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

Fri May 31 14:25:57 UTC 2013

How did the article give a horrible view of blind children? I must have
missed something. This school is promoting guide dog use among children and
their announcement demonstrates this. It's advertising really. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 9:10 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog school that offers guide dogs to
childrenbetween the ages of 11 & 17 years old.

I think it might keep a kid from learning cane skills really well.  I used a
cane from about 4th grade through my first year in college, and I got where
I wanted to go, though, once I got a dog, I got there easier and quicker. I
think we all agree that good cane skills are an essential for any blind
person.

I always wonder how it works physically, to give a kid a guide dog.  A
person's body changes a lot between 11 years old and 18 years old.  People
get a lot bigger, stronger, and taller.  I don't really see how a dog that
suits the height and strength of an 11-year-old would work well with the
same kid even 4 or 5 years later.

And I wonder how it works out with the family.  When I came home with my
first dog, my dad especially would suggest I just leave the dog home when we
were going out to eat or whatever.  I was old enough to say No and make it
stick.  Also, I was only home for a short time before heading back to
college.  I think a kid might have trouble, keeping the family from taking
over the dog or discouraging its use.
Tracy

----- 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: Friday, May 31, 2013 8:25 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog school that offers guide dogs to
childrenbetween the ages of 11 & 17 years old.

> Well, first of all, I think it gives a horrific view of blind 
> children. It doesn't need to be like that. Second, the younger ones, I 
> would have to say I am a little hesitant, not so much because of 
> thekids who are having the dogs as the others. I have seen enough of 
> how adults and others kids react to an adult's dog. I just don't feel 
> it to be a great idea, and I sometimes think that the dog is as 
> isolating in its own way because it can be hard to get the topic of 
> conversation off the dog. JMO
>
> CL
>
> On May 31, 2013, at 7:04 AM, Deanna Lewis <DLewis at clovernook.org> 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.
>>
>> http://www.mirausa.org/
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at host.nfbnet.org
>> http://host.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>> http://host.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gm
>> ail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at host.nfbnet.org
> http://host.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nagdu:
> http://host.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/carcione%40acc
> ess.net
> 

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at host.nfbnet.org
http://host.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://host.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/pickrellrebecca%40gm
ail.com