[blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

Thu Jan 21 02:42:03 UTC 2010

 How much richer were your lifes experiences because you had a guide dog?
You sound like a remarkable soul, to have had the drive and determination to
do all that you did and to travel the distances you did at the hours you did
tell me how responsible you are. How would your experience have been
different if you did not have a guide dog, or more pointedly someone other
then yourself or your parents decided you could not have gotten a guide to
be there to help you garner the life skills, experiences, and confidence to
do what you did?

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."

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-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Heather
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 1:55 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

Hi there.  I am a guide dog user.  I have been using a guide dog since I was

sixteen, and my mother has been using guide dogs for over thirty years and I

grew up with them, but still waited until I was sixteen.  I honestly don't 
think that most sixteen year olds should have guide dogs or need them, but I

walked a block to the school bus stop, took my dog on the bus to school, 
navigated the halls of my highschool for three class periods, then walked 
three blocks and crossed some really nasty parking-lots to take a city bus 
downtown to the Eastman School of music, then I would have classes there for

a while, then take a cab to college for night classes, and take a 
paratransit bus home at almost midnight.  My dog would sit with me on stage 
during performances, I was a voice student.  She would navigate the pool 
room at the YMCA, while I swam, and she traveled with me to many festivals 
and performance venues.  If I wanted a sandwich I would have to find a 
student, ask them for dirrections to a good place to get a meal, then strike

out on my own and hope for the best.  I would explore downtown, discovering 
the best coffee shops and cafes.  If I missed a para transit bus, I would 
have to take a city bus from the college downtown to the line up at eleven 
thirty at night, then transfer to another bus that would drop me off four 
blocks from home.  If I didn't have such a great need, I would, not have in 
good conscience applied for a dog.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dr. S. Merchant" <smerchant at vetmed.lsu.edu>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)'" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:23 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

> Well- I don't weigh in often and this is also my opinion, AND, I am 
> sighted
> so I don't have a dog, but my understanding is that the guide dog user and
> guide dog have to constantly learn from each other, the learning and
> teaching of the dog doesn't stop when the dog graduates from school, and 
> if
> it does stop then over time the guide dog becomes less and less helpful. 
> (I
> do know this need for reinforced training from being a veterinarian for 
> the
> last quarter century).  So when one takes that into account, the guide dog
> user must be mature enough and able enough to continue to train their 
> guide
> dog.  I think this is one of the age concerns.. but would invite a guide 
> dog
> user to this conversation.
>
> Sandy Merchant Taboada
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Carol Castellano
> Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:54 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
> 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.
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