[NAGDU] some questions about The Seeing Eye

Fri Feb 16 16:42:04 UTC 2018

Tracy, thank you for the added info. My concern is, I hate pestering people, and when I wrote to them asking if my online app had gone through like it should have, the admissions staff, I forgot her name, wrote back and said that Angela was out of the office the day before, but that she would be in touch with me soon, and my patience would be greatly appreciated. So, I didn't take that as if she were being short with me, but I take stuff like that as, ok, we'll get to you as soon as possible, be patient with us, give us time. And, honestly, I know it depends on the match, but the way these street crossings are in my city, plus not having good sidewalks, or very many of them,  I feel that I would be much, much more comfortable traveling with a dog. I do have good cane skills, but, at the same time, I just don't want to go months and months without a dog because, like I mentioned, it's harder to travel in a city where it's not really country travel with gravel shoulders of the roads and blended curbs, it's either street, curb,  or grass. So, you're either traveling in the gutter of the street, which is sometimes ok if the traffic's not horrendous, but when it is, you have to travel in the grass, where there's only this worn into the grass sometimes, not always. So, I just generally, overall, feel better with a dog in that aspect. And of course, if you're in the grass, or on a worn down path, you have lots of obstacles, pot holes, or driveways with downcurbs just like streets, and sometimes, but not always, there's not a ramp. So, yeah, as you can see, my town is not all that accessible. So, I want to call them so badly, but, at the same time, I have already sent them an email and don't want to be known as a pest, or, be told, you already emailed us, give us a chance. lol. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 16, 2018, at 10:11 AM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Kerri.
> If you express your concerns about airports, they might work something out
> for you on your freelance--something similar, if not an actual trip to
> Newark. Subways are somewhat like air trains, and even more noisy.
> I don't recall the exact timing, but I don't remember having to wait a long
> time.  For me, the waiting was more for a match, and not for paperwork.  And
> I always felt free to pester Admissions.  If you're ready to go, you could
> ask if you could get in quickly, before all the spots get taken up by the
> summer crowd who can't come any time else.  So, you could say you can come
> in April or May, if that's true and they have a match for you.
> 
> I forgot another change.  We all had room keys, like in a hotel.  The keys
> also worked on the outside door, so, if Fluffy had a problem in the middle
> of the night, you could take him out.  Which one guy did, but forgot his
> key, and got locked out!  And the poor guy didn't dress to be out long,
> either.  But he banged on another guy's window, so he came and let him in.
> There are also room refrigerators now, also like a hotel, which was nice.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kerri Sprecher
> via NAGDU
> Sent: Friday, February 16, 2018 11:00 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Kerri Sprecher
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] some questions about The Seeing Eye
> 
> Tracy, Sunfire, and List, sorry Sunfire I don't know your name. lol. Anyway,
> that was great info from both of you, and Sunfire, I absolutely loved all
> your stories and info was very very detailed. And yes, Tracy, I'd love one
> of those lightweight handles also. I had a quick release handle specially
> made for Sadie's harness, because the school I went to before has harnesses
> where you have to pry the handle off by using pliers or vicegrips. Anyway, I
> do remember the firedoor, because the instructors were very attomit that we
> wake them even if it's late at night and your dog needs to go out, because
> they have had instances where  students set off the fire alarm, waking the
> whole class up. So, I prayed I never had to take my dog out at 3 AM. lol And
> lucky for me, that was never a problem. And, this may be a question for
> Tracy, or anyone else that's a 2nd or subsequent grad, from the time you put
> in your replacement app, does it usually take Angela very long to get back
> with you and do th  e next steps go  move forward quickly, assuming that
> your doctors forms come back quickly? The website still says 4 months for
> class placement, but I have heard that grads get priority, but I'm not
> entirely sure that's quite accurate. And, I'm hoping to also find out if
> they do any time of airport exposure, because Sadie had absolutely none. It
> was almost a disaster, she almost got away from me and bolted out of the sky
> train in the DFW airport. 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Feb 16, 2018, at 9:39 AM, sonfire11--- via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>> 
>> They give juno walks to anyone. They even send trainers to Canada for 
>> application evals and followups. My worst fear during the first few 
>> days was not getting a match.
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy 
>> Carcione via NAGDU
>> Sent: Friday, February 16, 2018 10:13 AM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] some questions about The Seeing Eye
>> 
>> Hi Kerri.
>> I was at TSE 3 years ago, and 2006 before that, I think.
>> The major changes were adding fire doors.  Now, there is a fire door 
>> between each living corridor and the lounge space, which makes the 
>> living space quieter.  The stairs are also behind a closed door.  So 
>> there's a lot more opening and closing doors than there used to be.
>> The equipment is the same, though the last conference call talked 
>> about the new lightweight handles they're researching.  I'd love to have
> one of those.
>> I did not have to see an ophthalmologist, but then I'm totally blind 
>> and my vision never changes.  I don't recall a question about it on 
>> the medical, but I may have forgotten.
>> I did have a Juno walk, but I am fairly close to the school, and don't 
>> know what happens with people further away.
>> 
>> Good luck with the whole process.  It was pretty painless--well, if 
>> you don't count the usual worries about getting away and getting a new
> dog.
>> Tracy
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kerri 
>> Sprecher via NAGDU
>> Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2018 9:44 PM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Kerri Sprecher
>> Subject: [NAGDU] some questions about The Seeing Eye
>> 
>> Hi list,
>> I have very recently, after long and hard thought and consideration, 
>> decided that retiring my current guide dog would be the best for me, 
>> and for her as well, due to some major behaviors and some extremely 
>> unacceptable behavior from her school. Therefore, I have decided to go 
>> back to The Seeing Eye where I received my first 2 dogs, but it's been 
>> 12 years since I went there, and I know they have done some major 
>> renovations to the main building where the students stay, and probably 
>> redone or made changes to things outside the building too. So, I'm 
>> wondering, from all you TSE grads out there who have gone since 2006, 
>> what's changed and what's the same? Same harnesses with the screw-on 
>> handle? Same commands or any changes in student instruction? I know 
>> there are changes in staff members, and I'll learn those eventually 
>> when I go, but I'm more interested in things like whether they still 
>> have the big cement parking area for dog relief, or is it more private 
>> now like some schools have, and  if they still do things like give you 
>> the pans of food the first week and then you get them the rest of the 
>> time? I also noticed that the class time has been shortened for both new
> students and retrains, which is also good.
>> Anyway, any insight would be great, and I'd enjoy any stories about 
>> your training there, or what you have seen improved or changed, etc.
>> Thanks for responding, and hopefully the application process won't 
>> take too much time, since I put in my replacement app and already one 
>> medical form has been sent back within a 3 day period. I'd also be 
>> interested to know if retrains still get a home interview or if they 
>> have to still go get an eye exam or have an opthalmologist report, or do
> they go on the previous record?
>> Looking forward to all of your responses. Thanks a lot, and have a 
>> great weekend to all.
>> Kerri
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
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