[nagdu] navigating without your cane

Sat Oct 8 20:42:16 UTC 2011

We didn't use the dog in our room and in our wing. I think we were expected to use it to go to the dining room. I could be wrong about that. It has been almost three years.

On Oct 8, 2011, at 3:38 PM, Margo and Arrow wrote:

> Jenine, one more thing, and Cindy and others, correct me if I'm mistaken. the Seeing eye considers your room in which you and the dog reside while at class as your house or home.  Outside your home, it's the world.  they may have softened that to include the dorm wing--in fact, they might have done that.  the dorm wing just has the lounges and rooms.  The dining room is on the other side of the building, for example, and that's considered the world outside your home while at class.
> 
> Margo and Arrow
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2011 4:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] navigating without your cane
> 
> 
>> Now that's where we differ because I would not travel about the Iowa Dept. for the Blind or anywhere I worked without a dog or the cane. My home space is much smaller and I know what's hanging out there.
>> CL
>> 
>> On Oct 8, 2011, at 3:04 PM, Jenine Stanley wrote:
>> 
>>> Julie J., this is why I don't think there's as much emphasis put on
>>> observing how you move without cane or dog on the match, but it's more for
>>> you to learn to pay attention to cues other than those of the cane as you do
>>> move. As I said, GDF no longer requires you to put away your cane though
>>> many people do. Also, remember that you are going to be moving, in the case
>>> of the guide dog class experience, indoors around an area where you will be
>>> living for the next several weeks. It's kind of like moving around your home
>>> or hotel floor during convention week. You might not venture down into the
>>> lobby without a cane or dog but you may go to the soda machine without
>>> either.
>>> 
>>> When I go to GDF for work, I often move around the Administrative building,
>>> which includes 3 floors of offices and the Student Residence which covers 2
>>> floors, without a cane or dog. If I'm running between the braille embosser
>>> which is on one floor and our office on another, I'll often leave my dog in
>>> our office and make that run sans anything.
>>> 
>>> Has this resulted in some uhm, interesting situations? Oh sure. Luckily I
>>> haven't embarrassed myself too much though. <grin>
>>> 
>>> Jenine Stanley
>>> jeninems at wowway.com
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>>> Of Julie J.
>>> Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2011 3:06 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] navigating without your cane
>>> 
>>> Jenine,
>>> 
>>> I can understand the part about getting used to not having the input
>>> from the cane.  It is very different from a dog.  It does take some
>>> getting used to the new information you will get from the dog.  However
>>> taking a cane away without the input from the dog doesn't make sense to
>>> me.  You won't be getting used to the information you are getting from
>>> the dog if you aren't working it yet.  You need some sort of information
>>> from somewhere.
>>> 
>>> I also don't think taking a cane away is a good test of orientation and
>>> mobility skills.  I'll use myself as an example.  I am comfortable with
>>> either dog or cane.  I travel confidently and easily with either.  Of
>>> course I feel I get more information from a guide and I can get a dog to
>>> do a lot the cane can't.  Anyway if I have neither dog or cane outside
>>> of my home, I move about extremely slowly, cautiously and probably look
>>> like the proverbial Magoo.  It's rather embarrassing really.
>>> 
>>> Watching me move about without dog or cane would leave a person
>>> wondering if I should be let out of my house alone, set aside the whole
>>> issue of what sort of guide dog would best fit my needs.   Perhaps I'm
>>> in the minority here and others move about easily and comfortably
>>> without a cane or dog.  I don't know.  It seems that if this was the
>>> case, though, that there would be a lot of blind folks traveling about
>>> without a mobility tool of some variety.  Not many do that I know of.
>>> 
>>> The short story is I'm not comfortable moving about outside of my home
>>> without a guide dog, cane or sighted guide. Others may feel differently,
>>> that's okay.   This will be something for me to keep in mind if I do
>>> decide to attend a guide dog program someday.
>>> 
>>> Thanks for the explanation,
>>> Julie
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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