[nagdu] Fw: [nfbmi-talk] Beyond Accessibility - Detroit Metro Airport Goes tothe Dogs

[William Vandervest]

There are none so blind as those who will not see

William and Leader Dog Lynard

timelord09 at att.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Terry D. Eagle via nfbmi-talk" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "'joe harcz Comcast'" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2015 3:17 PM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Beyond Accessibility - Detroit Metro Airport Goes 
tothe Dogs


> At Detroit Metro Airport, this trip's for the dogs One by one, the six 
> black
> labs and their trainers boarded the escalator to the tram inside the Ed
> McNamara
>
> Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport. Passersby took pictures of the
> well-behaved pups. Some wanted to stop and play with them. This mission,
> though, was
>
> serious business. The dogs were in the airport getting real-life 
> experience
> as part of a tour through the terminal to see how they would behave while
> using
>
> the tram, waiting at the gate or boarding a plane when eventually paired
> with disabled partners. If they can feel comfortable here, they're going 
> to
> feel
>
> comfortable when they go home (with their new owners)," said Katie Rebella
> of Mort Crim Communications, who was working with Rochester Hills firm
> Leader
>
> Dogs for the Blind for their training mission. The airport has been home
> base of sorts for about 10 years for training guide dogs in connection 
> with
> the
>
> partnership with Leader Dogs for the Blind. Delta Air Lines and the
> Transportation Security Administration also participated in the 
> experience,
> which saw
>
> dogs going through the airport process from the security line to being
> seated on the plane. The dogs would be brought to the airport in the past,
> never
>
> making it beyond the security check-in as part of their experience. "It's
> our goal to provide real training with dogs to put them at ease when 
> they're
>
> paired with their owners," said Michelle Plawecki, community relations
> manager with the Wayne County Airport Authority. "And we hope that in 
> itself
> will
>
> encourage more people to fly. Tina Goedertier, an apprentice for Leader
> Dogs, tries to get Connie, a black labrador retriever, situated under the
> seat
>
> of an airplane as part of their training at Detroit Metro Airport on
> Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015. (Photo: Jessica J. Trevino Detroit Free Press)
> Leader Dogs
>
> for the Blind, started in 1939 by three Detroit-area Lions Club members,
> seeks to give independence to those blind, visually impaired or deaf and
> blind
>
> through the dogs. Selected at birth, the dogs are raised for a year in
> foster homes then put through four months of intense training with guide 
> dog
> instructors.
>
> After the training, their potential owners are brought to town where they
> are trained along with the dog for a month. "It gets complex matching the
> right
>
> dog with the right person," said Keith McGregor, the director of canine
> training and deaf-blind services for Leader Dogs for the Blind. Most of 
> the
> dogs
>
> are German shepherds, golden retrievers or Labrador retrievers, and are at
> least 17 months old when they go home alone with an impaired owner. More
> than
>
> 14,000 dogs have been paired with impaired owners through the program. The
> only hic'cup' along the demonstration came as the trainers and their 
> charges
>
> headed toward the service animal relief area. A few dogs didn't make the
> final turn before they had to relieve themselves. Leader dogs patiently 
> sit
> while
>
> in training at Detroit Metro. (Photo: Jessica J. Trevino Detroit Free 
> Press)
> McGregor came to the rescue, revealing a plastic bag he said he had on 
> hand.
>
> Just in case. Tina Goedertier of Lake Orion, who has been working with
> Leader Dogs for the Blind for seven years, including the last year as an
> apprentice
>
> guide dog mobility instructor, said the job combines helping people and
> animals, which is a big plus for her. She feels a sense of accomplishment
> when
>
> a dog she's trained is paired and goes home with an owner. It's also when
> the waterworks start, she said. "It's very rewarding to watch them 
> succeed,"
>
> said Goedertier, 33. "But I'm a crier. I try not to let anybody see it,
> though. Contact Marlon A. Walker: 313-223-4531 or mwalker at freepress.com.
> Follow
>
> him on Twitter: @marlonawalker.
>
>
>
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