[nagdu] [Nagdu] Walking in a blind person's shoes, at The Seeing Eye in Morris Township
rhonda cruz
rhondaprincess at gmail.com
Wed Nov 30 01:41:51 UTC 2011
Marsha,
Our guide dogs.
Keep us safe wile traveling.
they are great ice brakers.
and also they are great friends.
Smiles.
> ----- 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
>Date sent: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:02:40 -0500
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] [Nagdu] Walking in a blind person's shoes,at
The Seeing Eye in Morris Township
>This is also true. So in fact there those sighted folks who
think we are
>more independent, and those who think the dog takes care of us,
and those
>that think we are extraordinary for being able to dress
ourselves. But with
>that said, and this is not really guide dog related, if we are
blind
>parents, those sighted folks who think our young children who
take care of
>us too. So it really depends on the sighted person and their
exposure to
>blindness, to what they think.
>Marsha
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf
>Of Buddy Brannan
>Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 6:08 PM
>To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
>Subject: Re: [nagdu] [Nagdu] Walking in a blind person's shoes,at
The Seeing
>Eye in Morris Township
>Perhaps nit picking, but I really don't think that sighted people
see those
>of us who use guide dogs as more independent than those of us who
don't. No,
>in fact, they think that the dogs "take care of us", to use one
turn of
>phrase. And, since our dogs are "taking care of us", or "know
where we're
>going", or what have you, that means that they don't have to be
as
>responsible for our well-being as they otherwise would have to
be. So, in
>their minds, our dependence is just placed somewhere else.
>--
>Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>On Nov 29, 2011, at 12:33 PM, Marsha Drenth wrote:
>> 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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