[nagdu] a cane and dog discussion

[Tami Kinney]

There's that, too.  When it comes to people who use a dog by necessity
due to multiple disabilities that make it either impractical or plain
impossible to use a cane, that's where a big line is crossed for me.
Especially since I got me a bit of a taste of being on the receiving end
of it with my hand and arm stuff, then balance issues and a few other
things when I couldn't manage to keep the fibro from coming back with a
vengeance.  Also, I couldn't read braille with numb hands, so that makes
me hardly human! Oddly, so did the fact that I was training (then had
trained) my poodle to guide so that I could get around without just
going on making things worse and was doing everything I could to find a
way to get treatment for those injuries (expensive!) so they didn't
prevent me from, well, doing anything which requires have usable hands
that you can actually feel.  Sigh.  Well, I still don't dare use my
Perkins brailler or a slate and stylus, so I'm pretty sure I still suck
as a human being.  /evil grin/

Anyway, I agree with those who are tired of the generalized debate over
which group is more independent, and I got right on with being tired of
it the first time I heard it.  When it's purely a matter of choice and
preference in the context of blindness alone, it's really pretty
academic.  I could be strong as an ox and would still prefer dog to cane
becasue, well, that's what I prefer.  I would still want to know I could
use a cane effectively at need and would still hope I never had to
because that would mean something happened to my dog.  I like my
dog.  /smile/  If someone prefers a cane because they simply don't want
to put in the extra time and energy and expense to feed the thing,
that's fine with me.  If they feel better having the tactile contact a
cane provides, that's fine with me, too.  Who cares and why would it
make anybody less worthwhile either way?  I don't get it.

But when that gets turned towards those who don't have the luxury of
just plain old blindness to deal with, I do start to smolder and think
some *very* judgmental things.  And it is possible to hear it third hand
even when I'm just keeping my mouth shut so nobody knows my dirty little
secret about weak wrists and pain and other loser excuses.  Sigh.  I
heard that sort of talk recently regarding a local issue and had a hard
time not starting a flame war over it before I could get my fingers off
the keyboard.  Sure, some blind people are also mobility impaired, by
why should we worry about their problems.  Huh???  I decided to take the
asking questions approach to giving that guy a chance to maybe think
about what he'd said, then dropped it, since I tend to just read that
list to keep track of what might be going on so I don't have to
associate with that attitude.

Which is pretty judgmental of me, but in this case I just can't feel too
guilty.  /evil grin/

As for you, Rox...  Do you ever wonder if the people who decide you're
not independent enough because of your lame excuses have happened to
notice that you got yourself to wherever it is they're getting a chance
to tell you that?  /eviller grin/

On Mon, 2011-06-20 at 15:26 -0500, The Pawpower Pack wrote:
> There are also some people who are not as independent with a cane.	   
> Not for lack of trying, or because we're lazy, but because we need a  
> dog to perform other tasks.  I'm Deafblind with mobility and balance  
> issues.  If I don't have a dog, I have to have an SSP (Support Service  
> Provider) who is someone specially trained who work with Deafblind  
> people.
> 
> It simply isn't safe for me to be without a dog in public.  Crossing  
> roads, finding things like busses and other people would be impossible  
> without either a dog or human guide.  The same can be said for folks  
> with other kinds of disabilities.  I really dislike being painted by  
> some folks as not independent, or as "needing more training" because I  
> rely so much on my dog.
> 
> When I was hearing, and when I could stand up and walk a straight  
> line, I was a great cane user.  I haven't touched a cane in 13 years  
> because there isn't a point.
> 
> It doesn't really matter what other blind people think of me, but I  
> find this inflexible attitude of cane equals independent, very  
> frustrating.
> 
> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD and Laveau guide dog, CGC.
> Do not meddle in the affaires of dragons, for you are crunchy and  
> taste good with ketchup.
> http://pawpower4me.blogspot.com
>   pawpower4me at gmail.com
> AIM: lillebriss
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast.net