[nabs] Guide Dogs in High School?

[Dornetta]

Bernadetta,
I just recently lost my sight-14 years ago-and I found your story so 
compelling and "what lesson!" I have wanted a guide dog for some time but 
townhouse living and with 5 kids, I just don't see it as being a comfortable 
situation right now :-). With respects to the assembly that should have been 
held, that was awful but there are people in the world who feel that 
we-blind- are not to viable in the  community yet alone the world! I am not 
a guide dog user but would suggest that the young lady want to pursue this 
further, she should have an assertive advocate in her corner to make the 
transition easier even going far as making some type of presentations in her 
classes that she is taking now since these are the classes that would 
probably be most affected by the presence of the guide dog (again, just a 
suggestion). Even going as far as having an "assembly" with the teachers and 
administration of the school first to prepare them first (this can probably 
be done through the special needs/disability/special education department at 
the school board-going through  them first to secure the possibility.) Just 
some thoughts :-)
Also Caitlin...I see an great article in this Lol
Netta
 "
"Just because you are blind, does not mean you lack vision"-Stevie Wonder
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bernadetta Pracon" <bernadetta_pracon at samobile.net>
To: <editor.acbstudents at gmail.com>
Cc: <nabs at acb.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 1:53 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs] Guide Dogs in High School?


> Hi:
> I had my dog, Kipp, with me during my senior year of high school. It was 
> an interesting experience. I got him the summer before my senior year, and 
> for the most part, things were ok, but I must admit some things did change 
> for me when I went back to school with him. Most of the people at my 
> school, including teachers and students alike, did not really know how to 
> deal with the dog being around. My friends adjusted to it, some even 
> became fascinated and very "cool" with the idea of him. However, the 
> people who did not know me that well, or weren't taking any classes with 
> me, became terrified or shocked periodically. It was hard for me to 
> understand why; Kipp is the cutest, friendliest black Lab I'd ever met, so 
> I found it amusing and confusing when I would walk into a staircase and a 
> screaming girl or two would run past me and the dog, or cower in fear. One 
> other thing your friend needs to take into account is that many kids in 
> high school are really immature and think everything, including a guide 
> dog, is a joke. It's not their fault. Some of them don't have much of a 
> chance to grow up by that point yet. But that could result in some 
> unnecessary situations. I didn't much have an issue with that, but one 
> time, a random kid decided to trip my dog while we were walking to class. 
> Kipp didn't get hurt, but he could have, and I brought that to the 
> attention of the principal.
> While we're on the subject of the principal, I have to say, mine was 
> actually very ignorant and quite uncooperative when it came to having a 
> guide dog at her school. She tried to create the illusion that she 
> respected me and The situation. But when I went to her to discuss the 
> matter, and gave her an overview of what things would be like, and what I 
> needed from her in order to integrate Kipp into the community of students 
> and teachers, she listened with a bit of forcefully mustered politeness, 
> and then went and did things her own way. I was too naive to advocate for 
> myself and make sure that things were done properly to prepare the 
> students for the new addition. So when she told me that she wanted me to 
> stay out of school on the first day of senior year, while she prepared the 
> students for Kipp's arrival, i faught her some, but then resigned, with 
> her promise to hold a quick assembly for the school, showing them the 
> Seeing Eye video that I provided. This assembly was my suggestion.  I 
> wanted to be there to answer some questions and educate the students, but 
> she insisted on my absense that day, saying that it would become chaotic. 
> I abided by that, but upon ariving at school the second day, I learned 
> that no assembly was given, and that only a brief, twenty second 
> announcement about the new guide dog was made. Students and teachers alike 
> were told to feel free and pick up a brochure about guide dogs from the 
> main office. Of course, no one bothered to do so.
> Some people also didn't understand or like the idea of a working dog, and 
> gave me a hard time about it when they saw me correcting him or things of 
> that nature. I recall a girl who made a really embarrassing scene in the 
> school cafateria, because I gave my dog a leash correction for trying to 
> grab a french fry off the floor. She accused me of being a dog torturer 
> and swore that she'd report me and any other guide dog user she'd ever 
> meet because "it's just not humane to bring a sweet animal to an 
> environment like this" as she stated. Of course, we can encounter 
> basketcases that think dogs shouldn't be working,  everywhere we go, but 
> younger people can sometimes be more sensative and passionate, so that may 
> be troublesome.
> I also had to deal with a situation where a girl who took a few of the 
> same classes I did, was deadly afraid of dogs. We were both AP students, 
> so neither of us could have been transfered to a different class. That was 
> a difficult situation for a while, but she was a good sport about it, and 
> was bright enough to understand and accept the fact that the dog wasn't 
> out to hurt her or even interact with her.
> My most memorable experience of having Kipp with me in high school was on 
> graduation night. I was walking back to my seat after receiving my 
> diploma, and when i got there and sat down, my poor pup puked at my feet. 
> I sat in the front row, being one of the class's top ten ranked students, 
> and some people, including teachers just stared in disgust. It was 
> embarrassing. I had nothing to clean it up with and I felt horrible for 
> what happened and that people decided to make it more noticeable by 
> commenting. Then, my favorite music teacher, being a man of integrity and 
> class, pulled out a few napkins from his pocket, walked up to the front of 
> the theater, and insisted on helping me clean it up. What a selfless thing 
> to do. I suppose that people reacted the way they did for the most part 
> because, well, their just ordinary people. I don't really blame them in 
> retrospect. It certainly was a show stopper though. And I might add, the 
> reason kipp became nervous to the point of nausea is because people 
> decided to use those obnoxiously loud blow horns to celebrate the 
> occasion. Poor thing just couldn't take the confusion and the noise at the 
> time.
>
> I have a pocketful of anecdotes from my time with Kipp in high school, and 
> it would take forever to write it all down in one sitting, but i hope my 
> little compilation helps your friend get a clearer picture of what it 
> might be like for her. Everyone's experience is different of course, some 
> better, some worse. That was mine. In retrospect, I would have done the 
> same thing over again, although I do feel a bit, that my dog would have 
> been more disciplined and less spoiled had I waited to get him when I was 
> out of high school. It takes a certain amount of growth and maturity to 
> develop a successful bond with a guide. All in all though, like I said, I 
> wouldnt' have changed a thing, given a chance. Having a dog in high school 
> presented me with a unique, eye-opening experience that I wouldn't have 
> gotten any other way. Also some of the challenges Kipp and I faced in high 
> school never repeated themselves outside of that environment, and had I 
> waited to get a dog, I wouldn't have bonded with him the same way.
> Please, feel free to get in touch with me off-list if you want more info 
> about this. You could even pass my email along to your friend, and I'd 
> gladly serve as a sort of mentor for her, regarding this situation. I'd 
> thoroughly enjoy helping her out, and my experience took place only three 
> or four years ago, so it's a fairly recent account.
>
> Hope this helps, and sorry for the painfully long email. :)
>
> All Best
>
> Bernadetta
>
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