[nagdu] An interesting experiment

[Jenine Stanley]

In this discussion of blind people being treated equally during guide dog training, I’ll relay an interesting thing we did at GDF a few years ago. 

All of the groups that meet on campus, such as the Puppy Program Area Coordinators, the Prison Program staff and volunteers and other groups of mostly sighted people are responsible for getting their own drinks and bussing the tables when they are done. the cook does serve the food initially to everyone but you are responsible for putting your plate in the cart, cleaning it and putting the silverwara into its bin of water. Someone usually wipes the tables too. 

When we had the last Alumni Council on-campus gathering, we thought it might be interesting to have them do the same thing. After all, they’d had their dogs a while, weren’t dealing with all those new-dog things that could make this a disaster during a class. 

We only had one plate flip and one glass of tea spill and those were by the sighted people. I think everyone felt empowered. 

In that situation it was totally appropriate. 

During a class, especially for the first week or so, sorry but I want to be waited on while my dog chews up his leash, squirts out from under my chair and other antics that would have food all over the place. 

Since we have both guide dog and service dog classes, we make everyone follow the same rules. It’s funny to see how many of the service dog folks will start trying to get up and get their own things but once they have their dogs and have a couple struggles at meal time, that changes. Then toward the end of class, people are starting to get their own things again. 

We do have a rule for everyone. No walking with hot drinks and dogs, for anyone, blind, sighted or otherwise. All hot drinks need to have lids if not being consumed in the dining room too. This is just a good idea all around. 

I do agree that having an experience in a buffet line would be good. I hate them. I’ll admit that I go in, sit down and hold the dogs while my partially sighted husband gets the food. This means I get sometimes odd concoctions of stuff but he doesn’t usually spill it. If alone, I will manage the buffet line but not without help. Oddly, my dogs aren’t the reasons for my shying away. I have really weak wrists and don’t want to flip a nice full plate of stuff. Been there, done that. 
Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com

http://www.twitter.com/jeninems