[nagdu] Question about crossing streets - hope this is guide dog related

[Mária Orovcíková]

Hi Tracy and all,
here, in Slovakia, guide dogs users are also trained to carry a short white 
cane when crossing the street.
It is very helpful as I have ballance issues, so having a cane with me is 
great thing for me.
I don't need to carry support cane as my ballance issues are not that 
serious.
But of course, if a guide dog user doesn't want to use a cane they don't 
have to. Each to their own.
Have, a nice sunday.
Maria

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2012 6:42 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Question about crossing streets - hope this is guide 
dog related


>I have heard that, in England, guide dog users also carry a short white ID
> cane, and wave it when they come to an intersection, especially a
> complicated intersection.  It gives the drivers two clues that the
> pedestrian is blind.
> It's an interesting idea, although I like to have a hand free, so wouldn't
> really want to hold a cane and work my dog, under most circumstances.
> Tracy
>
>> Hi Marilyn,
>>
>> I absolutely believe this.  In fact, as I transition to a new guide, I am
>> using a white cane in the meantime, and ironically, have had this exact
>> concept really jump out at me.  In fact, I am offered more assistance 
>> when
>> using the white cane than I have ever with a guide.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of marilyn
>> Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 11:42 AM
>> To: nagdu
>> Subject: [nagdu] Question about crossing streets - hope this is guide dog
>> related
>>
>> Hi All,
>> yesterday I had a day off from work so I went to a library where  there
>> was
>> a guest speak there from the National Helen Keller Center who teaches
>> mobility. He did a power point presentation and told us that when a blind
>> or
>> blind/deaf person tries crossing a street the driver pays more attention
>> to
>> a cane user than to a guide dog user. We were told they did some research
>> in
>> Maryland, Minnesota and I forgot the other state. They did suburbs and
>> city.
>> the man doing the presentation who can see and still drives a car did the
>> research. he told us he has glaucoma. He said he dressed in regular 
>> street
>> clothing , put dark glasses on and used a cane, then a flag and then held
>> his hand up to stop traffic to cross.
>> They had a grant to do this study. I told him since every day I cross
>> streets with my guide dog and have had close calls I would have been
>> killed
>> with a cane. My dog didn't go across until it was safe even if I give the
>> forward command. I was told that a guide dog team was killed last year
>> because the dog went forward and the person had a hearing problem besides
>> being blind. I told him I cannot comment on what happened to this person
>> because pedestrians who can see are hit by cars every day.
>> My question is do you think people who drive cars pay more attention to a
>> cane user when your trying to cross a street or do people pay attention 
>> to
>> a
>> guide dog user?
>> I asked why a study wasn't done about guide dog users crossing streets 
>> and
>> was told there wasn't a grant for that study since more people use canes
>> than dogs.
>> Marilyn and Anna
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>
>
>
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