[nagdu] [Nagdu] Walking in a blind person's shoes, at The Seeing Eye in Morris Township

Tue Nov 29 18:39:41 UTC 2011

Marsha, I know what you mean, but I had to laugh.  This weekend, I was
walking in my neighborhood, where I've walked a thousand times before.  I
let my mind start wandering over what projects I had to do when I got
home, and missed a turn.  Ben might have pointed out an alternate turn,
but he didn't insist, and suddenly I found myself in an unfamiliar area. 
My neighborhood is bounded by busy streets and a railroad, so I listened
up for busy street noises and pointed Ben that way.  But I still had to
ask a passerby where I was.  That'll teach me not to wander along not
paying attention!

Sports car clubs have a game called "Rally".  There's a driver and a
navigator, and the navigator is in charge of the directions.  To me,
working a guide dog is a lot like that.  And the navigator has to be on
the ball!
When I was in grade school, my parents' sports car club ran a rally with
the kids from the local school for the blind.  We blind kids were the
navigators, with braille directions.  It was a blast!  Empowering, people
would call it these days.
Tracy

> In the perspective that most blind people use the long white cane, and
> that
> society views them as helpless. But that society sees those of us who use
> a
> guide dog as more independent. Not to say that we are any different either
> way either using a cane or a guide dog, its just the way that society
> views
> us. Yes our dogs are warm and fuzzy. Yes to some extent, our dogs do have
> an
> internal GPS. Yes, this does not help us in the same respect that it tells
> us where to go, and gives us instructions on how to get there. But to some
> extent our dogs can say we walk two blocks north and then turn right. They
> can make the decision to go around a bench, or an open man hole. In the
> simple sense they are a GPS. As the handlers we must need to know where we
> are going, we must know how many blocks to walk north, and then which way
> to
> turn, to instruct that guide. But because we can't see the bench or the
> open
> man hole, our guides are doing that work for us. We as guide dog users
> have
> that advantage over cane users, in that our dogs can be patterned to
> routes.
> And as we all know this can be a good and bad thing. This is not an
> argument
> over which is better, just views.
>
> I am not sure what the dog's internal GPS system is called or if it even
> has
> a name. But how many of us have been completely lost? How many of us have
> gotten off the bus at the wrong stop? Or have been let off at the wrong
> house or business by a cab driver? Yes it's a combination of skills we use
> to figure this out, but to give our guides some credit; they do know where
> they are all of the time.
>
> One example in particular. My first guide, Heather, and I had just moved
> to
> a new area. One very late night I got off the bus, I asked the driver to
> let
> me know when to get off, even describing the stop. I counted stops, and
> then
> arrived, got off. And the bus when on its way. I soon realized that I was
> not at my stop. I had never been to this area, never had been on that bus
> late at night. Once we figured out that I wasn't at the stop I should have
> been, I had no clue how to get home. I knew I needed to be home, but where
> that was not clear to me. So we started walking, turned around several
> times, walked about 30 blocks, in subfreezing temperatures, and finally
> got
> home. I would like to think that my guide had an internal GPS. Maybe that
> is
> an extraordinary situation, maybe our dogs aren't supposed to have
> internal
> GPS, but to some extent I do think they do.
>
> The quote in question probably was not a good thing to say in an article
> where sighted folks do not understand what I just explained. But it did
> sound cute to me.
>
> IMO
> Marsha
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Jewel
> Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 11:26 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Walking in a blind person's shoes, at The Seeing Eye
> in
> Morris Township
>
> Marsha,
> Could you explain what it is you like about the quote? It's the one
> part of the article I objected to most, since it leans on the
> misconception that guide dogs are the ones plotting the course and the
> blind person is just along for the ride.
>
> My thoughts,
> Jewel
>
> On 11/28/11, Marsha Drenth <marsha.drenth at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I love this quote, " A guide dog is simply the warm and fuzzy
>> version of a GPS system."
>>
>> Marsha
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of Ginger Kutsch
>> Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 8:40 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: [nagdu] Walking in a blind person's shoes,at The Seeing Eye in
>> Morris Township
>>
>> Walking in a blind person's shoes, at The Seeing Eye in Morris Township
>>
>> Posted by Morristown Green Contributor on November 28, 2011 .
>>
>> By Berit A. Ollestad
>>
>> Source:
>>
> http://morristowngreen.com/2011/11/28/walking-in-a-blind-persons-shoes-at-th
>> e-seeing-eye-in-morris-township/
>>
>> It's not until most of us are faced with adversity that we see things
>> with
> a
>> different perspective. What are some of the basic challenges confronting
>> blind people?  I did not want to wait for adversity to find out.
>>
>> When I decided to accept an invitation to be blindfolded and navigate
> around
>> The Seeing Eye's Morris Township campus with a guide dog, I was quite
>> surprised at the varied range of emotions I experienced during the
>> experiment.
>>
>> I had looked forward to the opportunity, because it promised to take me
> far
>> from my comfort zone. It's important to mention what inspired me to
>> delve
>> deeper into The Seeing Eye School and its training program. As I wrote
>> in
> my
>> prior article, the mere mention of The Seeing Eye School evokes intense
>> curiosity and bewilderment among residents. Here in Morristown, The
>> Seeing
>> Eye is an integral part of the town's history and daily life, yet no one
>> seems to know that much about the organization.
>>
>> Photos by Berit Ollestad. Please click icon below for captions.
>>
>>
>>
>> When I arrived in The Seeing Eye lobby, I was greeted by a roaring fire
> and
>> the smell of cinnamon wafting through the air. Immediately, I felt right
> at
>> home. Doug Bohl, senior manager for instruction and training for more
>> than
>> 20 years, greeted me along with Craig Garretson, communications manager.
>>
>> But the one I was most anxious to meet would be my lifeline, the one I
> would
>> depend on to keep me safe and guide me over the next couple of hours:
>> Alcott,  my Seeing Eye Dog.
>>
>> When I first saw Alcott, a petite golden retriever just shy of 2 years
> old,
>> I knew she had the confidence and calmness required to get the job done.
>> I
>> got down on the floor with her and talked and caressed her silky fur,
> hoping
>> to create a rapport in a brief amount of time.
>>
>> Alcott was trained by Peggy McKenna, a trainer at The Seeing Eye for
>> more
>> than seven years.  Alcott was eligible to be selected during the last
> class
>> of students to go thru The Seeing Eye. But for some reason she was not
>> paired with a student; she will have another opportunity when classes
> resume
>> in late January.
>>
>> Peggy started out working in the kennels.  Her love for each dog she
> trains
>> is immeasurable. "The moment one of the dogs I am training does
>> something
>> that he/she has clearly learned in training, there are no words to
> describe
>> the feeling that it gives me," she said.
>>
>> As one can imagine, it is only natural to feel sadness when one of your
> dogs
>> gets placed with a student and is no longer part of your daily routine.
> But
>> Peggy was quick to point out that her mission is meaningful and
>> rewarding.
>> "I feel so fortunate to do something I love," she said.
>>
>> Completing the circle, Peggy married fellow trainer Brian McKenna last
>> month.
>>
>> WALKING WITH ALCOTT
>>
>> As I attempted to take Alcott's harness gingerly in my hand, I tried to
>> acclimate to my new (albeit temporary) status of being blind. This may
>> not
>> sound difficult, but imagine my surprise as I rooted around for her
> harness
>> and recognized I was at the wrong end.
>>
>> My initial reaction was to rip off the blindfold because I felt so
>> vulnerable. But suddenly, by default, I noticed my other senses taking
> over.
>> The air smelled crisper and the sounds around me became clearer.
>>
>> Although blindness is labeled as a disability, I would prefer to call it
> an
>> inconvenience. It surprised me how quickly I started to function in my
>> new
>> alternate reality. Granted, I was on a closed course with an instructor
>> close by my side, yet I still felt surprisingly normal.
>>
>> As Alcott and I ventured around the campus, I quickly realized that I
> needed
>> to pay closer attention to her cues. This was never more evident than
>> when
>> she was indicating by her refusal to go forward that there was danger
> ahead
>> in the form of a pothole.
>>
>> My first reaction was to gently tug on her leash and command her "to
>> go."
> It
>> wasn't until Doug pointed out that she was practicing one of the
> principles
>> she was taught: "Intelligent disobedience."
>>
>> Though I was commanding her to go forward, she recognized the danger
>> ahead
>> and ignored me. I couldn't help but be reminded that if you are someone
> used
>> to being in control, this will be humbling.
>>
>> Sighted people make safety decisions based on their subconscious
>> awareness
>> when they are walking about town. I'm sure if someone were to ask how
>> many
>> potholes you averted on South Street you wouldn't have a clue. Yet for
>> someone who is blind, potholes are a major hazard. That is why guide
>> dogs
>> are taught to make conscious decisions for blind individuals.
>>
>> "Guide dogs are not taught to do certain things in particular
>> situations.
> We
>> teach them to evaluate what is the safer option when given a choice to
> make
>> the safest decision," according to Doug.
>>
>> Working with dogs, I found, is much like working with small children.
>> The
>> dogs are brought into town daily for their training sessions, which
> average
>> 45 minutes per day. Anything past that and you risk losing the dog's
>> attention.
>>
>> For trainers to get an idea of what would be an appropriate pace for
>> each
>> student, trainers mimic a guide dog by placing a harness over themselves
> and
>> allowing students to "guide them."  This lets them gauge their normal
> pace,
>> for choosing the appropriate dog.  Students are assigned a dog after
>> they
>> are at The Seeing Eye for two days.
>>
>> After following behind Peggy with the rookie Coach and the seasoned
> Alcott,
>> I determined that the training itself isn't the difficult part.
> Essentially
>> the dogs are taught very few commands. Verbal commands such as left,
> right,
>> hup-hup ("let's go") and a few specialized ones seemed to be the extent
>> of
>> it.
>>
>> The trainer also will use hand signals in conjunction with verbal
>> commands
>> if traffic noise, construction, etc.,  prevents the dog from hearing
> verbal
>> commands. The primary principle the dog is taught is to take the blind
>> person from the beginning of a street to the end of the street. The dog
> then
>> will await the person's command to go forward or turn left or right.
>>
>> At the risk of sounding silly, I always had wondered how guide dogs
>> seemed
>> to know exactly where they were going. After speaking to a handful of
>> different people I realized I wasn't alone in my line of thinking. As
>> Doug
>> explained to me, "When you are getting in your car and heading to Newark
>> Airport, you need to have an idea of how to get there before you start
> out.
>> The car will get you there, but you need to know how to drive it there."
>>
>> It then all made sense to me: A guide dog is simply the warm and fuzzy
>> version of a GPS system. Doug then told me to close my eyes for a minute
> and
>> give him directions on how to get to my house from the airport. This
>> illustrated how blind persons are just as capable of visualizing
> directions
>> as I am.
>>
>> At the conclusion of my experience, I could see how being blind might be
>> considered a gift as well. It gives each of us the ability to relate to
> each
>> another with a slightly different perspective, and to relate to the
>> world
>> differently.
>>
>> I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to
>> everyone
>> at The Seeing Eye School for the kindness shown to me, and for the
>> opportunity to learn about the school.  The Seeing Eye is a vibrant and
>> valuable part of our community;  I encourage everyone to reach out and
>> get
>> to know our neighbors a little better.
>>
>> Berit Ollestad and Alcott, a Seeing Eye Dog who guided Berit around The
>> Seeing Eye's Morristown campus. Berit wore a blindfold to experience
>> training as a blind person would.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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