[nagdu] presentation about blindness

[Linda Gwizdak]

Hi Mark,
I, too, speak to school kids with my dog.  I also demonstrate the white cane 
as well.

I think people view the dog as superior to the cane because they think the 
dog just drags us around and people "bump" into stuff with the cane. they 
don't realize the team work involved in for sucessful guide dog work. they 
don't understand about how the white cane touches stuff when we use it.  And 
they see the people with poor skills - more noticeable when the person is 
using a cane.  I've seen my share of poor guide dog users as well.

When I talk to kids, I equate the teamwork guide dog and handler use to 
teamwork in sports.  Many of the kids are in one sport or antother and 
understand the concept of team work and the role each player has in the 
game. they really get it - much more than the adults - maybe I should use 
the sports concept with them, too!

Another thing I see differently is when I'm walking down the sidewalk with 
my cane, people walk right through me like I"M the one who is supposed to 
see them and move out of their way.  when I have my dog, I don't have this 
problem. I wondered why. Someone did tell me that the other pedestrian and 
my dog do eye contact like two sighted people do to avoid collision.

Lyn and Landon
----- 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: Monday, March 15, 2010 6:11 PM
Subject: [nagdu] presentation about blindness


> Does anyone recognize a difference in the way people act towards you when 
> you have a cane verses a dog? What about when you have no blindness 
> mobility devices with you? I have to give a presentation about blindness 
> to a class of 5th graders, and I was wondering how to make them understand 
> that someone with a mobility device is no different than anyone else. I 
> think they are more afraid of the fact that I carry a cane, than the fact 
> that I am blind.
>
> PS why are people so afraid of blindness?
>
>
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