Does Society Treat the Blind any different and the Deaf?

typeingtornado19 said:
i didnt. they had a thing at an NFB convention. it was cool. but i need a cane for landmarks. plus my mom loves dogs way too much and if i had one harness or not she would be all over it.
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Oh, I misunderstood your post. I thought you said you used a dog before. My mistake.

I'm surprised the NFB had information about guide dogs at the convention -- especially since they don't promote the use of dogs and had an extremely long article in the "Braille Monitor" about dogs vs. canes.

I have problems with my sister and her boyfriend feeding my dog people food whenever I come to visit which really gets on my nerves.

However, I'm happy to say that's the only problem I really have to deal with when it comes to my family. Everyone else seems to understand the importance of not feeding Tigger and respecting the fact that she's "at work" whenever she's in harness.
 
Hear Again said:
Oh, I misunderstood your post. I thought you said you used a dog before. My mistake.

I'm surprised the NFB had information about guide dogs at the convention -- especially since they don't promote the use of dogs and had an extremely long article in the "Braille Monitor" about dogs vs. canes.

I have problems with my sister or her boyfriend feeding my dog people food whenever I come to visit and that gets on my nerves. However, I'm happy to say that's the only problem I really have to deal with when it comes to my family. Everyone else seems to understand the importance of not feeding Tigger and respecting the fact that she's "at work" whenever she's in harness.
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thats cool. my mom has 7 dogs, she is in love with them. i just dont think i could have one with going to college and all the construction on the way.
 
typeingtornado19 said:
thats cool. my mom has 7 dogs, she is in love with them. i just dont think i could have one with going to college and all the construction on the way.
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I can understand that.

Your mother has 7 dogs? Wow!

I'm also a university student and it seems as if there's *always* construction on campus. I've found Tigger to be extremely helpful in these situations, but everyone is different. Some people are disoriented when using dogs in these kinds of environments while others aren't. I tend to be the opposite of you...I have more problems when using my cane -- probably because I travel with my dog 95% of the time.
 
Hear Again said:
I can understand that.

Your mother has 7 dogs? Wow!

I'm also a university student and it seems as if there's *always* construction on campus. I've found Tigger to be extremely helpful in these situations, but everyone is different. Some people are disoriented when using dogs in these kinds of environments while others aren't. I tend to be the opposite of you...I have more problems when using my cane -- probably because I travel with my dog 95% of the time.
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thats cool. i was trying to cross a street to ride the bus, and where they were doing the construction changed and i didnt know if i could cross it. i could see where a dog would help. and yes she has 7 dogs. they are all little and very loud.
 
typeingtornado19 said:
thats cool. i was trying to cross a street to ride the bus, and where they were doing the construction changed and i didnt know if i could cross it. i could see where a dog would help. and yes she has 7 dogs. they are all little and very loud.
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I absolutely *hate* construction sites around intersections. Makes it darn near impossible to cross -- let alone cross safely.

Yes, small dogs can be quite the "yappers" can't they? :giggle:
 
yup. i really wish the construction would stop. or at least one of the construction workers to speak english to know when they will stop.
 
typeingtornado19 said:
yup. i really wish the construction would stop. or at least one of the construction workers to speak english to know when they will stop.
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No kidding! I also wish construction workers wouldn't grab you without explaining what is happening or why. :roll:
 
yup. people are nuts. Sometimes i do wish i had a guide dog though. Even though landmarks would be hard sometimes it would help.
 
typeingtornado19 said:
yup. people are nuts. Sometimes i do wish i had a guide dog though. Even though landmarks would be hard sometimes it would help.
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One of the things Tigger has been very helpful about is alerting me to various sounds around my home. She was trained by a local school in my area who trains dogs for the deaf. Tigger can also follow commands in ASL. I'm hoping my next guide dog will be able to do the same (particularly at night when my CIs are off).
 
thats cool. i am a terp in training so i am not deaf, but when there is a lot of construction i cant tell anything. but thats cool. i once had a deaf friend that gave commands to their dog in sign language. thats awesome.
 
typeingtornado19 said:
thats cool. i am a terp in training so i am not deaf, but when there is a lot of construction i cant tell anything. but thats cool. i once had a deaf friend that gave commands to their dog in sign language. thats awesome.
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I know. It's amazing how quickly dogs are able to pick up on sign. I'm able to voice for myself, but from what I've read, dogs respond best to visual stimuli and the use of sign hastens the bonding process.
 
I don't think NFB are against guide dogs. It just doesn't look good when people are over dependant on their dog through lack of long cane skills and I do know people like that. There is also misinformation about guide dogs. Like some people claiming the dog is 'a visual aid'. I know someone who had a dog and then returned the dog because she decided she wasn't a 'doggy person'. I also know people who claim that the dog helps with their balance but I don't understand how since you would need good balance to work with a dog. If you have balance problems it's best to use a walking stick/wheelchair.

So while guide dogs can be really wonderful helpful critters, they aren't for everyone. Wheras the use of a long cane IS vital for Anyone with poor sight. When Jilli retires I might try to see how I can manage with a long cane for a few years then go back to another dog after Jilli's left. It depends on wether I get alowed to keep Jilli with another dog or not. One thing is when she retires I won't simply be trading her in for a newer model when we've been through so much together.
 
I feel the same way about Tigger, dreama. Tigger has been with me through so much -- the loss of my hearing, the death of my mother, the death of my father, the death of my sister, both of my CI surgeries and hopefully soon, my university graduation. I can't bear to imagine how painful it's going to be when I have to retire her or worse yet, put her to sleep. I don't think I'm *ever* going to get over that completely. Another thing I worry about is constantly comparing my next dog to Tigger. Tigger has been such a wonderful, amazing dog that I think my overall expectations for my next guide dog will be unrealistic. I can't say for sure, but at this point, I'm thinking about waiting a year or two before getting another dog. Then again, I may not. Only time will tell.
 
Hear Again: I know what you feel about Tigger.

I wouldn't feel happy leaving Jilli any sooner then I have to. Like you we've been through a lot together. We've been through domestic violence, homelessness, the loss of my mum, and now my current health problems.
 
dreama said:
Hear Again: I know what you feel about Tigger.

I wouldn't feel happy leaving Jilli any sooner then I have to. Like you we've been through a lot together. We've been through domestic violence, homelessness, the loss of my mum, and now my current health problems.
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Wow, dreama! It sounds like you and Jilli have been through alot.

I know how you feel.

In fact, when the time comes to retire Tigger, I plan on keeping her until the day I need to put her to sleep. We're so closely bonded that I can't imagine giving her up like I did my last dog (after she was officially retired).
 
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