[blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

Thu Jan 21 04:10:55 UTC 2010

I am not sure how or why I got my dog is of importance to this discussion,
as I can infer that you too would deny me an option to getting and securing
a guide dog because you must know that I am left to assume that I am no more
experienced or qualified to have a guide dog since I am only 4 years old in
blind life. How could a 46 year old man blind only 4 years possibly be
responsible enough or ready for a guide dog when much like that 12 year old
I must not have sufficient skills as you determine to be necessary to have
gotten a dog at all.   I have worked long and hard these past 4 years since
loosing my eye sight completely and over night due to a completely
unexpected illness. I am not coloring my opinions based upon my
achievements, but more importantly on the belief that all children need to
have the bar set high, no offense but it is opinions like yours which make
being an educator a challenge. You seem to have no faith in our youth and
that is sad. Just because someone is young or new to something should not be
reason to deny access or opportunity, what you hear is my conviction as an
educator to always get the best and expect and accept the best my students
have to offer, it is a shame that people have such strong opinions on this
that do nothing to promote our belief in children's abilities. I get that
today, and here is where my emotions are tied to what you are saying, I am
being told that I cannot teach in my school district any longer because I
need my sight to teach here. I hear nothing different in your rhetoric when
you deny students the option of using just using a guide dog because they
are not blind long enough? It is sad. 

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 9:47 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

You are right, about the mobility skills portion, but the perceaved maturity

level is important.  I would not let the most mature twelve year old in the 
world care for my dog long term or my child for an afternoon.  It is a risk 
that I am not willing to take and that most schools, and I agree with them, 
are not willing to take.  I did not realize that you are a guide dog user. 
You do realize, of course, that you are an exception to the rule, as most 
schools would not take someone who has only used a cane for six months into 
their program.  You must be an unusually hard-working individual, who had a 
very good O and M instructor, and i commend you on that, but I think you are

letting your personal achievements color your view of the issue.  It is good

to here some guide dog users chiming in, it really is.  I love these 
debates, when people really invest themselves in them.  I am just curious, 
which school is your dog from?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)'" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 6:30 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

>A child using a guide dog would most certainly  need to be held to the same
> standards as others looking to use a guide dog. Cane skills are key. So if

> a
> child has proper cane technique and is a strong independent traveler why
> preclude them from that option. I was a cane traveler who had to touch
> everything as I walked by. With a guide I do not hit things so I do not 
> care
> to touch them any more and get to and from more quickly.  An achiever of
> skills sometimes is a young person who has parents who support their
> independence and choice of mobility if all criteria are met should not be
> withheld simply because of a perceived level of immaturity instead of
> embracing  the Childs unique ability to rise above his peers and be a 
> leader
> rather then accept being lumped into what others perceive his abilities
> should be based upon a number rather then his own or her own ability. If I
> were to agree with your thinking I would not be a guide dog user at 
> present
> because I only used a cane for 6 months before I transition into a guide. 
> I
> am 4 tears into m blind life,, I would think a twelve year old blind since
> birth has worlds of experience over me and should be permitted this 
> option.
>
> 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 Carol Castellano
> Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 10:54 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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>>
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