[nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

Julie J julielj at windstream.net
Thu Feb 11 23:24:19 UTC 2010 

Mark,

LOL for sure!
They did listen though and did admit that you have thought through the idea. 
That is progress.  Be gentle and keep working at it.  They will either come 
around or you will graduate and move out, either way you'll get a guide dog.

But from the parent perspective that is a wonderful response.  I'm going to 
tuck it away for future use. I've always said my Kiddo could easily be a 
lawyer or used car salesman, he has the gift of an answer for everything!

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: Thursday, February 11, 2010 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful


> Using all the tips and perspective I have gained from this list and 
> research, I made my best case about why I should get a guide dog. My 
> parent's response is that I make a convincing argument, and I should join 
> the debate teem. Just plain LOL.
> Mark
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Hope Paulos" <hope.paulos at maine.edu>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 12:31 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>
>
>> Fidelco is also close to you, Mark. It's in Bloomfield, Ct.
>> ----- 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
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
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>>>>
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/dcwein%40dcwein.cnc.n
>>>>> et
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>>
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