Foundations by the blind for the blind...

I by no means consider myself an expert on foundations which help the blind. I read about them and contribute to them when I can, and I also take advantage of what they have to offer, i.e. white canes, brochures and the like.

Two of these organizations are ACB and NFB. ACB is the American Council of the Blind, and NFB is the national Federation of the Blind.

When I was a guide dog user, I was a member of ACB since they had a group who emailed each other concerning the issues which arised when using a guide dog. I must say that this group proved to be very helpful to me on more than one occasion. Some believe that the NFB is against guide dog use, but I have read much of their material on this subject, and while some may have different viewpoints on using a white cane vs. a dog, I can't see much of a difference than the normal one shared by the blind community as a whole. I have spoken with those who swear by the greatness of a guide dog, while I have also spoken with many who much rather use a white cane. I have done both. I have had two guide dogs, the second of which I returned to the school after having her for one year. I traveled well with my guides, but I also travel well with a white cane. If you really want to know which I prefer the best, well I must say that I much rather walk with a cane. This is just my preference. I love dogs, I have always owned a dog as a pet, however, a guide dog demands much more than a pet. Of course they also give much more in return, but the picking up after the dog, the shedding all over your dress clothes, and the wet dog smell are just a few of the things I got tired of. While the law permits you to take your guide dog enywhere, not everyone makes you feel welcome. Their are even family members who do not like the fact you take your dog everywhere you go. And then their is the fact that a guide dog is still a dog. My second dog had a real problem with other dogs we would encounter during our travels. She would lunge towards them pulling me along. On more than one occasion she drove me into tall branches and fences because of this behaviour. I lost my favorite pair of sunglasses this way. I worked with her on this issue but just when I thought she understood what was expected of her, she would mess up again. This may not seem like a big deal to some veteran guide dog handlers, but I'll share this one incident with all of you. One afternoon my guide and I left the house and as we reached the first main street, my dog spotted a dog, I felt through the harness what was about to happen so I corrected her and brought her to a sit and then a down position. When I thought I had her under control, I proceeded to walk on our way again. I could tell she was trying to sneak a look back at the dog so I corrected her and gave her the command to walk straight forward. Well, on our way back home she was so intent on locating that dog, that she led me right into oncoming traffic. This was a scary ordeal. I managed to find the sidewalk and blamed myself for letting that happen. I continued to work with my guide and we traveled 5 days out of the week. Finally, I decided that I would go back to cane travel. I called the school which had provided the dog to me and made arrangements for her return. She went back and to my surprise, she was not returned to work as a guide for someone else, the school put her up for adoption to a family on their waiting list.

I share this story only to prove I was a legit guide dog handler. I really don't want anyone to decide for or against getting a guide dog based on my experience.

As far as the NFB and ACB, they are great organizations that try to promote the education of the general public on what it means to be a visually impaired or blind individual. When I was growing up in the 60's I was not aware of these groups. Boy how I could have benefited from their assistance!

I also do my part in trying to educate the public on blindness, and when I had my guides I also spoke on what was involved in having a guide dog. What people need to understand is that we the blind community have the same right as the general population as far as our personal viewpoints on certain issues. We are not part of a cult who is directed to think and feel the same way. We are individuals and if we choose to be part of a group or not, it is totally acceptable.