[nagdu] a cane and dog discussion (cane silence)

Mon Jun 20 15:25:04 UTC 2011

Thanks for letting me know I am not alone on that one Hope. It is so odd to
tell you the truth. And then, after they actually see the dog and
acknowledge that he is in fact a guide dog, they ask me how long I have been
training him? When I tell them I am not training him, but  actually relying
on him as a skilled and trained service dog, the opportunity to have a
meaningful and deliberate conversation on who looks blind and who does not,
allows  for a breakdown of socially and generationally imposed
misperceptions about the blind and who we are. The cane never, never allows
that to happen. Well not for me anyway.
Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
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."

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-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Hope Paulos
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 11:02 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] a cane and dog discussion (cane silence)

I couldn't agree more with you, Albert. at times I go out without my dog to 
regain my cane skills. Every time I do, I feel invisible. No one talks to 
me, I feel like eeveryone's watching me and I'm the slowest person (at least

I feel that way anyway). My dog provides me with so much freedom and speed. 
<smiles>
Hope and Beignet
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike" <underthetoaster at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] a cane and dog discussion (cane silence)

> Hi,
> I love how you brought up the silence factor of using a cane. It's one of 
> the most irritating things in the world. People yakking away in a hallway 
> is fine but then when you get close with your cane they all hold their 
> breath and clam up like they're scared they're going to get whacked. . 
> Wouldn't it be a lot smarter  if they say something to you so you know 
> where they are instead of vanishing into silence?
> Anyway there are irritating things about canes and dogs. Everybody being 
> an expert on dogs and what to feed, how to groom, etc. advice is very 
> annoying to me. And the usual roster of questions gets old quickly.
> Mike
>
> ----- 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: Monday, June 20, 2011 7:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] a cane and dog discussion
>
>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> Was not sure if I were going to chime in here or not. cane versus dog. I
>> choose dog all the way. as a recent entrant into the community, and in
>> assessing my needs from a tactile standpoint, I find the dog much better 
>> as
>> well as expeditious for my needs. I find that when my cane taps something

>> I
>> am 99% inclined to reach out and touch whatever it is that is in my path.

>> I
>> do this for my own knowledge of what is on my path and just for the
>> curiosity of it all. with my guide none of that ever happens. I could be
>> walking through an obstacle course full of pot holes or pillars and never
>> once want to nor need to know what it is I avoided. Add to that the issue

>> of
>> my sighted peers not seeing what they are looking at and again I choose 
>> the
>> dog hands down. I had my cane stepped on and snapped three times in my 
>> first
>> 4 months of being blind. that was enough experience for me to not want to
>> use the cane. The dog for one reason or another catches the eyes of the
>> sighted, it minimizes accidental cane breakage and it always opens the 
>> door
>> for a dialogue or discussion where the cane sort of acts like a dome of
>> silence which at first glance is impenetrable  by the sighted community. 
>> so
>> power to the pup for me anyway. Peace.
>>
>>
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> 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 Sheila Leigland
>> Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 10:06 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] a cane and dog discussion
>>
>> I think it depends on the situations that a person deals with daily. I do
>> much better with a dog in snow and on ice than I did with a cane. I used 
>> a
>> cane exclusivily until almost eleven years ago when I got my first dog.my
>> first dog. I've known cane users that have no interest in getting a dog 
>> and
>> that is fine. I don't know people that have lost there cane skills but 
>> I've
>> heard of it..
>>
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>
>
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