[nagdu] Leader dog and NAC Accreditation

Thu Jul 23 14:30:54 UTC 2015

Raven, two or three of us brought up this issue at convention.  Leader
Dogs is correct.  NAC only accredits the O&M and summer camp program.
I have looked on NAC's website and cannot find out anything about the
accreditation process so can't speak to that.

I belief CARF has a specific way to accredit agencies for the blind
but I haven't explored it much either.

I think Leader Dog has one good point.  Today, accreditation or
letters behind your name are important.  People don't care who the
accrediting agency is or what the letters behind your name are.  I
know NFB cares very deeply and that is great but most donors are not
concerned about that.

On 7/23/15, Raven Tolliver via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Sorry to bring this back up, but I wanted to share some information on
> this matter.
> I recently started working at Leader Dog, and an email was sent to all
> employees last week about NAGDU's resolution against Leader dog.
> Specifically, LDB's president and CEO wrote a letter responding to
> NAGDU's resolution. That letter is pasted below, as we are advised to
> share it with clients, Lions Club members, and those who have
> questions about the programs offered at Leader Dog and our affiliation
> with the NAC. The letter is followed by my opinions and questions
> about this issue.
> Here's the letter:
>
> July 13, 2015
>
> You may be aware of a National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
> resolution that was recently passed against Leader Dogs for the
> Blind’s accreditation by the National Accreditation Council for Blind
> and Low Vision Services (NAC). Within the resolution, the NFB demanded
> that Leader Dog terminate its accreditation by NAC, in part because
> NAC has no expertise in the guide dog arena. Leader Dog’s NAC
> accreditation is for our Accelerated Orientation & Mobility Training
> and our Summer Experience Camp, both of which fall under NAC’s
> expertise. Our Guide Dog Training has been accredited by the
> International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) since 1999.
>
> We had reached out to the NFB upon learning about its concerns and the
> NFB did not respond to our communication. We know that this resolution
> may create questions for our constituents and we’d like to address any
> and all concerns.
>
> In addition, the NFB asked Lions Clubs International and individual
> Lions Clubs to cease funding to Leader Dogs for the Blind until the
> NAC accreditation is terminated.  We do not plan on terminating our
> accreditation and continue to stand behind our decision to become
> accredited by third-party organizations like NAC and the IGDF.
>
> As you know, our goal is to provide consistent, high-quality service
> to all of our clients. Over the past decade we have made a significant
> effort to become a transparent organization that is receptive to
> outside review and input. Accreditation by third-party organizations,
> such as the IGDF and NAC, provide objectivity and hold us to industry
> standards when reviewing the services we offer.
>
> Accreditation is a common practice in many industries and is used as a
> way to assess how quality is maintained. It provides a non-biased
> evaluation of the work that an organization does and helps establish
> standards to continuously improve the quality of service provided. We
> believe these certification processes provide our current and
> potential clients with relevant information when deciding who they
> trust to deliver high quality, state-of-the-art travel-related
> training.
>
> We have fully embraced continuous quality improvement. This includes
> increasing client satisfaction by eliciting feedback during training,
> exit interviews and post-training surveys. We not only request client
> input, we also immediately act upon it to improve our services and to
> ensure we are providing our clients with the training they want and
> need to become safer, more independent travelers. Participation in
> accreditation processes provides additional information and feedback
> for us to use in improving the quality of our services. All of these
> efforts support our goal of providing the best possible service and
> training programs to our clients.
>
> We want to ensure our relationship continues to be as open and
> transparent as possible. If you have any questions about this matter
> and need clarification, please contact Rachelle Kniffen, Director of
> Communications & Marketing at 248-659-5013 or rkniffen at leaderdog.org.
>
> We truly value and appreciate all you do to support Leader Dogs for the
> Blind.
>
> Sincerely,
> Susan M. Daniels
> President & CEO
>
> Here are my comments:
> It would be great if someone could provide what the NAC's
> accreditation standards are. Obviously, they have something to do with
> rehab services for the blind, and this is why LDB has accreditation,
> while other guide dog programs don't. In addition to its guide dog
> programs, LDB offers the accelerated mobility program, GPS training
> seminars, and the summer experience for blind youth.
> Where did someone get the information that LDB's guide dog programs
> are accredited by the NAC? If you look up press releases on LDB's
> recent accreditation, they don't concentrate on LDB's guide dog
> programs, but their accelerated mobility program and summer
> experience.
> How is their NAC accreditation relevant to their guide dog programs,
> or the funding and volunteer services they receive to aid in the
> raising and training of their guide dogs?
> Pertaining to the guide dog programs, is there more to this issue than
> what LDB and the press releases are leading on?
> --
> Raven
> Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
> www.1am-editing.com
>
> You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you
> have or what you do.
>
> Naturally-reared guide dogs
> https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs
>
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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053