[nagdu] once in a lifetime trip to jail

[Lyn Gwizdak]

Hi Marsha,
Glad the prison visit went well for you and you found it very educational.

I know what you mean by the educating about guide dogs and blindness.  I do 
this myself. I do stuff with our blind community but I do most of my things 
and life in the sighted world - with my pet assisted therapy and in the LGBT 
community.

I am the first person at the Humane Society to be in their P-AT Program as a 
disabled peraon with a working service dog.  Many puppy raisers have done 
this with their service dog pups in training but never a blind person with a 
guide dog.  It is a credit to the HS to allow me the chance to do this and 
that is the best part of all. We just need an open minded person to give us 
a chance. Wwell, they're very happy with me and Landon and the Outreach 
Program met us and asked us to join their program as well.  They contacted 
me to come to do a visit in January to a school who had called them to find 
a guide dog to come in and be a part of a class they are doing. the Outreach 
folks were so happy I could do this for them.

Educating people happens best when it is one by one - each person we 
encounter in life are being educated when they see what blind people and 
their dogs can do.  This is how we break down the old stereotypes.  Of 
course, our organizations are needed as well.

Take care and now you are going to have fun writing your paper!

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marsha Drenth" <marsha.drenth at gmail.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 23, 2010 7:37 PM
Subject: [nagdu] once in a lifetime trip to jail


> Hi All,
>
> My trip to Jail happened. It was a once in a life time sort of trip. Emma
> was the most well behaved dog ever, and no one at the prison gave us any
> trouble. My professor was a worry wart about it on the way there, mainly
> that the general message that I was permitted in, had not reached the 
> prison
> it self. We met with 4 inmates, who share their stories with us. We were
> also able to ask questions, as well have a tour of the prison. It was in
> total about a 2 mile walk around. On the way there, my professor and I
> shared the access issue with them all, and every single one of them was
> behind me. And knew that even though, granted a small chance, once we
> arrived, I could still be denied, told me later, that they would have 
> stayed
> behind with me, to protest the injustice. I made some great friends from 
> the
> trip with the students. And of course not only did I learn a lot but they
> did too. I am so happy I got to go, now I know what it was like, I would
> have been missing out on a incredible experience. I not only educated the
> prison system, but the other students, and my professor. I have to write 
> up
> a paper for my political science class, and will use that as a journal
> entry. Once I get that done, if anyone wants to read, I will email it to
> them directly.
>
> Thank you, to all of you for the support. Thank you, to Marion, for 
> working
> hard to help the state change their minds.
>
> If I can stress anything to anyone about this trip. Yes all that was
> involved in me actually being able to go, was stressful. Yes, I had to 
> make
> a big stink about it. Yes I stood up for my rights. But see there in that,
> is what it really means to change what it means to be blind. My professor,
> learned more about me and blindness and generally about guide dogs. The
> college learned, that blind people can visit a prison on a field trip. I
> showed the prison system, about civil rights, and about blindness. I 
> showed
> the students about civil rights, standing up for those rights, and a
> invaluable amount of information about blindness and guide dogs. Before 
> all
> of those people had different ideas of a blind person, about guide dogs, 
> and
> maybe about me. Now they do not, and little old me, has changed those
> thoughts. Wow it is incredible what I have done. Never did I think I was
> ever going to be put into such a position. But as blind people, as guide 
> dog
> users, we have/must/should to fight, stand up for our rights every single
> day. So its just all in a days work LOL
>
> Marsha
>
>
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