[Nfbf-l] Iowa decision goes against dog users
David Anspach
danspach at tampabay.rr.com
Sun Feb 22 01:09:25 UTC 2009
Hello Jody,
I agree with the jury's findings in this case for a couple of reasons. First
and foremost, this is an orientation and adjustment training program. When
I see the words orientation and adjustment, this tells me that the program
is probably put into place to teach the very fundamentals a person will need
to learn to rely upon after losing their sight. Furthermore, they clearly
state that they teach methods using a non-visual approach meaning no sighted
guides, no use of your partial vision and no use of a dog guide. Stephanie
Dohmen knew this when she first attended the program without a dog guide.
To go back a year or so later, after getting a dog guide, and expect the
Iowa Department for the Blind to now alter their program is wrong. She knew
when she left the program the first time that the program uses non-visual
techniques in all aspects of their training program. This is the same for
everyone with no exception.
Suppose someone with partial vision decided to attend the program. But
instead of wearing sleep shades, she decided to sue the Iowa Department for
the Blind by saying that it discriminated against her because she has
partial vision. Would this be fair?
I'm sorry, but I don't see where this stance is custodial at all. Quoting
from the news release:
" The Department for the Blind's orientation and adjustment
program was established in 1959 and is considered by many to be one of the
most effective in the country."
As the above quote indicates, this is one of the best programs in the
country for orienting someone to blindness and teaching the very core skills
we need to lead a full life as a blind person. Thus, I feel it's pretty safe
to say that they do know what works best. In my mind, Stephanie knew this
all ahead of time and still expected the Iowa Department for the Blind to
change their program just for her. She wanted them to just throw out
techniques that have stood the test of time so that she could use her dog
guide during her instruction. To me, this just diminishes the effectiveness
of the program.
The news release does go on to say that you can use a dog guide in many of
their other programs. If you wanted to get some computer training, then they
would not tell you that you can't use your dog. I'm sure this would be true
for any of the other programs they offer other than their orientation and
adjustment program. I have been at the Iowa Department for the Blind on 2
different occasions. Each time, I encountered students who were using dog
guides. They were in other programs and seemed to be doing just fine. Those
students that I encountered in the orientation and adjustment program seemed
to be really enjoying the program and were often glad they were being made
to use sleep shades etc. because they felt like they learned so much more
about being self reliant and learning how to use other clues to accomplish
varying tasks. It was easy for me to notice how confident they all felt too.
It was quite apparent that being made to wear sleep shades and learning how
to rely solely on themselves was working.
You simply cannot go and get a dog guide before you have that good solid
foundation from which to build upon. You said it yourself, you must have
good cane and travel skills to be able to best utilize a dog guide. If you
do not, then your dog cannot help you because he/she relies on you to know
where you are going. If you can't figure out how to get from point A to
point B, then your dog is definitely going to take advantage of that fact
and begin sniffing the daisies, or, taking you to who knows where. We have
all seen dog guide users who clearly do not have good O & M skills. Yet,
they are given dogs. It ends up putting them at risk for an accident or
injury and it also can cause a perfectly good dog guide to become a
perfectly good retired dog guide.
In the end, I don't believe the Iowa Department for the Blind is showing
any disrespect by not allowing a person with a dog guide to attend their
program and use their dog. In fact, I think the Department for the Blind is
saying that we do respect your choice to use a dog, but, you simply cannot
use your dog while attending this specific program. They are saying that the
techniques being taught are most effective when done in a non-visual manner.
Thus, you must decide if you are willing to be apart from your dog for about
6 months to learn the techniques and fundamentals they are going to teach
you via their proven non-visual techniques etc. If you are unwilling to do
this, then there are other programs out there that you can take advantage
of. You still have a choice to make.
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jody W. Ianuzzi
Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2009 5:24 PM
To: NFB of Florida Listserv
Subject: [Nfbf-l] Iowa decision goes against dog users
I have a real problem with this decision. If a person makes the decision to
use a guide dog then that decision should be respected. The training
program can enhance this training rather then rejecting it.
it strikes me that the training center is taking a 'we know best' attitude
and this custodial attitude towards approach of a training center is the
very reason the NFB was established in the first place.
Good cane skills are a prerequisite to getting a guide dog in the first
place and both cane travel and guide dog work can be improved at the same
time. many people are in a situation where they can't leave their dogs
behind and a prolonged absence will greatly hurt the bond and training of
the guide dog.
I think it is very wrong that a training center for blind people is so
bluntly discriminatory against guide dogs. Any place else would be
accountable.
JODY
Jury finds Iowa Department for the Blind's Guide Dog Policy Does Not
Discriminate
Des Moines. A Polk County jury has rejected a Des Moines
woman's claim that the State of Iowa Department for the Blind discriminated
against her by refusing her request to use a guide dog while she attended
the Department's orientation and adjustment training program.
The Department for the Blind orientation and training program
is a comprehensive program that utilizes a totally non-visual approach to
teaching blindness skills. Students with partial vision are required to
wear eyeshades to prevent reliance upon any visual cues during training.
Department policies prohibit the use of any visual aids within the
orientation and training program, including guide dogs.
The Department has no objection to guide dogs in other situations.
Stephanie Dohmen, who is legally blind, attended the program
for several months beginning in September 2000 and sought to re-enter the
program in June 2002 accompanied by her guide dog.
Dohmen claimed in her lawsuit that the Department's policy
violated her rights under the Iowa Civil Rights Act and under federal laws
that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.
After a six-day trial, the eight-person jury rejected Dohmen's
claims in a verdict entered Wednesday.
The Department for the Blind, which was represented in the
trial by the Iowa Attorney General's Office, argued that a totally
non-visual approach - and training without assistance of a guide-dog or
other visual aids - is the most effective approach for visually-impaired
persons who are learning skills and techniques for dealing with blindness.
The Department places no limitations upon the use of guide dogs
in other settings, including in the Department for the Blind
building in downtown Des Moines. For example,
Karen Keninger, the Director of the Department, uses a guide dog, and the
dog accompanied Keninger during her testimony at the trial.
The orientation program typically includes about six months of
full-time training in various problem-solving skills, such as cane-travel on
public streets, using Braille, using computers, and dealing with many other
situations.
The Department for the Blind's orientation and adjustment
program was established in 1959 and is considered by many to be one of the
most effective in the country.
During the trial, the State Department for the Blind presented
testimony from Joanne Wilson and Frederic K. Schroeder, each a former
Commissioner of the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration, which
oversees programs for the blind around the country.
"Iowa's orientation program profoundly changes lives," said
Wilson, who also is Executive Director of the National Federation of the
Blind. "It works. It's a cutting-edge program and a model for other
states." Wilson is a Webster City native and ISU graduate who went through
the Iowa Department for the Blind's orientation program herself.
Schroeder said: "To me the central point is that individuals
have a choice in the type of training they take. While programs must and
should make reasonable accommodations, they cannot be required to alter the
fundamentals of the program."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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