[nagdu] Guide Dogs at the Western Wall: Supporting the Blind

[Ginger Kutsch]

Guide Dogs at the Western Wall: Supporting the Blind

By: Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz  

Published: December 30th, 2013 

 

http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/guide-dogs-at-the-western-wall-s
upporting-the-blind/2013/12/30/?print

 

In 1993 Israel passed legislation mandating that all public places allow
access for guide dogs, unless the dogs disturb the "essence" of the place.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz prohibited guide dogs from the lower plaza of the
Western Wall, in 2009, citing that the dogs impinged upon the "essence" of
the Kotel. Recently, unfortunately, a tour group of 60 blind Jews who
traveled to the Western Wall were turned away because of Rabbi Rabinowitz’s
ruling.

 

Blindness is already an incredible challenge, one the rabbis equated with
death. Why should we deny one who is visually impaired, who relies upon the
guidance of a dog, the opportunity to pray because it may cause a slight
distraction to another?

 

While terms such as "low vision" have no standard meaning, the blind and
visually impaired usually include those who, even with the best possible
correction, have 20/200 or worse vision according to the Snellen scale
(i.e., unable to even read the first line of an eye chart). It is estimated
that in 2011 there were more than 6.6 million Americans with significant
vision loss requiring some kind of assistance, usually a cane or a seeing
eye dog.

 

These Americans face enormous difficulties with daily life. Consider how
many activities now require the use of a computer, cell phone, or other
visual media devices in order to work or communicate with family and
friends. Is it any wonder that more than 4.2 million of those with a visual
disability have less than a high school education, 1.8 million are
unemployed, and more than 1 million live below the poverty line (31
percent)? These statistics are shocking and reveal the tragic consequences
that millions of Americans suffering from visual impairment must endure.

 

Federal laws covering seeing eye dogs were only enacted in the mid-1980s,
guaranteeing some rights in terms of airline travel, housing, and work.
There are also many state laws offering different levels of protection above
what the federal government guarantees.

 

The United States could do much more to help. For example, in the United
States, all paper currency tends to be the same size, so a blind person must
ask someone to make sure what the denomination is before, commonly, deciding
to fold each bill in a unique pattern for future recognition. Meanwhile, in
the European Union, different denominations of the paper currency (the Euro)
are different sizes, so a blind person can learn the size of each. In
Canada, paper currency has a small Braille patch that blind people can use
to determine the denomination. While these changes might be costly, there
are other simple changes that could be undertaken with minimal expense. For
example, in the Zürich, Switzerland railroad station, there is a small
groove that leads from the entrance to the train platforms, which a blind
person can use to easily follow to the area where their train will depart.

 

A seeing eye dog can be an additional help and great resource, especially in
cities where traffic may move at a high rate of speed and listening may not
be enough to cross a street safely. These extraordinary animals have an
interesting history. Formal use of dogs to aid the blind came about in
Germany after World War I, to serve the many veterans who had been blinded
by poison gas. By 1929, the first formal training program for guide dogs was
established in the United States. Since then, the Seeing Eye, a foundation
dedicated to promoting the use of trained dogs, has trained and provided
more than 15,000 guide dogs to the visually impaired, including more than
1,700 active guide dogs as of 2012. 

 

 

About the Author: Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the Executive Director of
the Valley Beit Midrash, the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek, the
Founder and CEO of The Shamayim V’Aretz Institute and the author of “Jewish
Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century.” Newsweek named Rav
Shmuly one of the top 50 rabbis in America.”