[nagdu] Guide Dog as Therapy Dog

[Danielle Ledet]

Boy this is sad. If I had the technology, I would scan it in if I
wanted to do it bad enough. But then again I have scanned stuff and
have most of it be gibberish. Is it not already on BookShare? I am
tired of running into the kind of attitude these people are presenting
you with. Around here, this is a small town and most folks know my
family and still expect me to ask my mom for help or permission to do
things. So I am beyond frustration at this point. I have just about
seen most of it all and done agreat del......traveling, keeping house,
shopping, mothering from birth, volunteered in a few big orgs, earned
a diploma dnd degree, etc. and I am expected to ask for permission to
do things on my own and move out on my own from her home. So what
gives?

On 6/26/15, Kaye Kipp via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Do you read Braille?  If you do, it seems that it wouldn't shave any skin
> off their nose to have it brailled for you.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of jaynewy4--- via
> nagdu
> Sent: Friday, June 26, 2015 6:06 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Cc: jaynewy4 at aol.com
> Subject: [nagdu] Guide Dog as Therapy Dog
>
> 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.
>
>
>
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