[Nfb-krafters-korner] OT guide dogs

Tue Jul 5 19:46:16 UTC 2016

It is unwise to make these generalities. Let the person investigate each 
school and talk to that school. All schools work with a wide range of people 
and match the dog to the person's needs. Southeastern does not specialize in 
retired people. In my class, we had every range from someone beginning 
college to a retired school teacher. And, I have never heard of a person in 
a power chair graduating from Southeastern. That doesn't mean it wouldn't 
happen. But, it does mean that they do not specialize in that area. 
Likewise, I know a wide range of happy consumers who attended Leader Dog 
from quite young to quite old and even international. So, generalities are 
often not reliable across schools or groups of people.

Greg

-----Original Message----- 
From: Deborah Armstrong via Nfb-krafters-korner
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 2:15 PM
To: List for blind crafters and artists
Cc: Deborah Armstrong
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] OT guide dogs

That's terribly poignant, oh how I feel for you!

As for dogs, the good news is that with blindness being a "fixable"
disability with surgeries these days, there are fewer young blind people and
more older ones. So the shifting demographic has caused the guide dog
schools to move their focus from high-energy go-anywhere dogs to quieter
canines with softer temperaments and calmer natures.

Anyway, I'm not convinced the Seeing Eye though it has a great reputation,
is the best school for senior folks. I'm partial to Guide Dogs For The Blind
in San Rafael which is near where I live. I think as I have aged they have
given me calmer dogs. When I started, I had the fastest dog in the class,
and now working my sixth guide, we call him the slug-dog, he was the slowest
and I didn't care that my younger classmates laughed at us -- he was right
for me.

But there are other schools that have great reputations too. I've heard good
things about Leader dogs for seniors and not such great things about the
experiences of younger more active folks going to leader. And Guide Dogs of
the Desert, also in California,  works strictly with people who have
secondary disabilities, such as being hard of hearing, or people who walk
with support canes, or people who lack a left arm. And southeast in Florida
gets many retired people and works with people in power chairs as well.

So I'd embark on a research project if I were you, calling all the schools
and asking about the training program and explaining your physical
limitations.

I'd also try to work on any physical limitations you can fix. You could for
example, try the gentle workout from blindalive.com.

I had a bad fall in 2009 and couldn't walk for six months. After that I took
up exercise, working with different trainers until I found a sighted lady
who really challenges me but has the skills to know when she's pushing too
much. I have developed better balance than some of the young football
players who work out at our gym according to their coach, and I can now
recover if I trip on an unexpected step. I still have bad knees and
arthritis, but my body is in the best shape I can make it be. I can't pound
away on the treadmill like the kids in the gym, but I can balance on a core
board while lifting weights and I can walk for miles without pain or
fatigue! So if you can get physical therapy or personal training to
strengthen the muscles that prevent you from falling, you will walk with
more confidence. And you can always find a guide dog which will match your
speed if you research the best school for you.

By the way, I'm mot rich. I got my trainer for free in exchange for being a
guinea pig. The college where I work teaches students to become personal
trainers. My agreement is that I get all my assistance for free in exchange
for  letting newbies work with me to develop their coaching skills. I also
work with an expert trainer who doesn't charge me in exchange for this
service. When I first fell, I had to argue with my HMO to get all the
physical therapy I needed, but I kept pitching a fit until it happened. When
they tried to tell me you needed vision to have good balance, I just kept
fighting until I found a physical therapist who  believed I could get my
balance back if we worked together.
  You don't have to pay large sums to get help learning balance and
coordination but you do need to pitch a fit sometimes! And once you have
that, you can be even safer with a dog!

-----Original Message----- 
From: Joyce Kane via Nfb-krafters-korner
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2016 8:35 PM
To: 'List for blind crafters and artists'
Cc: blindhands at aol.com
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] OT guide dogs

All you guide dog users.  I need to ask you  folks out there something.I
don't know how old you folks are, but I had 2 Seeing Eye dogs to guide me
for 18 years.  I had to put down my last one a year ago, but had basically
retired her the year prior, but kept her.

This is a question for folks facing those getting older.  I had basically
retired her earleier as my husband retired and would give me the, "You don't
need her, you got me to guide you"  So I had not used her for maybe 9 months
and then my husband died, I broke my ankle and then in August she got sick
for 3 days and brought her in to the vet to find out she had diabetes and
was recommended I put her down.

I really after my second fall off a curb in Baltimore and broke my 5th
metatarsil just could not think of getting another guide dog.  I felt I
could not make it through the training andcould not keep up with a younger
guide.  I did get a lab mix 4 month old as my household was way too empty.

Does anyone know if they put older dogs out to older people?  I miss being
guided and actually I miss the steadiness of my feet with a guide to guide
me.  I would like to turn back the hands on a clock and change the early
retirement of using a guide, but I feel that I am too old and...

I am sure it is all this mixed up feelings about the crazy blowing up and
stealing the ashes and urns from the cemetery.  Not even our service men can
rest in peace and I don't have a place to go and share our resting place
together now.

Oh well, I do remember the last time I saw fireworks.  I was in Stratford
and was by myself as John was working and no one would go with me[kids grow
up too fast] and I took Guy my little long hair red Dachshund with me down
to this parking lot near the beach.  Put my chair in the middle of the
parking lot, people went down to the beach and didn't park and walk.  I set
my chair up along with my camera stand and took pictures of the fire works
while Guy sat in my lap.  I went in for my heart surgery on August 26 and
that was the last time I saw anything.

Send us your red, white and blue projects and send us some pictures, too.
We need to put pictures of what you are working on to show off you don' have
to see in order to enjoy your crafting.

Joyce

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