[nagdu] Leader dog and NAC Accreditation

Thu Jul 23 14:49:21 UTC 2015

Michael, I agree totally that if any organization wants to do anything
related to blindness and blind people their website must be
accessible.  My sighted husband did get a link to the list of
accredited organizations and since Leader Dogs is on the list, I
assume, it is up-to-date.  I am fully on board with the NFB opposition
to NAC.  I had my say at convention and we need to work on this in the
states where NAC has accredited agencies.

http://090.6a8.myftpupload.com/about/accredited-agencies/

On 7/23/15, Michael Hingson via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Raven,
>
> Thanks for your thoughtful email and the letter from Leader. In fact, no
> matter what Susan says accreditation of Leader by Nac represents support for
> Nac by Leader. It does not matter what program or part of its organization
> Leader feels is accredited by Nac since the accreditation means Leader as a
> whole supports Nac, an organization that for nearly 50 years has
> specifically worked against the interests of the organized blind and which
> has consistently demonstrated an unwillingness to project and create a
> positive philosophy about blind people.
>
> Nac has never demonstrated that it has a good set of standards nor a good
> knowledge of orientation and adjustment, much less mobility. Even its web
> site does not show good access for blind persons.  How can such an
> organization be mentioned in the same sentence as one such as Leader that
> claims to desire openness and transparency? The Leader CEO, and thus Leader,
> support NAC through accreditation and that support comes from the entire
> organization even if one part of Leader has been "accredited".
>
> Nac is bad for blind people and now Leader has chosen to side with it. I too
> would love to see Nac's "standards" as well as its membership roster. What
> progress has Nac brought to its field and how has its "progress" been
> measured.
>
> Susan Daniels has opened a can of worms through accepting Nac's so-called
> "accreditation". This will be a problem for Leader until it decertifies and
> breaks away from Nac.
>
>
> Best Regards,
>
>
> Michael Hingson
>
> The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
> "Speaking with Vision"
> Michael Hingson, President
> (415) 827-4084
> info at michaelhingson.com
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver
> via nagdu
> Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 5:54 AM
> To: nagdu
> Cc: Raven Tolliver
> Subject: [nagdu] Leader dog and NAC Accreditation
>
> 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