As a blind person; I have two basic forms of navigation devices available to me. First; the traditional service animal, commonly referred to as a “seeing eye” or “guide” dog., Second is the white cane. That may not sound like a lot of choices but there is a plethora of option combinations contained within both of these techniques. Deciding which combos of techniques work the best for each individual traveler is a very personal choice; almost as important as deciding who one shall marry.
Think about it, a blind person spends far more time with, and depends far more upon their cane or dog than anyone they know that walks on two feet. Why wouldn’t this be a monumental decision?
This is one of my favorite topics of conversation when I’m getting to know a new blind friend. You can learn a lot about a person and their life experiences if you ask them about how and why they made the decision they did regarding their preferred form of mobility.
Some of the factors I took into account when making my own decisions regarding which mobility device would work best for me were; My life style; how demanding and busy was it? My energy level; did I have enough energy consistently to be a guide dog owner? My need for accessible transportation; how would this impact my mobility? Obviously; getting a guide dog should enhance a person’s mobility but would it improve mine or make my life more complicated?
At this point I’m still a cane user. Here’s why I’ve made this choice for myself. You may make different choices if it were you. First, my cane doesn’t become hungry or sick. It never needs to go out to the bathroom. That alone is a good reason for me to choose my cane; Very little money, time and energy spent on maintenance. This is actually a very valid concern for someone like me. I am always on the go. I go lots of busy places and am often on a tight schedule so I need stuff to flow a certain way. It only takes a second to grab my cane from behind the door as I’m running through it to catch a ride. If I were a dog handler; I would have to get the dog ready to go all the time as well. When I had two small children, I remember thinking what it would be like having a guide dog. Who needs the extra work when I can just grab my cane on my way out?
I try to attend blind events as often as I can. If I were a dog user; I would have to deal with the not so infrequent dog fights at these events. I go to lots of secular events as well. I can only imagine how disruptive it would be constantly shielding my dog from over-zealous strangers wanting to pet her. I’m so busy; I’m not sure if I have the time it would take to properly utilize a guide dog. Sometimes I’m stuck in the house for days working on my projects and a dog needs stimulation.
Another factor to take into consideration is the energy demand. If you are down sick for a few days; your dog still needs to be exercised regularly. I just can’t commit. I’ve actually been studying this for a while now. I recently had opportunity to spend a lot of time with a retired guide dog. I knew this dog for over a year. I used this time to study him. I learned that I love dogs. I learned that trained guide dogs do not chew on furniture etc. I learned that if their handler is being responsible and brushing him or her then the dog shouldn’t shed. I learned that they are trained to turn away from aggressive dogs and other animals instead of engaging. I also learned why I can never get one of my own. Let me tell you what I experienced.
I took my friend’s retired guide dog to the groomer. I went to pick him up when he was done. I was standing outside the groomer’s office waiting on my ride share I had requested. The driver pulled up. I approached the vehicle on the passenger’s side; opening the rear door. I proceeded to announce that I was loading my guide dog in the car. The driver looked back over his shoulder; snapped, “I’m not taking a dog!” and punched his car in gear, roaring off into the distance. The entire episode made my head spin. I was relieved that neither the dog or I had been injured by the driver’s rude behavior and complete lack of concern for our safety. What if I had stumbled and fallen under the car when that was going on? He would have run me over! I don’t think that was a good way for him to handle the situation.
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised; I had been hearing horror stories from my friends who had guide dogs about similar experiences. I had always assumed that I would be able to reason with the driver if I were ever in that situation. I was shocked at how totally helpless I felt that day.
When I opened my app up to report the driver, he had canceled the ride so slick that I couldn’t even report him. I felt so powerless that day. I had managed to shield myself from much of the daily prejudices that were part of every day life for many of my blind friends. It was a rude awakening. That was the experience that helped me decide once and for all against getting a guide dog. I couldn’t take the chance that I might miss a flight because of a driver’s ignorance and intolerant attitude towards people like me.
I’ve been a full-time cane user since 1997. In that time, I have had opportunity to try several different types of canes. I have managed to break my canes in so many different ways over the years. There is only one cane that I depend on for my busy lifestyle. This is a very personal decision for me.
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