[NAGDU] Eye dog foundation application

Tue Jul 13 16:12:21 UTC 2021

Hi Sean:  

Here is some contact information for Eye Dog Foundation. We need to work
with them to make their website more accessible to their blind consumers. 

 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/> 

*        <https://eyedogfoundation.com/about-us/> ABOUT US

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*        <https://eyedogfoundation.com/dogs/> OUR DOGS

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*        <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program/> OUR PROGRAM

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*        <https://eyedogfoundation.com/volunteer/> VOLUNTEER

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*        <https://eyedogfoundation.com/donate/> DONATE

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 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/> Home / Our Program

Our Program

Our program matches trained guide dogs with visually impaired individuals at
no charge to the recipient.

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in the Eye Dog Foundation. We are a non-profit
organization dedicated to matching trained guide dogs with visually impaired
individuals at no charge to the recipient. Our nearly 5-acre grounds
accommodate the historic home, dormitory, kennel, and garage. We also have
dedicated puppy kennels. Grass training field and desert landscaped walking
paths provide safe places for exercise and practice. Classes are held
between November and the end of March. Classes are limited to six students.

 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program/application/> Application Request
Form

Our Program

Once ready, the dogs are matched with blind students to begin a life with a
new best friend. An experienced instructor and assistant trainer accompany
the students on training walks as they become acquainted with their new
traveling partner.

Two outings per day and obedience workouts several times each week help
students and dogs form the bond of a working team. Lectures in the evenings
provide a forum for questions and give the students a chance to discuss the
day's training with the instructor. Free time is spent relaxing with
classmates and preparing for a new day of training.

Sundays are a day of welcome rest and a chance for friends and family to
visit our school.

As training progresses, a team begins to take shape. The student becomes the
dog's new master. Providing daily care and grooming, they take the place of
the trainer in the heart of the dog. The relationship grows as the blind
person and their new companion learn to master rural travel, busy downtown
areas, and hectic shopping malls.

Training in a variety of environments helps prepare students for the many
challenges they will face in their everyday travels.

Well kept grounds offer paved walkways and a wide-open grassy area for
training. In addition, we offer a canine confidence course, desert walkway,
and a safe intersection for training purposes.

How to Apply

The first step for a person interested in obtaining a dog from the Eye Dog
Foundation is to request and submit an application. In the student service
section of this site, there is a short request for an application that may
be completed and submitted online. You may also call 1-800-393-3641 and
request an application.

Necessary Qualifications

Previous Eye Dog graduates have priority when a replacement dog is needed.
Applicants must be at least eighteen years of age and have successfully
completed an orientation and mobility program. Each application returned is
evaluated on an individual basis.

Secondly, it is important to know that each person is able to benefit from
the use of a guide dog. Good travel skills are one of the keys to successful
travel with a guide dog. Completing an orientation and mobility course is
mandatory. Spending time polishing the skills gained in the O&M course will
benefit the student greatly when switching to another type of mobility aid,
namely the dog. Although the dogs at times do things that are pretty
amazing, they are not magical.

In addition, a person must be capable physically, mentally, and emotionally
to complete class and maintain and utilize the dog when they return home.
Each person must also be able to provide a safe, healthy home, and quality
care for their dog. A basic guideline of $50 per month for maintenance and
$200 yearly for vet care is a good place to start.

References are checked and interviews are conducted with each student.
Arizona residents are visited in person. Applicants from other states are
interviewed by phone and a video is usually requested to help the training
staff get a better idea about each person and their particular work
environment. History with previous guide dogs is especially important, as is
a performance in other training programs.

To help with matching the student to the right dog, Eye Dog Foundation
requests a video of each applicant using a cane independently in a known
area to include a lighted street crossing, a video of the student walking
sighted guide at a comfortable pace to demonstrate the speed with which the
student travels.  Generally, people walk a little faster with a dog but
remember it should be a comfortable pace and not the fastest pace you can
walk at.  Another thing that is helpful is pictures/videos of areas the
student frequently walks.

In order to successfully use a guide dog, a person must accept the
responsibilities of the handler. These include day to day care of the dog as
well as the maintenance and future training of a highly skilled working
animal. A great deal of emphasis is placed on this concept, during the
training course.

 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program/application/> Application Request
Form

Orientation

Applicants selected for training will be notified by letter and phone.  Eye
Dog Foundation does not provide travel services to and from your home or
airport.  We do provide service to and from Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix
and the Eye Dog Foundation campus.

Student Needs

Students' needs while in class are fairly simple. All medications should be
brought in sufficient supply to last the entire class.  Personal snack items
can be purchased by students and stored in the dorm refrigerator.

As initially mentioned, there is no cost to the students for the dog or any
of the services provided by the Eye Dog Foundation. Therefore, students
should only bring as much personal spending money as they feel comfortable
securing on their own.

The dress code is casual. A good pair of well broke-in walking shoes is a
must, two is better. Temperature can vary considerably, 40 degree winter
nights, and 90+ degree spring and fall days are quite common.

Training Facility and Schedule

After arriving at the foundation and getting unpacked, students have the
afternoon and evening of the first day to get to know one another. Usually,
all students arrive on Sunday of the first week. Work begins Monday morning
with an orientation tour. Afterward, students and trainers gather again in
the dormitory to discuss class routines, basic rules, dormitory layout, and
any other first day concerns. A review of each student's application allows
the staff to confirm any special medical or dietary needs.

The dormitory contains 6 individual rooms, each with their own bathroom. A
living room in the center of the dorm includes a refrigerator, sink, and a
TV with VCR, as well as a recently donated descriptive video library. A
payphone is available for student use. A large dining room provides plenty
of room for 6 students with dogs. Meals are provided near the training
route.

A relief area for the dogs is directly accessible from the south side of the
dormitory. On the opposite side of the dorm, a patio with chairs and a table
accommodates those wishing to relax outside. It also doubles as the
designated smoking area, leaving the dormitory smoke free.

The class routine is based on two workouts daily, Monday through Saturday. A
typical day begins around 6 AM with breakfast provided near the training
route. After breakfast, we will depart for training around 8:30 AM. Most
training locations are no more than 30 to 40 minutes from the center, so
work is generally started at 9 AM. Lunch is scheduled at noon. We return to
the center after lunch to allow time for attending to canine and personal
needs. The afternoon session will start at approximately 1:30 PM. We return
around 4 PM to the center to give students time to freshen up before going
to dinner. We head out to dinner between 5:30 PM and 6 PM.

Group discussions are held 2-3 times per week, usually in the evenings.
Here, new training concepts are introduced and earlier training sessions are
reviewed. Patience, humility and a good sense of humor are essential. Other
questions relating to dogs such as general care and problem-solving are
often topics for lively debate.

Most students adapt quickly to the routine and begin to look for ways to
fill up the free time. Utilizing the training field and walking paths to
practice is highly recommended.

Handler Training

As mentioned earlier, there is a lot of focus on the handler's skills and
responsibilities. The dog is operating in our world, not the other way
around. This is something that can be used to the handler's advantage, but
it presents an obligation as well. Because we are the ones with the ability
to plan and analyze, each student must learn to accept responsibility for
all aspects of owning and working a guide dog.

Each handler must use their skills together with those of their dog.

The student will follow the same general path in training as the dog did,
only at an accelerated pace. Obedience workouts begin the bonding process,
followed by easy walks to allow dogs and new masters to adjust to each
other. Like their dogs, students learn at their pace. The small class size
allows considerable flexibility in the design of each student's instruction
program. Each student is treated as an individual and a separate teaching
plan developed to meet the needs of you and your dog. The goal is to help
each person learn to use their dog to increase their ability to travel
safely and effectively in today's busy world.

At first, each student works one on one with an instructor, developing the
basic skills necessary for using a guide dog. Different work areas call for
new techniques. As each student progresses, routes become longer and more
complicated. Supervision is gradually reduced as students become more
comfortable with their dogs.

Workouts continue to become more challenging as teams grow in their
capabilities. Obedience workouts in puppy class with 20 or more future guide
dogs, builds the student's confidence in their dog's stability and control.
Working independently under only light supervision in the later stages of
class lets the team develop their own style and cements the bond between
student and dog. They learn to work together and help each other to overcome
the challenges the training team puts together.

 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program/application/> Application Request
Form

Graduation Requirements

While each student is treated as an individual, the standard for graduation
remains the same for all. Each student must demonstrate the ability to
travel safely and effectively. They must also demonstrate by their overall
handling and treatment of their dog that they will continue to fulfill their
responsibilities as the owner and handler of a very special dog.

More Information

Thank you again for your interest in the Eye Dog Foundation. Persons
interested in obtaining more information about the Eye Dog Foundation may
call the toll free number at any time. 1-800-EYE-DOG-1. That translates to
1-800-393-3641.  Please fill out the Application Request Form to request an
application to the program.

 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program/application/> Application Request
Form

About Us

*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/about-us/#organization> Our
Organization
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/about-us/#facilities> Our Facilities
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/about-us/#team> Our Team
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/about-us/#contact> Contact Us

Our Dogs

*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/dogs/#overview> About Our Dogs
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/dogs/#puppy-raising> Puppy Raising
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/dogs/#dog-training> Dog Training
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/dogs/#meet-dogs> Meet Our Dogs
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/dogs/#german-shepherds> About German
Shepherds

Our Program

*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program#welcome> Welcome
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program#our-program> The Program
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program#how-to-apply> How to
Apply
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program#orientation> Orientation
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/our-program#graduation-requirements>
Graduation Requirements

Donate / Volunteer

*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/donate#general> General Donation
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/donate/#sponsorship> Sponsorship
Opportunities
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/donate/#estate-planning> Planned
Giving
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/donate/#dog> Donate Adult Dogs
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/donate/#linens> Donate Linens
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/volunteer/#puppy-raiser> Become a
Puppy Raiser
*	 <https://eyedogfoundation.com/volunteer/#stock-keeper> Become a
Breeding Stock Keeper

Thank you for supporting our organization

1-800-393-3641

C 2020 Eye Dog Foundation for the Blind / All Rights Reserved

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sean Moore via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2021 6:40 AM
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Sean Moore <seanmoore87 at gmail.com>
Subject: [NAGDU] Eye dog foundation application

Does  anyone  have  a  digital  copy  of  eye dog foundations Application?

Since  their  so  hard  to  get a  hold  of.

Thanks,

Sean  Moore 

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