[blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
Heather
craney07 at rochester.rr.com
Wed Jan 20 19:06:38 UTC 2010
Thank you. You just expressed a lot of what resides in my own mind, but
that being the mother of a constantly running seventeen month old has
prevented me from sitting down and writing out elequintly and consisely, as
you have done. One thing a lot of blind adults are not prepared for is the
fact that when you travel with a dog, you don't see landmarks. You can
count blocks, ask for dirrections, use a GPS, but if you are relying on this
or that bump in the sidewalk to help you find the turn to this or that
place, you are going to be quite stuck. I have known many blind young
people, whose parents actually pressured them into getting guide dogs when
they didn't in fact want them or wanted them, but were not ready for them.
For the sighted parents out there. If the child molester comes up and
offers your blind, guide dog using pre-teen a ride, it is your child who
decides not to get into the car. If that child molester grabs your child,
the dog may or may not jump up and bite the man, they might also lick his
face, or mighte piddle in fear and run away, or just stand there barking
ineffectively. Guide dogs are not guard dogs, and they are not there to
protect your child from creeps with a taste for children. They are not
there to protect your child from cars either. They will traffic check for a
car that is not stopping, but whether or not your child heeds their warning,
is up to them, not the dog. Your child's dog will not take them home, with
one command. If your child decides to be silly and go a strange way home
and gets lost, these dogs are not Lassie, and they might just contentedly
wander with your child, stopping at curbs, but continuing in absolutely the
wrong dirrection. Being a guide dog handler is like having a furry toddler.
These dogs depend on you for safety, food, shelter, and most importantly
leadership, andn advocacy. Teen moms are not generally the best equipped,
and twelve year olds as parents would be even worse, and guide dogs are like
furry, non-verbal kindergardiners, who helpfully stop at curbs and stairs
and can find a few designated places and land marks. I hope that helps.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Castellano" <blindchildren at verizon.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 10:53 AM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
> Well, I'll chime in with a different view. My experience observing young
> guide dog users leads me to believe that even at 16 or 17, it is the RARE
> young person who has the required all-around ability to use a guide dog.
> I have no statistics for this; my opinion is based only on
> observations...over the past 20 years or so.
>
> Another concern I would have for allowing a 12-year-old to use a dog is
> that in order to be a good traveler with a dog, the blind person needs to
> be a good traveler in general. A person would need a lot of experience in
> all aspects of travel in order to be successful with a dog. For example,
> much information needs to be kept in mind when traveling without the
> direct contact with landmarks, etc., that cane travel provides. How many
> 12-year-olds have such experience? Have they traveled much independently
> at that point?
>
> Last but not least, many people out there--some parents included--believe
> that a guide dog would protect their child and take him/her places safely.
> They see dog use as a panacea for what they perceive as the travel
> difficulties and safety issues facing their blind child. This is no basis
> for getting a guide dog!
>
> So, all in all, my feeling would be against this idea.
>
> Carol
>
> Carol Castellano, President
> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
> 973-377-0976
> carol_castellano at verizon.net
> www.nfb.org/nopbc
>
> At 10:09 AM 1/20/2010, you wrote:
>>Here here! Wy set the bar low when in fact a child of 12 years or 13
>>years
>>has the capacity and maturity to handle the responsibility? Isn't it our
>>responsibility to give all children those tools they need based upon
>>their
>>individual abilities to achieve all things possible in their lives. I do
>>not
>>see the reason for nor the reluctance to allow any teenager an
>>opportunity
>>to exercise their choice for mobility and that it include a guide dog.
>>
>>Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>>CEO/Founder
>>My Blind Spot, Inc.
>>90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>>New York, New York 10004
>>www.myblindspot.org
>>PH: 917-553-0347
>>Fax: 212-858-5759
>>"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
>>doing it."
>>
>>
>>Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>Behalf Of Doreen Frappier
>>Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:40 AM
>>To: (for parents of blind children)NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List
>>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
>>
>>I am not opposed to having responsible 12 year olds own and care for a
>>guide
>>dog. I believe that children mature at different rates. For example, 4-H
>>children own and care for animals (on their own) at very young ages. They
>>are responsible for feeding and caring for that animal. One of my
>>children,
>>(sighted) is 13, and has been the sole trainer of a dog since she was 9
>>years old. She has won many awards and competitions with her dog,
>>including
>>adult dog shows. She is responsible for feeding and caring for that dog.
>>When the dog gets her check ups at the vet, she comes to the vets office.
>>It's true, a young person can not take care of the expenses of a guide
>>dog,
>>but I am all for training teaching blind children to be independent as
>>early
>>as possible. I think each situation is different. I am not aware of
>>everything that goes into caring for and owning a guide dog, but I think
>>some children are capable and should not be excluded because of
>> age.
>>
>>Doreen
>>
>>--- On Wed, 1/20/10, Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com> wrote:
>>
>>From: Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com>
>>Subject: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
>>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
>><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 7:22 AM
>>
>>I just wanted to get some feedback on this from some parents of blind
>>children and teens. I, personally, was absolutely apalled to hear that a
>>local guide dog school, not mentioning names *coughs* Freedom guide Dogs
>>*Coughs* has preposed a program to place guide dogs with twelve year olds.
>>All of the other schools in the US accept teens no younger than sixteen or
>>eighteen years of age, depending on the school, but twelve? I am happy to
>>note that at present, no O and M instructors, parents or twelve year olds
>>have contacted the school to enquire about this program, but I am dreading
>>the day. This makes a mockery of those exceptional blind teens who are,
>>at
>>sixteen or seventeen, responsible enough, committed enough and have
>>demanding enough schedules to properly care for, utalize and actually need
>>a
>>guide dog. At what age would you consider supporting your teen in
>>researching guide dog schools? At what age would you support them
>>actually
>> submitting applications? How old would you want your teen to be before
>>actually being placed with a guide dog? Do you think that you would have
>>the blunt honesty to deny your support of your child getting a dog guide,
>>if
>>they were not emotionally, mentally, etc capable of utalizing a guide dog,
>>at that time in their life? Do you think that you could restrain yourself
>>from taking care of the dog, interacting with the dog, or doing things
>>that
>>would undermine the ownership of the dog by your blind teen, acknowledging
>>their sole ownership and responsibility for the dog, even if you, as their
>>mother or father still have all other rule-making power in the house-hold?
>>Finally, would you ever, honestly let your twelve year old apply for a
>>guide
>>dog? I just felt this should be brought to the list's attention. Just me
>>personally, I would not encourage my blind teen to start researching guide
>>dog schools until age fourteen or fifteen, and I would not
>> allow them to apply to schools until they were at least fifteen, and
>> that
>>is assuming that they are emotionally ready to deal with the demands of a
>>guide dog, such as handeling an emergency vet situation, mentally able to
>>care for the dog, such as, researching and selecting safe toys, effective
>>medications and appropriate foods, mature enough to deal with the social
>>implications, such as access issues, and that they actually had a need,
>>not
>>just a want for a guide dog, due to a challenging travel area or complex
>>and
>>demanding schedule of activities and classes. Please share your thoughts.
>>_______________________________________________
>>blindkid mailing list
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>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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