[NFB-Krafters-Korner] OT Blast from the Past

Sun Jan 3 22:43:41 UTC 2021

Joyce, this is a beautiful story.  You were brave to have attempted the
trip.  I would have never traveled to a foreign country alone.  

Linda B

-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Krafters-Korner <nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf
Of Joyce Kane via NFB-Krafters-Korner
Sent: Friday, January 1, 2021 2:41 PM
To: 'List for blind crafters and artists' <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Cc: blindhands at aol.com
Subject: [NFB-Krafters-Korner] OT Blast from the Past

HARNESS UP

Fall/ Winter issue 2005 Newsletter of the National Association of Guide Dog
Users A division of the National Federation of the Blind Jana Moynihan,
Editor

Diary of a World Traveler

by Joyce Kane and Corey, Connecticut, U.S.A.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi

I had an opportunity this summer to perform what Mahatma Gandhi had once
said. The U.S. State Department invited my Seeing Eye dog, Corey and I to
travel to India and meet the Blind of India and share my story, my life and
tell how a guide dog has played an important part in my regaining my
independence. Corey and I went to India for a month to bring service animal
awareness to the country and people of India. They invited me there to speak
on advocacy for the blind, traveling independently with a guide dog,
blindness, managing ones diabetes with the loss of sight and the Americans
with Disability Act.

We toured India including Mumbai, Ahmedad, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta and
New Delhi. It took a year of planning and getting things all set for our
trip with special permission needed for Corey to be allowed to travel with
me. We had to get special permission from the Indian airlines, restaurants,
airports and hotels, places that here in the United States we do not give
much thought to going with our guide dogs. It took letters from the
Commissioner of Disabilities from the Capital in New Delhi to finally get
the OK from one of the airlines that flies within India to allow Corey to
travel onboard with me. I traveled to India and back only with Corey as my
guide. This was the first time out of the United States and I was doing it
alone.

Let me tell you a little about my Seeing Eye dog, Corey. She is a 9-year-old
German Shepard. I have had her for 6 ½ years and she is my first guide dog.
She did a wonderful job on the trip to India. She worked hard and reacted
well in every new situation that we faced. The Seeing Eye can be very proud
of her as she made quite an impression everywhere we went. Her picture was
in all the newspapers and major television stations in India We visited many
of the schools for the blind, visited hospitals and a medical University,
spoke to audiences in the embassies, schools, hospitals and training centers
and had over 400 come to hear my speech and meet Corey in Bangalore. We
actually had to sneak out through the kitchen to finally escape from that
crowd of people.

At one of the blind schools in Calcutta, after I had spoken to the children,
they lined up and came up on the stage, shook my hand in greeting, saluted
Corey and had to pat her back and then continued down off the stage. I was
really impressed when someone described to me what they were doing. I had
suggested they come up on stage to greet us and after 200 students did this
we had a chance to tour the school. We visited another blind school in
Bangalore that is well known for their traditional Indian dance
performances. These children will be performing in the U.S. in the Spring of
2006. A dance teacher there showed me how they teach the blind students to
dance; she strikes a pose and the students touch her to feel where their
hands and feet should go and how they should be positioned. Corey watched
while the teacher demonstrated to me how it is done.

Corey and I had a chance to do only a little sight seeing. We went to
Gandhi’s home. The diplomat from Mumbai stayed out doors with Corey as you
must remove your shoes to enter and we did not think they would allow her in
with me. We were the only tourists there at the time. The wife of the
caretaker said it was all right for Corey to join us. So Corey guided me
through Gandhi’s home. They even allowed me to touch Gandhi’s spinning wheel
and then asked me to sign and write a little in the guest book they have for
“special guests”.

Corey and I leisurely walked around the Gate Way of India in Mumbai/Bombay
that is located on the Arabian Sea. Our stroll was captured and appeared on
the front cover of the “Woof” magazine, which featured the topic of service
animals. The article stated that it was the “first time a blind person
walked around this popular tourist sight with her guide dog from the Seeing
Eye.” This is a publication in India.

I am happy to say while I was there I learned that there was a litter of
Labrador retrievers born outside of Mumbai and the plans are that these
puppies will begin their training soon to grow up to be the first guide dogs
trained in India. I am sorry that I did not have the opportunity to meet Dr.
Nitin Sule from the Drushti Guide Dog School for the Blind who has started
the first guide dog school for the blind of India. I have been in touch with
him since I returned home. I gave some blind teachers and blind students a
chance to walk with Corey to have a little idea of the feeling of being led
by a guide dog. Corey put up with it all. I was touched by so many people
and I hope I touched them. I know that Corey did. We definitely brought
awareness of guide dogs to India.

Joyce Kane

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