[nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Thu Feb 11 08:15:46 UTC 2010 

Julie,

A week or so ago when Mitzi was at the groomers, I was doing some shopping
and stuff with my cane.  I walked into one store and stopped, remembering
that it is confusing in sound and in layout because of counters and bins
between the door and the aisles.  I simply could not remember how to get
past that to the aisle I wanted to find.  I was with DD, who was looking for
an assistance to show us where to go, but I wanted to solve the problem on
my own and get there with my cane.

The solution finally hit me!  I looked at my cane and commanded it, "Find
the bones!"  /lol/

Well, that is usually how I find that aisle.  Mitzi loves to find things,
especially when it's something for her.

Cane not so good at find.  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie J
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 5:49 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

I don't have any ideas on your college dormitory questions.  I have had to 
deal with the ,"but you travel so well, why do you need a dog?", argument. 
Unfortunately there is a perception that you have to be perpetually lost in 
order to benefit from a dog.   I am a very good cane traveler, but a dog is 
still my preferred means of mobility.  I like that I can teach the dog all 
sorts of additional things that a cane simply can't do.  I can teach the dog

to find a counter, vehicle, chair and frequently used locations. I 
definitely feel that travel is easier with a dog, at least it is after the 
initial bumps get worked out. *smile*

I just wanted to say that I can empathize with folks not understanding why 
you might want a dog when you can travel without one.  It's frustrating and 
I haven't figured out what to say that has made any difference.  I'm not 
sure a person could understand until experiencing it first hand.

My best advice is to keep talking to your parents.  It may just take them 
some time to warm up to the idea.  It is a big change.  Or you may need to 
wait a couple of years until you are at a place in your life where you are 
able to make your own decisions.

Good luck,
Julie






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 6:58 PM
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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