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

Fri May 31 23:09:28 UTC 2013

Cindy, I would have to agree.  I like Leader Dog's program where this does
happen.

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 9:34 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.

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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