[nagdu] Guide Dog as Therapy Dog

[jaynewy4 at aol.com]

Hi all
Since I retired, I have been seeking out a volunteer opportunity.  So when I heard about a program across the street from me in which children read to dogs, I inquired, as I thought it would be great to include my guide Poodle, Dottie.  I had volunteered before in a program that encouraged young children to read--I was sighted then.  But I also worked as an English professor for ten years after losing most of my eyesight, so I am adept with technology and told the volunteer coordinator that I could use the KNFB app to help a child with vocabulary, and I would consider other options. For instance, Dottie and I have visited sick friends in the hospital, and she was a great comfort.  She can distinguish really well between working and being able to socialize when I remove the harness.  

The group here, which is called New York Therapy Animals (an affiliate of Intermountain Therapy Animals), has told me that their 200-page manual comes only in printed form, and I must take a hand-written test, as they have no other kind.  I asked them to accommodate me by having the material scanned and to allow me to take the test on a computer, for instance, or with an assistant, but after weeks of silence, they didn't address this issue at all.  Instead, the coordinator wrote back, "One of the most important goals for our programs is to teach the skills necessary to ensure the safety, effectiveness and well-being of all involved (human client, handler and canine alike). In the R.E.A.D. program, in particular, a handler is not just a passive listener but must be an active participant to support the child's efforts. It seems this would be difficult for a handler without sight."  

I am not really sure how to proceed with them and would appreciate any advice fellow handlers could offer.  Should I be willing to scan in their entire 200-page manual?  Should I ask them to have it recorded by Learning Ally or another organization (Bookshare), not just for me but for others who might be interested?  Or should I point out that 25 years after the ADA was passed, they might adjust their attitudes--that we are not merely recipients of social services? Am I misreading the implication that someone--others? myself?--would not be safe because of my lack of  eyesight? They do know that I was a professor for over 40 years and worked in a similar program.  I also volunteered as a high school tutor for disadvantaged youth.

If others have had their guides become therapy animals, I would particularly appreciate hearing from you or finding another group in my area that might better appreciate what Dottie and I can offer.   

Thanks, all, for taking the time to read about this issue.  I haven't seen it addressed before on the list, but let me know if I have missed any such discussion.

Karla Jay, PhD, and Dottie, who would enjoy a new challenge in life.