From: Carol.Ashland@p0.f319.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Carol Ashland)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: editorial
Date: 16 Oct 92 04:06:54 GMT
Reply-To: Carol.Ashland@p0.f319.n105.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:105/319.0 - Mostly Mail, Aloha OR
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference
Originator: wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com

Index Number: 25061

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 JM> Hi Carol.  I'm finding this conversation extremely interesting.  In
 JM> fact, before I started reading it, I was quite determined that I
 JM> wouldn't be seen with a guide dog under any circumstances.

 I know what you mean.  I had a guide dog from a terrible little school
 when I was a teenager.  It was such a bad experience that I vowed I
 would never get another dog.

 Then I saw a friend whom I respected get a guide dog, and the dog
 really worked well for her and was well-behaved and really worked well.
 I decided to try it again, after a lot of soul-searching.  Part of that
 soul-searching was wondering if the life of a guide dog is really a
 good life for a dog.  I decided that it was okay, as at least the dog
 gets to be with its person all the time rather than locked up in a
 house all day, or worse, tied outside.

JM>  I have
 JM> noticed so many other blind people become less important than the dog
 JM> in the eyes of the public that it sickens me.

 I totally understand.  Sometimes it really annoys me.  However, the
 generally more positive attitude towards me because of the dog is
 sometimes helpful, if I really want to try to get past it and make
 friends with a person.

 JM> Furthermore, here in
 JM> New Zealand, the organisation which is the service provider for blind
 JM> people also runs the Guide Dog training centre.  They use guide dogs
 JM> on a lot of their publicity because they look cute and attract funds.
 JM> This, in my view, results in important areas like high-tech equipment
 JM> being niglected.  After all, an Accent SA doesn't look nearly as cute
 JM> as a guide dog.

 Right again.  I am glad the rehab agencies don't run the guide dog
 schools here.  In fact, many mobility teachers are prejudiced against
 guide dogs.

 JM> I think the average member of the public in New Zealand believes that it
 JM> is the burning ambition of every blind new Zealander to own a guide
 JM> dog and that blind people are next to useless without one.

 Yeah, I know what you mean.  Face it:  The general public just does not
 think blind people are very capable of much anyway.  If we use a cane,
 they think we need their gracious help.  If we use a dog, they think
 the dog does all the work and the blind person just has to follow their
 wonderful dog.  Education, one person at a time, is the only way to get
 rid of these prejudices.

I was very surprised to get a reply from New Zealand!  Thanks for
writing to me.

I am really new at using this off-line reader.  I am enjoying it though.
Quoting and editing is so much easier, and I do not feel constrained by
time.

Are there a lot of BBSes in New Zealand?  What kind of program do you
use to access the computer?  What are the most popular programs among
blind computer users?

Thanks again for writing to me.

Carol
and Guide Dog Sony

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