[nagdu] mobility independence question

Tue Apr 15 00:50:39 UTC 2014

Hello John. The streets there are pretty good. Unfortunately, potholes can't be avoided. In fact, a guide dog is probably the safest approach to dealing with this problem. I'm sure they will help you in the best way they can though. I feel it's unfair to deny you a dog because of potholes. I hope it all works out. Also, use a cane with a larger tip. Get one that's fiber glass or graphite though because these metals are much easier to keep in shape than aluminum. Hth
Alyssa

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 14, 2014, at 4:43 PM, <starmy22 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> My mobility instructer didn't even recommend me to get a guide dog.
> I have a question:  I've contacted leader dogs about the excellerated mobility program.
> Michigan streets are full of potwholes.
> Do they teach you on how to avoid potwholes when crossing streets?
> I'm thinking this is the ticket in order for me to get a guide dog.
> I hope to hear from you soon.
> Sincerely,
> John Sanders
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Becky
> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 12:48 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] mobility independence question
> 
> Hi
> I am on my fourth dog. When I went to training in Kalmazoo back in 2000 they told me I would never work good with a guide dog.
> Becky Sabo an Hakia
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Apr 13, 2014, at 1:17 PM, Raven Tolliver <ravend729 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> The way it works here in Michigan is that in order to receive O&M
> instruction, or anything from the Commission, there has to be a
> justification. So the justification for O&M is often orientation to a
> specific area (i.e., school, work, your neighborhood, a shopping
> center). No one is going to just come out and work on street crossings
> in some part of town without a justification. If it is a part of a
> route, they will help you learn, but otherwise, you're better off
> going to a training center, or Leader Dogs Accelerated Mobility
> Program. Students are expected to receive basic O&M during their
> public education here, but obviously, everyone doesn't receive the
> same kind of training.
> 
> Your mobility instructor can help you with off-campus training as
> well. Surely, there will be stores and businesses off-campus that you
> will visit. Is there a bus system in your college's area that you will
> need orientation to? These are some of the things that my O&M
> instructor worked with me on.
> 
> Will a guide dog school except some one who is semi-independent?
> Yes. If the right people say the right things about you.
> But you don't want to get a guide dog if you can't independently cross
> a traffic-light intersection. During your home interview and/or at
> guide dog school, you will be expected to independently demonstrate
> mid-block crossings and traffic-light intersection. While your guide
> dog will be able to perform traffic checks, that is not a reliable way
> of crossing a difficult or busier intersection. Even if you manage to
> slip through everyone's fingers and do what seems to be the right
> thing at the time like some people do, it is irresponsible to get a
> guide dog when your O&M is lacking. It's irresponsible because now,
> not only is your life at risk, but also your dog's life.
> 
> 
>> On 4/13/14, Daryl Marie <crazymusician at shaw.ca> wrote:
>> Agreed with Nicole.  When I moved to Alberta, I had a good - perhaps great -
>> base of O&M skills to fall back on, and my exposure to O&M here was almost
>> always on an as-needed basis.  I have been shown the layouts of malls that
>> don't have straight hallways, and shown how to navigate traffic circles
>> (something unheard of where I grew up).  Without the basic skills,
>> situational O&M is not nearly as useful.
>> 
>> Daryl
>> 
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Nicole Torcolini <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 12:14:20 -0600 (MDT)
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] mobility independence question
>> 
>> I think that a mobility instructor should teach both. I have good mobility
>> skills; however, if I go to a new place that I will be going often, such as
>> a new building at work, I might ask the mobility instructor to come help me
>> learn it as she may know what things will be helpful to a blind person more
>> so than someone else.
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael Hingson
>> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2014 10:16 AM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] mobility independence question
>> 
>> John,
>> 
>> What your mobility instructor should be teaching you is how to travel
>> independently rather than specific routes.  That is, if your instructor is
>> really doing her job she would be teaching you techniques you can use
>> anywhere to learn how to go from place to place.  Such techniques will
>> include asking questions of others yourself until you know where you are
>> and
>> how you got there.  Others on this list will tell you of centers they
>> attended such as the Colorado Center for the Blind, the Louisiana Center
>> for
>> the Blind, and Blind Inc. where students learn good travel techniques
>> including how they learn to use their own observation skills to know where
>> they are at all times.
>> 
>> 
>> Best,
>> 
>> 
>> Michael Hingson
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> starmy22 at gmail.com
>> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2014 10:06 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] mobility independence question
>> 
>> Hi,
>> My mobility instructer had read over my previous mobility report that she
>> had wrote up for me.
>> This was a year ago.
>> I live out in Michigan, and the agency  that is working with me the
>> Michigan
>> Commission for the blind, the mobility instructer from what I understand
>> from what my rehabilitation counselar has told me is that in order to get
>> training from her, it needs to be in a certin area.
>> I'm going to be going to college with in the next month.
>> I'm going to need some training on how to get to the various buildings.
>> That's what the mobility instructer is there for.
>> I'm not able to get any mobility practice and getting myself prepared to
>> get
>> a guide dog unless I have a mobility instructer assisting me with the steps
>> that are required.
>> I hope to hear from you soon.
>> Sincerely,
>> John Sanders
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Michael Hingson
>> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2014 12:33 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] mobility independence question
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> Your mobility instructor read over what report?  Also, as someone else
>> asked, what do you mean that lights are a problem?
>> 
>> If your mobility instructor were doing her job she would be addressing, or
>> have addressed issues of you working with traffic flow.  As far as going
>> into buildings and needing assistance in getting to the right bus this is
>> vague at best.
>> 
>> It sounds to me as if your instructor needs to stop making up
>> classifications like "semi independent" and begin teaching you real
>> mobility
>> skills.
>> 
>> 
>> Best,
>> 
>> 
>> Michael Hingson
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>> starmy22 at gmail.com
>> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2014 07:41 AM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nagdu] mobility independence question
>> 
>> Hi,
>> I have a question:  My mobility instructer read over my report and she said
>> that I'm a semiindependent.
>> The report said that I can successfully cross at stopsigns.
>> Lights are a  problem for me.
>> Will a guide dog school except some one who is semi-independent?> The
>> report
>> did say that I use a lot of assistance with getting in to buildings
>> especially the bus stations and getting to the right bus numbers.
>> I hope to hear from you soon.
>> Sincerely,
>> John Sanders
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>> 
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>> 
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Raven
> 
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