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

[Cindy Ray]

I honestly think that a kid should be able to get a dog at sixteen. To my way of thinking, it would be similar to getting a driver's llicense, though there are sure differences. But I've known people who called upon someone to lead them places when the dog was unable to work. These people need to be certain that they can get about adedquately no matter what. Now, I'd better keep silent here because I'm already up to three posts, and I may wish to speak to something else later.

CL

On May 31, 2013, at 9:31 AM, "Margo and Arrow" <margo.downey at verizon.net> wrote:

> I think the cane usage needs to be forst for quite a while, and, luckily, in
> many instances, younger children are being introduced to the white cane
> sooner than they were in the past.  I am very gladd that I have always been
> a good cane user.  So, yeah, I think a kiddo needs to use the cane for a few
> years before getting the dog and needs to be orienting herself or himself in
> an age-appropriate manner.
> 
> Margo and Arrow
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray
> Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 8:26 AM
> 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.
> 
> 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/
>> 
>> 
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> 
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