[nagdu] The California Guide Dog Board

[Michael Hingson]

Hi,

I served on the board in the 1970s.  While there is value in having
standards and licensing it is not clear that the board is really serving a
significant purpose today.  I read Anna's emails concerning her experiences
and I understand her  experiences.  Unfortunately, the board is in the
Department of Consumer Affairs and not in any kind of real educational
oriented government area.  Its licensing I do think sets minimum standards,
but other than insuring that schools in California have licensed instructors
it hasn't done anything for many years.

Angie and I have been corresponding back and forth about what I think the
board may be attempting to do.  Here is the real bottom line.  If the board
is now attempting to collect money from out of state schools I think it is
going to find the task difficult.  It hasn't done so in its sixty years of
existence.  It is hard to make a case for doing it now.


M. H.

The Michael Hingson Group
     “Speaking with Vision”
                 Michael Hingson, President
                         (415) 827-4084
                   info at michaelhingson.com
                   www.michaelhingson.com


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-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jenine Stanley
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 7:26 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: [nagdu] The California Guide Dog Board

I am speaking here completely for myself and with no affiliation to GDF. 

My biggest issue about the California Guide Dog Board is why it only
encompasses guide dog schools. I know the reason. During one of the attempts
to "sunset" this board in the '90's, it was proposed that service dog
schools also be covered. To put it bluntly, they had a good lobby and were
exempt. 

I find this insulting to blind people if one takes as the premise for having
such a board to protect us from fraudulent schools and 1-man operations.
Given the wide range of disabilities and types of training possible to
mitigate them, and given the small nature of most service dog programs, one
would think that the potential for fraud and poor training would be much
higher. Many people, such as parents of autistic children, are desperate for
services and hence potential targets for fraud or poor training and
aftercare. Yet they require no such board, even separate from the guide dog
regulations. 

That's the overriding issue for me and until that issue is addressed at the
state level, the rest of the work of this board is what it is, written into
laws and regulations. 

 Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com


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