[NAGDU] for Cindy

[Sherry Gomes]

When I got my first dog, in 1975, the only two schools I knew about were GDB and seeing eye. I wrote both of them and explained about my juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, my fused knee, some at the time limited range of motion in my other joints, that I'd need to shorten workouts and so forth. At the time, and I'm saying at the time, because I know it's changed, but at the time, Seeing Eye said a person with my situation could never work successfully with a dog. They did not let me apply and never did a home interview to see how I do walk. On the other hand, GDB said, as long as you can handle the dog and do get out and walk, we can work with what you have and get you a dog. And it was GDB for many years for me. When GDB denied me on 2019, I applied  at Seeing eye, GEB and GDF. I didn't get too far in the seeing eye app, on my own behalf, nothing from them. I just read a lot of journals from grads and felt I couldn't handle the training, and I needed home training. But I applied to them, because I knew by then that they no longer would deny me simply on the fact of my JRA. I also knew GDB wouldn't accept me. In the past, if I had people ask me about guide dog schools for someone with other physical disabilities, I'd recommend GDB, now I say try GEB or even GDF. It's like the eye and GDB swapped attitudes. 

Sherry


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Al Sten-Clanton via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2023 9:51 AM
To: Lisa Belville via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Al Sten-Clanton <albert.e.sten_clanton at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] for Cindy

When I was in class at Seeing Eye in 2018, I was sixty-three and unemployed.  There was a seventy-nine-year-old former teacher who, if I remember right, used the elevator regularly to go to the "park" area.  I think there was another older guy with a hearing problem.  That was just over five years ago, so that could have changed, but my impression over the decades is that schools became better at serving a greater variety of people.


That said, in the old days, I heard regularly that we should try to walk our dogs at least two miles a day.  In my last class, I seem to remember an instructor mention walking five miles on a day (I don't know if she said we should aim for every day), and I've heard more people use that number.  Some people can do that daily, of course, but it would be harder if you have a full-time job and especially if you have other responsibilities.


Just my few thoughts.


Al


On 7/18/23 12:07, Lisa Belville via NAGDU wrote:
> Hi, Richard.
>
>
> I agree with your thoughts.  It does seem that as we age schools want 
> younger people; probably because there are no chronic health 
> conditions that require much beyond the cookie cutter approach as far 
> as training is concerned.  I also think some of it has to do with the 
> fact that younger, working people have access to better training.  In 
> my state rehab only pays for O&M if you want to work, go to school, or 
> are currently working.  Anyone over fifty-five who doesn't or can't 
> work won't t get much help at all.  I live in a rural area, and I 
> think many of these schools, because they're located in more 
> metropolitan areas don't seem to understand that not all of us have 
> access to the same opportunities.
>
>
> I also think the reps doing the in-home interviews have a lot to do 
> with whether you are accepted or not.  I was rejected from one school 
> because the rep took me in an area I'd never walked in before, then 
> told me I needed more O&M.  This person also didn't approve of my 
> older neighborhood with it's mix of old and new houses and terrible 
> sidewalks.  Oh, and the fact that I like to visit my retired guides 
> seemed to have bothered him as well because it was stressful on the dogs.
>
>
> I've attended two schools in the nearly thirty years I've handled 
> dogs.  Making the first switch was hard and felt like I was cheating 
> on the other school, but it was worth it.
>
>
> Good luck to all of us currently waiting on that next dog.
>
>
> Lisa
>
>
> Lisa Belville
> missktlab1217 at frontier.com
>
> On 7/18/2023 10:24 AM, Richard via NAGDU wrote:
>> Hi;
>>
>> I too had similar questions.  Some schools have become a bit 
>> particular as to whom they will accept.  I have found they tend to 
>> prefer younger people who are going to work five days a week.  I 
>> wouldn't be at all reluctant to go school shopping.  I have had seven 
>> dogs from three different schools each of which was right for me at 
>> that time.
>>
>> Best of luck and don't give up.
>>
>> Richard
>>
>>
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