[nagdu] GPS Training

Mon Feb 7 18:43:34 UTC 2011

And sighted people are up a creek just as much as we are when their 
technology fails.  We're all too reliant on technology, but that doesn't 
mean we shouldn't have access to things that will make it easier for us just 
so we won't become too dependant on technology.  Not knowing about the 
latest and greatest could possibly cost us a job or at least make us miss a 
good opportunity.

Plus, I'd rather rely on myself or technology than hiring a sighted person 
to help me shop or drive me somewhere.  At least with the technology and my 
own skills I'm relying on my own wits to solve a problem and accomplish a 
task.

Lisa

.
The handle on my recliner apparently doesn't qualify as an exercise 
machine...who knew ?
Lisa Belville
missktlab1217 at frontier.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 11:36 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] GPS Training

> Anybody ever read the book Cold Mountain? I ask because if you've read 
> that book, you know that it's about a guy trying to literally get home 
> after the Civil War. What makes the book so interesting is that everything 
> he knew about the landscape has changed and he has no idea how to get to 
> where he wants to be. The book is absolutely wonderful to read and will 
> make you think. I mention it because sighted people have signs as well as 
> other visual cues. They also use GPS systems. So why should we not use 
> this technology?
> I need another Stephen King fan to remind us all of the quote about 
> technology being our friend. He's got a great quote in one of his books.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
> Of d m gina
> Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 12:33 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GPS Training
>
> Yes I do feel it is needed, because when you go home you will be using
> the Trekker as well as the dog.
> No different than if you went to a different state and all was new to you.
> The Trekker would come with you and you would use it.
> I know many who do it this way.
>
> Original message:
>> I don't really think that using a GPS when training with a new dog is the
>> best idea, even if you are not a first timer. You really need to focus on
>> your dog, not a piece of technology.
>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "d m gina" <dmgina at samobile.net>
>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2011 8:43 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GPS Training
>
>
>>> I hope the folks catch on as well as I did, learning how to put in
>>> addresses.
>>> Now will instructors let folks who have the breeze use it in training?
>>> Especially getting a new dog?
>>> I think that would be so cool if they did. I know it would be.
>>> I know I would ask.
>
>>> Original message:
>>>> Lisa,
>
>
>
>>>> That was a great explanation of our Trekker Breeze training. We've
>>>> modified
>>>> it slightly for the recent upgrades and now will include evening 
>>>> lectures
>>>> on
>>>> how to put in addresses from the device and your computer.
>
>
>
>>>> We work in Port Jefferson, Long Island for much of the training now and
>>>> have
>>>> one fun exercise that really does show you where your trust should lie.
>
>
>
>>>> There is a very nice pier you can walk along that juts out into the
>>>> sound.
>>>> We have you create a landmark on shore then walk out on the pier. The
>>>> walkway takes a couple bends though. Then we have you use the Breeze to
>>>> navigate back to that landmark. Well, since you are in an open area off
>>>> the
>>>> street grid, the Breeze gives you directions by clock face angles. If 
>>>> you
>>>> were to follow them, you'd be very wet, very quickly. <grin>
>
>
>
>>>> Our motto during the training is Dog, Gut, Trekker, to describe the 
>>>> order
>>>> in
>>>> which you should trust incoming info as you travel.
>
>
>
>>>> When we set up the training, we decided to use other blind people to do
>>>> the
>>>> teaching of the classroom and some street work with guide dog 
>>>> instructors
>>>> and volunteers assisting on the streets to observe dog behavior and
>>>> safety
>>>> issues.
>
>
>
>>>> I can't wait to get our next series of classes going in April. I love
>>>> training folks with the device.
>
>
>
>>>> Jenine Stanley
>
>>>> jeninems at wowway.com
>
>
>
>>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>> Behalf
>>>> Of Lisa belville
>>>> Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2011 7:28 PM
>>>> To: national guide dog
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] GPS Training
>
>
>
>>>> Okay, I'll try to combine all of the Breeze questions into one 
>>>> hopefully
>>>> not
>>>> so long missive.  I was in one of the several pilot classes the GDF
>>>> conducted last year, so my info may be out of date due to their 
>>>> modifying
>>>> the class.  Also, the Breeze has had several firmware updates over the
>>>> past
>>>> year, so they'll need to incorporate that into the current training.
>
>>>> Jenine Stanley works for the GDF and so can probably answer any 
>>>> questions
>>>> more thoroughly.
>
>>>> First, the Breeze training at the GDF is only open to GDF grads.  Grads
>>>> have
>>>> to have been working with their dog for at least six months and have
>>>> gelled
>>>> as a team.
>
>>>> You fill out an application giving specifics about where you live, what
>>>> kinds of environments you live in and if you live close to geographical
>>>> features like mountains, large lakes, etc..  This might sound trivial,
>>>> but
>>>> features like this can cause the GPS to not work accurately or not at
>>>> all,depending on the circumstance.
>
>>>> They also ask about your hearing and how fast you can walk because 
>>>> these
>>>> can
>>>> also affect working with a GPS.
>
>>>> The training is just over two days.  The class begins on a Monday 
>>>> evening
>>>> and technically ends on a Wednesday evening, but most people didn't
>>>> actually
>>>> leave the foundation until the next morning.
>
>>>> We got the manual and other Breeze documentation Emailed a week or so
>>>> before
>>>> the class so we could read the manual and familiarize ourselves with
>>>> concepts, terminology, etc.  This really didn't help me much as far as
>>>> orientation to the keypad because I'm the kind of person who needs to
>>>> feel
>>>> what's being described as it's being described.
>
>>>> They give out the units the evening everyone arrives and spend time 
>>>> with
>>>> orientation to the buttons and how to adjust the volume, voice rate and
>>>> pitch, etc.  This is so you can reliably find buttons while walking 
>>>> with
>>>> the
>>>> dog or find a voice rate and volume that's comfortable for you so you
>>>> won't
>>>> have to fiddle with it during training.
>
>>>> There are two blind instructors and a sighted person to drive the van 
>>>> and
>>>> give additional information about surroundings, etc..  One blind
>>>> instructor
>>>> walks with us and explains why the Breeze says what it does when it 
>>>> does.
>>>> The other one hangs out in the van with the other Breeze students and
>>>> does
>>>> one on one demonstrations and explanations if anyone wants it.
>
>>>> The next day we start by doing different routes in different areas.
>>>> Smithtown and the surrounding area is fairly diverse so people get a
>>>> chance
>>>> to see how it operates while walking down a busy sidewalk full of
>>>> overhangs,
>>>> trees and glass store fronts. We cross all kinds of intersections with
>>>> very
>>>> rounded curbs, diagonal crossings, T intersections, etc.  The Breeze
>>>> might
>>>> give some inaccurate information about what street you're on if the 
>>>> curb
>>>> is
>>>> really rounded, so that's why the various street crossings are 
>>>> included.
>
>>>> We go through the process of making landmarks, creating routes to
>>>> landmarks,
>>>> using routes in a vehicle or on foot, backtracking, making landmarks
>>>> while
>>>> using the Breeze when it's off the street grid and relying only on as 
>>>> the
>>>> crow flies directions, and using those to find off the grid landmarks.
>
>>>> They also explain a bit of how the GPS works and how using GPS for
>>>> someone
>>>> with no vision who is walking is a bit different than how a GPS in a 
>>>> car
>>>> operates.  IMO, this is one of the most important parts of the training
>>>> because we learn the limitations of the GPS and how to compensate for 
>>>> not
>>>> having the ability to glance around and take in surroundings to verify
>>>> what
>>>> the GPS is or isn't telling you.
>
>>>> Judging by some of the questions I've seen on the various technology
>>>> list,
>>>> not knowing how the GPS works, combined with not being familiar with 
>>>> the
>>>> local area can be very frustrating for people, especially if they got 
>>>> the
>>>> GPS under the impression it would guide them right to a door with step 
>>>> by
>>>> step directions.  Yes, the Breeze is as accurate as a mainstream GPS, 
>>>> but
>>>> mainstream GPSs don't get sighted people to the door of their houses, 
>>>> but
>>>> can be several feet off even though the Breeze alerts them that they're
>>>> at
>>>> the landmark.  The Breeze uses the same maps and GPS features as
>>>> mainstream
>>>> products,; there are just more specific tools to help blind people. 
>>>> For
>>>> example, it will not always work if you're in a city with tall 
>>>> buildings
>>>> because it was originally designed to work using a vehicle that was,
>>>> presumably on a road with clear access to the sky.  The Buildings block
>>>> the
>>>> signal so you may not always get an accurate estimate of where you're
>>>> going
>>>> unless you move closer to the street.  It will not work reliably inside
>>>> most
>>>> buildings.  It can't get you precisely to a door, especially if that 
>>>> door
>>>> is
>>>> under a roof because the signal is blocked or if the signal is bouncing
>>>> off
>>>> reflective objects like windows or water.  This is why You need to know
>>>> what
>>>> the unit is telling you, along with the information you're getting from
>>>> your
>>>> dog and your own senses in order to know if you're getting the correct
>>>> information from the GPS., they wanted us to know how the unit acted 
>>>> with
>>>> these situations so we knew when to rely on the unit and when not to. 
>>>> It
>>>> was emphasized several times that the GPS, just like the dog, is 
>>>> another
>>>> tool in the tool box and that all of them operate independently of each
>>>> other.
>
>>>> It's like any other technology.  Some people are very tech savvy and 
>>>> can
>>>> grasp new concepts and incorporate them into how they're already 
>>>> working
>>>> while some can't.  Toni did a good job of explaining how the GPS and 
>>>> the
>>>> dog
>>>> work together and how this does take some practice.  Some people may 
>>>> not
>>>> grasp this as quickly, or realize that if they stop long enough they
>>>> could
>>>> lose their current GPS fix.  Some people may only take the time to 
>>>> learn
>>>> the
>>>> basics of their equipment and either not feel comfortable or just put 
>>>> off
>>>> using the advanced functions.
>
>>>> The GDF wants people to get the full benefit of the Breeze and how it 
>>>> can
>>>> enhance the dog/human partnership.  They pack a lot into the two day
>>>> training so that we can hit the ground running back home.
>
>>>> Lisa
>
>
>
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>
>>>>   _____
>
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>>> --
>>> --Dar
>>> skype: dmgina23
>>>  FB: dmgina
>>> www.twitter.com/dmgina
>>> every saint has a past
>>> every sinner has a future
>
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> -- 
> --Dar
> skype: dmgina23
>  FB: dmgina
> www.twitter.com/dmgina
> every saint has a past
> every sinner has a future
>
> Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network.  Visit
> www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere.
>
>
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