendance to
>> all
>> your classes. Again, maybe a talk with a teacher/principal  might help
>> advance your crusade.
>>
>> 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 Mark J. Cadigan
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 2:11 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>>
>> Dan W,
>>
>> My mom claims to be terrified of dogs, but yet we have a pet dog.  My
>> parents claim that a guide dog will smell, then I point out that if you
>> take
>>
>> care of it properly it won't. Then I point out people we know with guide
>> dogs that don't smell. My dad's response to this is to tell this story of
>> his friend's son's roommate's friend had a roommate with a smelly guide
>> dog.
>>
>> This happened so long ago, and is so far removed from the situation that 
>> I
>> can't see how it possibly has any bearing on the current situation. Also
>> that story is so convoluted that is impossible to verify. And the 
>> argument
>> goes on and on Ad nauseam. It is getting to the point that I think they
>> are
>> just attempting to exorcize there ability to make arbitrary decisions.
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Dan Weiner" <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:33 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>>
>>
>>> Well, first question is "Is the reason your parents don't support your
>>> idea
>>> of getting a dog that they don't like dogs?"--smile.
>>> Second of all, what is your parents objection, I mean presumably you're
>>> the
>>> one who's blind so maybe you might know a little better than they do
>>> whether
>>> a dog would enhance your lifestyle or not.
>>> I'm fortunate that by the time I wanted a dog, my parents had figured 
>>> out
>>> I'd pretty much do what I wanted without permission, so my Dad just 
>>> asked
>>> one or two feeble questions and then left it alone.
>>> He asked "Are you sure a dog will be worth the trouble, how do you know
>>> it'll work out."
>>> I explained that, never having a dog, a guide dog, that is,  I'd need to
>>> find it out for myself and I really wanted to take care of the dog and
>>> was
>>> ready.
>>> When I got home, he admired the dog enormously. But he asked the second
>>> day
>>> back home if the dog really had to go out with us to breakfast. I said 
>>> it
>>> did, when he seemed to balk I said "I love you Dad, and enjoy going out,
>>> but
>>> this is important to me and if you don't want my guide dog than I'm
>>> afraid
>>
>>> I
>>> won't be going".
>>> Dead silence ensued, and the issue never came up again.  As a matter of
>>> fact, my Dad adopted my first hound after he retired and loved him.  The
>>> dog, Grant, even went to my Dad's funeral's
>>> The only thing I wasn't really ready for was the access issues. Being 
>>> the
>>> brilliant young man I was--smile--it never occurred to me that people
>>> would
>>> have issues with a dog, I mean access issues to public places.
>>>
>>> So, tell us more what the problem is and we'll be happy to talk about 
>>> it.
>>> There are some folks on this list who can be very good role models and
>>> mentors, I wish there had been such a list when I started out.  But, 
>>> then
>>> I
>>> don't think there were such things as computer lists--smile.
>>>
>>> Good luck
>>>
>>> Dan W. and the Carter Dog
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Mark J. Cadigan
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:17 PM
>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> Subject: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>>>
>>> Hello list,
>>>
>>> I am new to this list, and I am thinking of getting a guide dog for when
>>> I
>>> go to college. The only problem I am having is convincing my parents 
>>> that
>>> a
>>> guide dog is a useful mobility tool.  As you can probably guess, that is
>>> a
>>> large obstacle. I am currently in high school, so I have to abide by my
>>> parent's wishes, or at least for now. What I am asking for is how best 
>>> to
>>> explain to them, that guide dogs are useful mobility tools, that will
>>> enhance my independence rather than detract from it. I have given them
>>> literature, DVDs and have attempted to talk to them. Any instructional
>>> materiel finds its way into the circular file, and they change the
>>> subject
>>> when I talk to them. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Mark
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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