[rehab] mobility instructors and guide dog elligability

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Gene and RJ,

Gene, that's good information about the way things *should* work.  I've been
getting a lot of that information from RJ's questions, which is great
because I can mark them off my list of questions I want to ask on this list
for myself.  /grin/  My state agency, by the way, doesn't do it that way.
Very frustrating.

RJ,

So things don't always work the way they should, with guide dog programs or
with mobility instructors in some state agencies.  So say I, from first-,
second- and third-hand stories during my years with NAGDU (National
Association of Guide Dog Users), the NFB's Guide Dog Division.  To be
perfectly honest, it is in now way your O&M instructor's business to decide
if a guide dog is right for you.  That is for you alone to decide.  Nor is
it your rehab counselor's place to decide for you.  It is your decision and
yours alone.

There are a number of factors that go into deciding when and whether to use
a guide dog.  It is a complex decision and goes beyond the scope of this
list.  You can ask your questions on NAGDU's e-mail discussion list, and I
promise you will get answers!  To subscribe, just send an e-mail to
nagdu-request at nfbnet.org and say "subscribe" in the subject and body.  Or,
if you prefer, please feel free to contact me off-list at
tamara.8024 at comcast.net.  I'll be happy to discuss the matter more fully
and, if I don't have the answers you need, will be happy to ask the
questions on the list.  Asking the questions yourself is what I would
recommend, because you will get answers from all sorts of guide dog users
from all walks of life and levels of experience.  Each and every one of whom
will tell you *all* about it, because we guide dog users are just nutty
about our guide dogs and will talk about them with great excitement at any
chance.  /lol/

There is a list of guide dog programs at www.nagdu.org/programs.html.  We're
in the process of updating the list, but you will see that there are a great
many programs to choose from in the U.S.  We're in the process of creating a
survey for the U.S. programs so will have a great deal more information
about the various programs' policies when that is completed.  We're also
working on a consumer satisfaction survey that ought to be very helpful for
anyone wanting to make an informed choice about which programs to look into
when they decide to get a guide dog.

Whatever you choose, all the best!



Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Gene Bourquin DHA
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 2:04 PM
To: rehab at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [rehab] mobility instructors and guide dog elligability


RJ,
Usually the dog guide schools ask a series of standard questions about
applicants orientation and mobility skills .  It is typically not the cane
skills, but rather the orientation skills that are important.  Dog guide
users must constantly tell a dog where to go, and so schools do expect an
applicant to have good orienteering skills.  The mobility instructor does
not make any determination and I've never seen a question thats asks the
mobility instructor if the person is appropriate for a dog.  The school
collects a lot of different information and does its own assessment and
determination.

Gene 
 
Dr. Eugene 
A Bourquin 
_____________________________ 
DHA, COMS, CI & CT, 
CLVT
 
 
Support deafblind children in Guatemala!
Go to www.FRIENDSofFUNDAL.org
Visit: http://www.bourquinconsulting.com/



> From: joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com
> To: rehab at nfbnet.org
> Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 16:43:32 -0400
> Subject: [rehab] mobility instructors and guide  dog elligability
> 
> I was talking with my councilor with rehab, and she told me, that the
orentation and mobility instructor is going to evaluate me to see wheather
or not a guide dog is right for me.
> How can a mobility instructor make this determination? Say John smith
wants to get a guide dog, and he applys for one. Could his mobility
instructor say something to the effect of, "Mr. Smith isn't ready for a
guide dog at this time due to his pour cane skills." This question is for
the mobility instructors on this list. RJ
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