[nagdu] Guide Dogs at the Western Wall: Supporting the Blind

[sheila]

interesting post. Harold and I were just wondering about the oppinnions 
of Jewish rabbi's about blindness and it's effect on the lives of those 
that supposedly suffer a fate equal to death.
On 12/30/2013 5:54 AM, Ginger Kutsch wrote:
> Guide Dogs at the Western Wall: Supporting the Blind
>
> By: Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
>
> Published: December 30th, 2013
>
>   
>
> http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/guide-dogs-at-the-western-wall-s
> upporting-the-blind/2013/12/30/?print
>
>   
>
> In 1993 Israel passed legislation mandating that all public places allow
> access for guide dogs, unless the dogs disturb the "essence" of the place.
> Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz prohibited guide dogs from the lower plaza of the
> Western Wall, in 2009, citing that the dogs impinged upon the "essence" of
> the Kotel. Recently, unfortunately, a tour group of 60 blind Jews who
> traveled to the Western Wall were turned away because of Rabbi Rabinowitz’s
> ruling.
>
>   
>
> Blindness is already an incredible challenge, one the rabbis equated with
> death. Why should we deny one who is visually impaired, who relies upon the
> guidance of a dog, the opportunity to pray because it may cause a slight
> distraction to another?
>
>   
>
> While terms such as "low vision" have no standard meaning, the blind and
> visually impaired usually include those who, even with the best possible
> correction, have 20/200 or worse vision according to the Snellen scale
> (i.e., unable to even read the first line of an eye chart). It is estimated
> that in 2011 there were more than 6.6 million Americans with significant
> vision loss requiring some kind of assistance, usually a cane or a seeing
> eye dog.
>
>   
>
> These Americans face enormous difficulties with daily life. Consider how
> many activities now require the use of a computer, cell phone, or other
> visual media devices in order to work or communicate with family and
> friends. Is it any wonder that more than 4.2 million of those with a visual
> disability have less than a high school education, 1.8 million are
> unemployed, and more than 1 million live below the poverty line (31
> percent)? These statistics are shocking and reveal the tragic consequences
> that millions of Americans suffering from visual impairment must endure.
>
>   
>
> Federal laws covering seeing eye dogs were only enacted in the mid-1980s,
> guaranteeing some rights in terms of airline travel, housing, and work.
> There are also many state laws offering different levels of protection above
> what the federal government guarantees.
>
>   
>
> The United States could do much more to help. For example, in the United
> States, all paper currency tends to be the same size, so a blind person must
> ask someone to make sure what the denomination is before, commonly, deciding
> to fold each bill in a unique pattern for future recognition. Meanwhile, in
> the European Union, different denominations of the paper currency (the Euro)
> are different sizes, so a blind person can learn the size of each. In
> Canada, paper currency has a small Braille patch that blind people can use
> to determine the denomination. While these changes might be costly, there
> are other simple changes that could be undertaken with minimal expense. For
> example, in the Zürich, Switzerland railroad station, there is a small
> groove that leads from the entrance to the train platforms, which a blind
> person can use to easily follow to the area where their train will depart.
>
>   
>
> A seeing eye dog can be an additional help and great resource, especially in
> cities where traffic may move at a high rate of speed and listening may not
> be enough to cross a street safely. These extraordinary animals have an
> interesting history. Formal use of dogs to aid the blind came about in
> Germany after World War I, to serve the many veterans who had been blinded
> by poison gas. By 1929, the first formal training program for guide dogs was
> established in the United States. Since then, the Seeing Eye, a foundation
> dedicated to promoting the use of trained dogs, has trained and provided
> more than 15,000 guide dogs to the visually impaired, including more than
> 1,700 active guide dogs as of 2012.
>
>   
>
>   
>
> About the Author: Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the Executive Director of
> the Valley Beit Midrash, the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek, the
> Founder and CEO of The Shamayim V’Aretz Institute and the author of “Jewish
> Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century.” Newsweek named Rav
> Shmuly one of the top 50 rabbis in America.”
>
>   
>
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