[nagdu] Guide dog school that offers guide dogs to children between the ages of 11 & 17 years old.

[Darla Rogers]

Dear Dave,

	I think most of us concur: 11 is too young and even if that child
has o&m early on, unless they are in a good district, they aren't likely
getting it as often as needed, and Hope as a child matures, he or she gets
more o&m hours.
Darla


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 10:54 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog school that offers guide dogs to children
between the ages of 11 & 17 years old.

I do not think this is a good idea -- and my perspective is from a non-dog
user, which is different from many of yours.

Personally I think a person should know how to use a cane well, and have
experience with it prior to getting a dog.  Secondly it perpetuates the myth
that all blind persons need a dog to be independent -- which we all know not
to be true.

I have other reasons, and I also acknowledge that there may well be
exceptions, but 11 seems a little young to me.  I have an 11 year old child,
and if he were blind, I could see him wanting a dog, it would be cool, but
he just isn't ready for it, and he would never have the option of being a
good cane user.

Dave

At 07:04 AM 5/31/2013, you wrote:
>What do you all think about this...
>Deanna and Pascal
>
>
>
>MIRA - The only organization in the United States dedicated to 
>providing guide dogs to blind children and youth between the ages of 11-17.
>
>MIRA: from the Spanish "look", "to have one's sights set on", was the 
>nickname of a favorite guide dog trained by Eric St. Pierre, founder of 
>MIRA Canada. MIRA Foundation USA takes its name from its collaboration 
>with MIRA Canada, a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 upon the 
>belief that all individuals, regardless of their physical challenges, 
>should be able to set their sights on the same goals as those people born
without handicaps.
>
>Today, MIRA Canada is recognized as a global leader in the breeding, 
>selection, and training of guide and service dogs. MIRA USA was created 
>in
>
>2008 as a legally separate entity, but with close ties to MIRA Canada, 
>where our dogs are currently trained.
>
>Our mission is to offer blind children in the United States between the 
>ages of 11-17 the opportunity to receive guide dogs free of charge, to 
>provide targeted educational outreach to promote public awareness, and, 
>as we continue to grow, to offer support services to the adult 
>population of blind and their families.
>
>It is our experience that blind children, for the most part, are highly 
>adaptive, fiercely determined, and seek to have many of the same 
>opportunities as their sighted peers. Although a cane provides an 
>adequate degree of mobility for the blind and severely visually 
>impaired, there remain some serious limitations. For example, it is 
>impossible to navigate with a cane when there is no tactical 
>information such as what is provided by sidewalks. A child living in a 
>rural area is severely challenged by this restriction.
>
>Furthermore, a cane tends to be isolating, whereas a dog provides a 
>social bridge to the sighted community. Not only are dogs social 
>creatures, they also provide stability and a level of protection 
>through their visual awareness training that a cane could never replicate.
>
>Finally, a guide dog provides a young blind person with a greater level 
>of self-reliance at an early age. Although a very young student is not 
>going to be out on the streets alone with their dog, having the ability 
>to navigate without holding a parent's hand is crucial to developing 
>maturity and confidence. The student's freedom and mobility are 
>especially enhanced in the school environment with the assistance of a 
>guide dog. Although there is no cure for blindness, there can be hope, 
>and we at MIRA witness it every day through the service of a MIRA guide
dog.


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