[Nfbf-l] NFBF 2010 State Convention

[RJ Sandefur]

Holly, I'm not impressed with what's going on at the Center! I heard the FCB 
convention, and I didn't like what I heard! Doing away with Craig's guidedog 
policy, changing the name of the center, Its changing right back to the way 
it was when we were there in 1999! It's disgusting and repolsive! RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Holly" <hbeanie at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 12:07 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] NFBF 2010 State Convention


> Judy,
> When going to college to learn how to teach orientation and mobility, we 
> are
> exposed to a few chapter and/or handouts on how to teach a person
> orientation skill when the student is working a guide dog. We are not
> trained to retrain a guide dog, but we are taught how to teach cane 
> skills.
> As a guide dog user, have you ever had a day where your dog got sick or 
> you
> did not want to work him or her? When and if this ever happens, I feel 
> that
> the student should have good cane skills.
>
> Not all schools are stricked on mobility skills when you enter their guide
> dog school. We would hope for all the schools to have standards, but that 
> is
> not the case.
>
> Sometimes students come in when their vision has changed drasticly after
> getting a dog.  They may have had the dog for several months or even 
> years.
> However, due to the use of the vision, the dog is not working as well as 
> he
> or she should be and this causes an unsafe team.
>
> Not all guide dog users need to leave the dog in the mobility classroom or
> with a sitter. Not all guide dogs need to be retrained, either. But I want
> to have a person travel safely no matter what mobility tool they choose to
> use.
>
> Sherri's dog Bailey got sick over the weekend and has been at the vet 
> since
> Friday morning. I am glad that she had kept up with her cane skills, while
> being a guide dog user. She was able to pull out her cane and get anywhere
> and everywhere through the convention that she wanted or needed to go.
> Without keeping up with the cane skills, she would have had to be 
> dependent
> on someone else or be an unsafe traveler.
>
> Holly
>
> On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 9:57 PM, Jody W. Ianuzzi 
> <jody at thewhitehats.com>wrote:
>
>> I used a cane for over 30 years before I got my first guide dog.  the
>> difference is dramatic.  They are not interchangeable.  They are two very
>> separate skills.
>>
>> ALL guide dog schools require established O&M skills.  They don't feel it
>> is
>> their responsibility to teach travelers the basics.  Using a cane is like
>> having a pilots license and a guide dog is like getting an instrument
>> rating.
>>
>> I know my guide dog school not only asked for the names of my mobility
>> instructors but they also did an O&M evaluation as part of the interview
>> process.  I know they contacted the mobility instructor too because he
>> contacted me to congratulate me on getting a dog.
>>
>> You can't just hang the dog on a hook like you do a cane.  I work with my
>> dog every day building her skills.  It isn't always easy and al guide dog
>> relationships have their positive and negative aspects.
>>
>> I think the training centers should take all of this in to account when
>> retraining guide dog handlers with mobility lessons since all already 
>> have
>> the cane skills.
>>
>> JODY
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> -- 
> "God gives you 86,400 seconds in a day. Take one to say Thank You."
> Walter A. Ward
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