[nagdu] Fw: RE: A question about O&M training

Sat Jun 19 22:53:48 UTC 2010

Gail, 

It is not uncommon for O&M instructors to do free lance work outside of
their regular work as mentioned in the email.  We are facing the exact same
situation here in our area, but through our CESA, Cooperative Education
Service Agency, we are able to do exactly that.  Additionally, if you have a
school district where an O&M or VI instructor do this, you may want to
contact them as well as they might also provide free-lance work.  As far as
funding goes, have you connected with your VR agency for this service?  

Julie is exactly right in stating that M.A. or Medicaid/Medical Assistance
does provide transportation for medical appointments.  I believe this is a
regulation within the larger Federal M.A. scope.  Contact your County human
service agency to get this coordinated.  I work closely with our M.A.
transportation coordinator as a professional, and they can indeed help you.

BTW, have you submitted any applications to any dog guide schools yet to see
if they would accept you?  This might be more efficient as then they can
tell you what you will need as far as medical documention on your visual
acuity.  Julie's advice is definitely solid here.

The best of luck to you, 

Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Gail
Sent: Saturday, June 19, 2010 4:34 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Fw: RE: A question about O&M training

Thought you all might be interested in the state of things here in Kansas.
This is a couple of letters, in my tracking down O&M training here. 

Gail

-------Original Message-------

From: Dennis Rogers
Date: 6/18/2010 7:57:14 AM
To: Gail
Cc: Sandra Andrews;  Dennis Rogers
Subject: RE: A question about O&M training

Thank you for thinking of us.  I will ask our staff to assess referral
sources for your specific situation.  We closed the Rehabilitation Center
for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Topeka, moving out May 26, 2010. 
Kansas Rehabilitation Services administered that Program, and we are in the
process of developing a statewide provision of services, to include
addressing O & M need.

Kansas Rehabilitation Services and Services for the Blind no longer have
certified O & M staff.  Both of our most recent instructors have taken other
employment.   Both of them live in Topeka, but I do not know if they are
providing training outside of their current employment.  We can contact that
person to see is she is going to provide such service, and if so what that
cost would be.

I will ask Sandra Andrews to make a preliminary contact with you to see if
you are eligible for any of our programs, or to provide referral assistance
that we are aware of.

Please send us your phone number and address, and Sandra will contact you.

Thank you and good luck.  Let us see if we can help.

Dennis D. Rogers

Dennis D. Rogers,  JD, SPHR
Administrator, Kansas Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Kansas
Rehabilitation Services Social and Rehabilitation Services Docking State
Office Building
915 SW Harrison
9th Floor, North
Topeka, KS 66612

  Dennis.Rogers at srs.ks.gov
785-296-2717
Fax:  785-3687467

  New Address Effective 5-26-10

-----Original Message-----
From: Gail [mailto:deerskin at oct.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 5:46 PM
To: Dennis Rogers
Subject: A question about O&M training

Hello!

I was given your email by Sandy Tigges, of the Iowa Department of the Blind,
and it is my hope that you can answer a question or two.

I was recently diagnosed as legally blind with glaucoma and cataract
beginnings, along with some other issues causing me a great deal of trouble
in getting around. For many years, I had trained my own service dogs with
guide dog tasks, but my last dog retired herself some time ago, and frankly,
I've been very afraid when I have tried to go out without her help. I have
functional vision, but cant tell if the things in my path are something I
may fall over/into, something I could slip on.. No depth perception, since I
can only use only one eye at a time. I use forearm crutches for balance,
since I also have Meniere's disease, and the slight vertigo gives me a
feeling of unsteadiness. When I had service dogs, I used only the right one,
since the pull of the dog on the harness was the perfect counterbalance to
the vertigo. But with the retirement of my service dog, I have to creep
along, feeling things out with the left crutch, and balancing with the right

With my recent diagnosis,I knew I wanted to get, if at all possible, a guide
dog, and I knew that, to do that, I needed to have Orientation and Mobility
training. I asked for one of the NFB's free canes, and began trying to track
down teachers in O&M. I was very shocked when I called the Kansas State
Department of the Blind, and found that this training no longer seems to
exist....the officials I spoke to sounded as if I were asking for something
they had never heard of, certainly they were of no help in finding someone
who trains folk in O&M.

After over a week of emails and calls around the state and the country, to
various individuals and organisations, on the advice of friends on the NAGDU
guide dog owners email list, I have done as much reading and study on my own
of the use of the long travel cane, and have started going for short walks
in my neighbourhood, trying to learn on my own. Far from what I would wish,
but I dont seem to have any options. That is why I write to you, in hopes
that you may know of who I can go do for proper training. I would appreciate
it very much, since, even in the little time I have spent using a long cane,
I can tell it is SO much easier to go along at a pace closer to what once
was normal for me, than creeping along with both crutches, feeling with the
left one.

I hope that you can help me locate an O&M trainer, or give me clues that
will help me in my search.

Thank you very much!

Gail Nichols
St.Marys, Kansas

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