From: Pete Donahue 
Subject: Re: training
Hello Buddy and listers,
I recently received a recent issue of The Guide Way, the magazine of the
Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown New York.  Most of the articles were ok,
but I was horrified when I came to an article that discussed access issues
i.e. the right to take our dogs to such places as zoos, theam parks, the
beach, and theators; places that we're allowed to enter by law accompanied
by our dogs.  The foundation's article told readers that they have no
business taking their dogs to such places, never mind what the law says.
Tjhe article went on to list a rediculous list of reasons why such place
were not safe for a guide dog.  What does one say to someone who wants a
guided dog so they can go to such places on their own, or to take their
children or other family members to such places.  I find it disgusting
that a school that says it wants to give blind people freeeom and
ineipendance through the use of it's guide dogs turn around and dash the
hopes of blindpersons desireing to travel to, or who work at these
concerns.  This kind of thing must not be tollerated from any of our guide
dog schools and we muust put a stop to it.  We in the NFB are busting our
rears to ensure that guide dog users can enter zoos accompanied by our
dogs and a number of the schools are fighting us in this effort.   If as
you say the schools are listening more than they once were read Harness Up
for Fall/wintter 1996-97.  What really makes me angry is that several
schools including The Guide Dog foundation attend our Ntional Convention,
but when they go home it's back to business as usual.  If they're going to
work on acces issues they must be willing to help protect our right to
access all kinds of conveyances to which the generral public is welcome
and not work to undermine our efforts to ensure that we are able to enter
such places which ais protected by state and federal law.
In the same vein if the schools were listening they would no longer resist
the idea of blind trainers.  I have commented on this issue in previous
posts so I won't drag it out here.
Yes it's true that the guide dog schools seek more imnput from their
graduates now than they once did it's not enough.  There must be more of a
closer partnership between them and the NFB if real progress is to be made
in the coming years.  However, if this fails to happen we are perfectly
jjustified in starting a federation-run guide dog programme.  You can talk
all you want about trying to improve the programmes that currently exist,
but if they will not go with us all the way in making meaningfull
improvements to their training programmes we have no choice and we should
establish a Federation-run guide dog programme.  It's the old maxim of you
can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
Well, I've run out of gas again.  Take care until next time.
Yours truly,
Peter donahue
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