[nagdu] presentation about blindness

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Hm... Fifth graders can be actually kinda cool about mobility devices and
blindness.  They're old enough to grasp it and that it means something for
you, but still curious enough and open enough to think creatively about what
it really means.  /smile/  So they may be shy at first, thinking it all over
and trying to figure out how to express their curiosity, but once you let
them know it's okay for them to ask questions...  Watch out!  You'll learn
things about blindness and how you use your cane or your dog or brush your
teeth or... Than you ever imagined knowing just by being blind.  /lol/

Interactions with people in general when using a dog vs. using a cane are
very different, but in ways that can be difficult to describe or explain.
You interact with a lot more people when you have a dog, but often because
they're talking to your dog.  /smile/  Or they want to talk to you about
your dog, which is great, because I haven't met a guide dog user yet who
can't talk about their dog all stinking day.  Including me!

People aren't too likely to pet your cane while it's working, but I have had
my cane grabbed firmly and had to wrestle it back.  Nobody praises my cane
along with me for stopping at a curb.  /lol/

Sorry, it's late, so I'm throwing out random silly stuff.  When I first had
Mitzi, it seemed my friends and neighbors all had kids around the same age,
either just into or just a year or two before 5th grade.  Funny, funny
critters they are.  You will surely find yourself answering more random
silliness than you ever thought possible.  /grin/

Have fun!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Mark J. Cadigan
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 6:12 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] presentation about blindness

Does anyone recognize a difference in the way people act towards you when 
you have a cane verses a dog? What about when you have no blindness mobility

devices with you? I have to give a presentation about blindness to a class 
of 5th graders, and I was wondering how to make them understand that someone

with a mobility device is no different than anyone else. I think they are 
more afraid of the fact that I carry a cane, than the fact that I am blind.

PS why are people so afraid of blindness?


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