[nagdu] Anti-discrimination or diversity policies of guide dogschools

Jenine Stanley jeninems at wowway.com
Sun Feb 21 17:46:54 UTC 2010


Lyn, 

GDF has had at least one transsexual grad/student that I'm aware of over the
past 20 years that I've been associated with the school. 

We do not have a formal diversity policy as such, primarily because we
accept anyone who was otherwise qualified to receive a dog and goes through
our application process. Sexual orientation really is a private matter and
has nothing to do with one's qualifications for getting a dog at GDF. 

I believe the person I'm aware of got her dogs back when GDF had double
rooms and she stayed in the women's wing. I do not know if she had a
roommate or not during that class. 

The instructors left it up to her if she wanted to explain or discuss her
gender and related matters. It was very matter-of-fact to them as I recall.
She got her dogs in the '90's and unfortunately passed away around 10 years
ago now. 

Currently at GDF we have single rooms and unisex public restrooms. I know
that transsexual and transgender people have applied to our school and I've
assured them that we leave any discussion of one's sexual orientation up to
that person. We care about how someone works with the dog. 

If problems do occur between the students, we advise people to bring them to
the instructors on class or the Consumer Services staff and we will try to
help work things out. 

As with any school, we give that standard lecture about how your fellow
students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, etc.. And we ask that you
respect one another. We also note that you are only on class for so long and
urge everyone to get along with your fellow classmates.  

Hope that helped answer your questions. If there's anything this person
wants to know, please have her contact me off list at jenine at guidedog.org. 

Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com





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