[NAGDU] A Little Education Goes a Long Way

[Raul Gallegos - NAGDU]

I would like to further add that while I was in my rights to not give him 
five stars for the delay that he caused and the impending denial, I am 
hopeful that the educating we were able to do during this trip will help so 
other guide dog users will not have a problem with him. I gave him five 
stars and I gave him a tip as I would with any other driver. The ride was 
not full of tension and he drove in a normal way, not speeding fast to try 
and get rid of us, etc. All in all, although we should not have to do this 
as guide dog users, it was a positive experience. I will be happy if in my 
lifetime, blind people don't have to explain or educate about independence 
whether it is about braille, or a cane, or a guide dog, or being a parent, 
or getting a regular job like everyone else. In short, our work continues.
--
Raul Gallegos - President
National Association of Guide Dog Users
346-439-7444 | RGallegos at nagdu.org



On March 12, 2022 7:45:03 PM Stacie Gallegos via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
wrote:

> Hello All,
>
>
> Today, after celebrating a friend’s birthday, Raul and I decided to forego 
> our para-transit   ride, and requested a Lyft; which was going to get us 
> home an hour earlier. When the driver arrived, I proceeded to get in the 
> car with no issues. When the driver saw Larry, Raul’s guide dog, he began 
> apologizing; stating that he couldn’t take dogs in his car. Raul and I both 
> begin explaining to him that he did in fact have to transport guide dogs in 
> his car, and further informed him that if he didn’t he could face serious 
> consequences not only from the Lyft platform, but might also have to deal 
> with the police being called. The driver admitted to being afraid of dogs. 
> I was in the car, and seat belt fastened. In my mind, there was no way that 
> this driver was going to deny us.
> With Raul and Larry finally in the car, our trip began. A few minutes into 
> the trip, I could  tell the driver was beginning to relax. Now or never, is 
> what was going through my mind. We first thanked the driver for accepting 
> us and Larry in  his car, and slowly but surely started educating him. I 
> told him that I appreciated his sharing with us his fears, and continued 
> assuring him that Larry was well trained, and was not going to harm him. 
> When we finally arrived home, the driver mentioned how nice Larry was.
> I’m  sharing this story to illustrate that as guide dog users, we have to 
> sometimes do a little bit of educating before we can eliminate 
> discrimination. As the subject line says, a little bit of education goes a 
> long way., As it turns out, this driver has worked for Lyft for a year and 
> a half, and tonight, he transported his first guide dog.
> —
> Stacie Gallegos / President
> National Federation of the Blind Houston Chapter
> (346) 704-0190 | SGallegos at nfbtx.org
>
> "Live the life you want: Blindness is not what holds you back”
>
>
>
>
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