[nagdu] The membership has spoken, and I am disappointed

Applebutter Hill applebutterhill at gmail.com
Fri Jul 10 16:24:03 UTC 2015


Michael,
I don't understand the "gift" thing on several levels. First of all, all of
the other gifts I've been given throughout my life came with the expectation
that, although my gratitude and appreciation were hoped for and even
expected, the "ownership" of said gift transferred from the giver to me
immediately. That this philosophy of giving does not apply in the case of
many guide dog schools is a clear indication that whatever legal rights and
opportunities we may have, equality in the minds and hearts of the public is
not among them.

 I am also put in mind of the NFB's struggle to remove the exception to
federal minimum wage protection allowing workshops like Good Will to pay
workers with disabilities a subminimum wage. These nonprofits consider the
jobs to be a gift to the disabled worker, while they themselves are paid
six-figure incomes. The guide dog school donors support not only the actual
training of the teams but a large corporate structure as well, in which the
upper-level management benefits considerably. In both the case of the
workshops and the guide dog schools, the organizations benefit mightily from
the free participation of either the guide dog handler or the disabled
workers in press coverage and fund-raising brochures/other media. That's a
partnership, with all sides benefiting not just the "poor blind or disabled
person." IMO, the guide dog partnership (donors, trainers, handlers) works
better for all, when the handler is in the most independent position - i.e.
owns the dog.

The root of my lack of understanding, however, has to do with the need for
people to hold the recipients of their charitable giving in a perpetual
one-down position. It shouldn't be  necessary to perpetuate stereotypes by
insinuating that without your monetary gift to whatever guide dog school,
blind people will continue to live miserable lives.

I get that the fund-raising profession sees it as the best way to raise the
most money, and in the continued climate of so many people who believe that
blindness is a deal-breaker and that curing it is the only answer, I
understand that they may be accurate. Nonetheless, finding ways around those
barriers of belief and social order is our major and most formidable task.

This task is made even more formidable by the reality that many blind people
grew up sighted and adopted the sighted world's beliefs about the
inferiority of blind people. Moving forward without sight often requires a
constant battle with one's own beliefs about who they have become in light
of the change in their visual acuity. Constantly having to make compromises
with the sighted people around us to survive in the real world may dull the
ability and resolve to change the meaning of blindness, especially as it
applies to the social order. The fear of standing up for guide dog ownership
may be a consequence of the sheer overwhelming difficulty of this struggle.
Donna & Hunter


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael Hingson
via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2015 5:01 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Michael Hingson
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The membership has spoken, and I am disappointed

Hi all,

I understand the concept of viewing my guide as a "gift" which in some way
it is. However, I prefer to view my guide as a service and team member that
comes to me through the "gifts" of donors. So what happens if I agree to
attend a school like the TSE which gives me ownership for $150. Are those
dogs "gifts"?

No school should have anything except for the highest expectations for ALL
blind people. The non-passage of the resolution means we still have a long
way to go.


Regards,


Michael Hingson

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of margo and isis
via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2015 1:53 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: margo and isis
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The membership has spoken, and I am disappointed

Buddy, I ditto your remarks.  I am amazed and bewildered that our
organization can take a position that promotes low expectations of blind
people.

We get involved in agencies' policies.  Why is so much of a problem to deal
with guide dog schools' policies.  Why do we put them on a pedestal?  Why do
we treat them as gods?

Margo and isis



-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan via
nagdu
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2015 4:31 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Buddy Brannan
Subject: [nagdu] The membership has spoken, and I am disappointed

So the resolution re: guide dog ownership and the NFB's support of
advocating for the schools to change of ownership just failed to pass. I'm
amazed. I'm disappointed. I'm frankly puzzled. How is it that we believe
policies saying it's OK for guide dog schools to retain ownership, and this
apparently does not connote low expectations for blind people, when such a
position in any other context would never stand?

One thing that the folks who spoke in favor failed to mention, though I
guess it wouldn't have helped, was this. Even if schools aren't routinely in
the business of repossessing dogs without due process, the point is that
they shouldn't have the ability to do so. It's great that it's never
happened to most of us. It's fantastic that you feel as though you own your
dog in every way that matters. But some day, the way things are now, this
may not be the case, and we want to protect against that. After all, yes, we
are essentially being given an expensive gift. Let's just for the sake of
argument say that this is the case, though I know that there would be
argument on that point. The point is, if the schools deem a student worthy
of this gift, they should feel confident enough in this decision to give it
without such reservations. If they do not, maybe they need better screening
processes.

I'm just flabbergasted.


--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name





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