[NAGDU] Questions for low-vision people

Wed Mar 14 16:24:58 UTC 2018

This is really great!  I don't think I've seen these questions on this list 
in all the years, maybe 15?, I've been on this list.
Growing up my vision was in the 20/100 range.  Then at about age 18 or so 
over the coarse of a year or two I went down to count fingers at 12 inches, 
which is close to what I have now, maybe a little less.   I never drove a 
car, but did read print.

Does a dog feel like a second pair of eyes or like I got my vision back?
No, not really.  I mean it's great.  I prefer travel with the dog, but 
there's so much more to having vision than just moving around.   The dog 
helps hugely with travel, but does pretty much nothing for the rest.  I was 
fortunate to be able to attend a good training center to learn all the rest 
of the stuff.  Travel was just one class though and even if I had a dog back 
then and felt I had the travel thing down, there's still Braille, 
technology, cooking, home stuff and so on.

My second question is:  What got you to change your approach and get a
dog, or sharpen your cane skills?  Listening to classmates at TSE, it
seems to take a real hard shove from someone, or a bad accident.  But
maybe that's not always so?

I got my first cane when I was 21 or 22.  I had a few lessons and knew I 
needed to figure it out, eventually.  I resisted though because I was so 
self conscious of how I looked.  I spent a lot of time rearranging my life 
so I could use my extremely limited vision.  I never went to new places 
alone, never went anywhere after dark and skipped doing things that I wanted 
because I couldn't figure it out with the vision I had.

Then I found out I was pregnant.  That was my personal kick in the but.  I 
learned cane travel and Braille with a few lessons, but pretty much do it 
yourself during my pregnancy.

I started using a dog about 5 years later.  There was no big moment with 
that transition.  curiosity was the main factor.  I had resisted a dog 
before that because of the hype.  I was a very competent cane traveler, 
could move quickly and do the things I wanted.  I watched the program videos 
and read their stuff where they promised independence and freedom.  I 
already had those things so there was a big disconnect of why I needed a 
dog.  I like dogs though and wanted to try it out because of my curiosity.

That was more than 15 years ago now.  I find travel much less mentally 
taxing with a dog.  Especially for places I go frequently, I don't have to 
be religious about counting driveways or whatever.  The dog generally 
remembers and makes suggestions.  I find myself walking for the joy of it, 
not strictly as a thing I have to do in order to get something else done.  I 
have always veered and now since my foot episode it's much worse.  A dog 
keeps me going pretty much straight.  I don't have to find the sidewalk when 
I get to the other side of the street, the dog lands me in the correct spot 
every time.

As far as speed, I'd say I move faster with a dog outdoors.  Indoors it's 
about the same with cane or dog.  The benefit to me is in all the little 
things, like crossing the street straight, finding an empty chair, 
remembering places we've been, targeting a door from a big open area, 
keeping a line of travel in a big crowd, and the help with balance.

If your husband wants a dog, then great, but if he doesn't then he doesn't. 
He's got to be familiar with what guides do and don't do from seeing you 
work with dogs.  Maybe he needs to adjust to this new way of being before 
making the commitment.  Maybe he could get some more cane travel lessons 
from a professional or just someone who's like a mentor.  I'm guessing your 
husband knows how to use a cane well and just needs some polishing on the 
bits he was compensating with vision.  Or maybe this new level of vision 
loss is hard because he's dealing with deeper feelings related to aging?

I wish you all the best.  And now I'm off for a very long walk with Jetta to 
enjoy our fabulously nice day!  The snow is gone and the sun is out! Yea!

Julie
On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com
http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall
<https://www.blindmicemegamall.com/bmm/shop/Directory_Departments?storeid=1916046>
-----Original Message----- 
From: Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2018 10:18 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Tracy Carcione
Subject: [NAGDU] Questions for low-vision people

I have questions for people who had vision, then lost most of it.  I've
been blind most of my life, and I'd like your perspective to help my
husband.  He had low but OK vision for many years, but has lost most of it
over the past few years.  He uses a cane, but still wants to move fast,
like he did when he could see better, and isn't always as cautious as he
should be.  He had an accident recently.  Nothing too bad, yet, but it
easily could have been.
I'm arguing with him to get a dog, because I think it's the safest and
fastest way to get around the big city safely, and what you get is well
worth the pain of eventually having to say goodbye.

My first question is:  I was watching a publicity video yesterday for TSE,
and 2 people said that getting a dog was like getting some of their vision
back.  It gave them a set of eyes to use, and an extra brain to assess
situations.  Do other people feel this way, or is it just hype?
My second question is:  What got you to change your approach and get a
dog, or sharpen your cane skills?  Listening to classmates at TSE, it
seems to take a real hard shove from someone, or a bad accident.  But
maybe that's not always so?

If people want, they can write privately to me at carcione at access.net.
Thanks.
Tracy

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