Thanksgiving

November 28, 2013 | Filed under Guide dogs

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Before I answer what I’m grateful for, I want to describe another dog guide adventure. We set out to get a bite to eat for lunch, an ordinary thing for folks who can see but full of unpredictability for someone with vision loss. Fortunately Verona and I have been working together for almost five years now and we do what I call auto pilot. Whenever we are out on a routine walk, she knows what I want and how to get there from my office. For instance, I say “bank” and she will take us the entire way without me having to direct her. Door to door service, like a canine limousine.

On this day, though, I changed it up, crossing to the opposite side of our normal route to keep her interest and avoid some of the afternoon foot traffic. We get to the corner and begin crossing the one way street with traffic coming toward us. I listen, hear the traffic begin to merge the other direction, and give the forward command. We are about ten steps into the street when she puts on the brakes and pushes me aside. I praise her, and then feel the pressure of a quiet car drive past. I praise her again, then give the forward command and we take a step, then she again puts on the brakes and I can feel her looking to our left. There must be another car waiting to turn right onto the street. I wait for it to turn in front of us but it doesn’t. Now we are standing in the middle of the street and I feel like we’re at the edge of danger like in the Old West. Will the car lurch ahead or can we trust that they will allow us to get to the corner? I count to three, then realize the car is most likely gesturing us to go. The moment I think this, Verona pulls ahead and we are once again safely across the street.

I tell her to turn left and I take a deep breath as we wait to cross the next street. We get lunch, then make it back to work without another traffic check.

Now, back to what I’m grateful for: my dog, my independence, and folks who will read this and learn a little more about what it’s like living with vision loss.

May those who read this have a loving, safe, and content Thanksgiving.

Permalink

August 3, 2013 | Filed under Guide dogs

What We Do

Another Day with my dog guide

By Ann Chiappetta

Each day at lunch I pocket my mobile phone, some cash, and harness up my dog. She stands while I put on her harness and leash. After gearing up we exit the office.

We walk to the steps, she stops to indicate them, and as soon as I tap the top of the step with a shoe, she leads me down, and we swing open the door and out on to the sidewalk. We turn on the auto pilot and reach the left turn across a four lane intersection. I wait for the light to change, counting the seconds after the last chirp of the audible pedestrian signal. When I hear the traffic surge, I say ‘forward’ and we start across the street. As soon as my foot reaches the ramped curb on the opposite side,
Verona stops and I hear,

“Hi, is your dog a working dog?”

As I groan inwardly, thinking, oh, boy, here we go again, I put on a smile and tell Verona to sit while the big, brown dog he’s walking tries to make his doggie acquaintance. The dog is excited, panting and pacing but the man keeps him from disturbing my dog.

We exchange pleasantries, and move on to our destination, the dog relief area just one more block away. It is a great, clean place with a waste bag dispenser that is never out of bags.

As we walk up the sidewalk, I hear more dogs and their owners but all is well. Verona directs me to the dispenser with a targeting command and I remove her harness, extend her leash, and she does her business.

Once she’s done and harnessed up, I say ‘forward’ and turn back to the way we came so we can find the trash and go get lunch. Suddenly, she stops and I hear the patter of small paws and the jingle of a leash. The woman at the other end of it realizes her dog has decided to play kissy face with Verona and my dog is trying to go around it but it keeps cutting us off. I call this the doggie side step, as we often get nowhere until the other person recalls their dog. I think, as I often do, that a flexible leash is not as great as the inventor hoped it would be. The woman is very apologetic and retrieves her dog so we can move on.

Okay, I think, today is a great day to praise my dog, as she has ignored not one, but two dogs while working. As we walk across another wide four lane intersection, I tell her, “Good dog”, and I know her tail is up. Swaying proudly.

We walk another block and enter the mall.

I love working my dog, passing each day and year with a better understanding for one another and strengthening the bond. I often wonder what my next dog will be like, as we are coming up on our fifth year together. I think it’s normal to think about these things, as it prepares me for the time we must part as a team and allow another dog to step in to lead me.

Verona guides me down the ramp, and angles us toward the door to the restaurant. Like clockwork, the little white fuzz ball in the vitamin store begins his barking and as usual, Verona ignores him. I hear his owner telling him to be quiet and wonder if the mall actually allows pets inside. We navigate among the chairs and tables and stand on line to order and pay for lunch. Then we weave out of the store, pass the barking dog, up the ramp, and out into the sunshine.

Once we are back in the office, the gear comes off and Verona drinks some water and takes a snooze while I eat.

This is a typical day – whether its dog distractions, traffic checks, construction or a street fair, we face it all together. It’s times like this that I feel fortunate to work with a guide dog. We have the freedom to go about our business in a way that I’d never known with a white cane. I have good travel skills and now that Verona and I are a solid working team, most traveling is routine.

There are times when even traveling with a dog guide is tough. I try not to take on more than we can handle so we stay safe. Some serious obstacles would be unfamiliar, busy intersections with traffic and multiple lane crossings, a round about and other similar situations.

In Canada, for instance, the downtown Ontario streets and sidewalks are blended so there aren’t any curbs. The curbs are indicated by the visual markers of alternating cobblestones and a thin line showing where the curb is. We had to work for a whole day on that challenge, as I couldn’t even really feel it with my foot or cane tip. What possesses folks to do things like this? I’m sure it looks great, but curbs are there to give drivers and pedestrian’s both clues of where the street ends and the sidewalk begins.

I could go on about these inconveniences but don’t want to bore readers any more than I have already. Suffice it to say that I find the challenges more manageable with my dog and when in doubt, I find a willing person to help.

Harness Envy

June 16, 2013 | Filed under Guide dogs

This blog entry is for all the guide dog users. When I first was matched with Verona, my first guide dog, I had some problems using her harness. Once I got the handle swapped out for a longer version, things changed for the better but I still felt that I couldn’t “feel” my dog like other handlers said I should. I soldiered on, accepting that I could work my dog even if she was a soft pull and gentle all around. She kept me safe, that was all that mattered in the big scheme of things.

Then, a friend from another guide dog school let me examine her harness, which was made from lightweight leather and an aluminum handle with a button release that was much easier for those times when the handle needed to be taken off. My harness was klunky in comparison. I admitted it then, I had a hard case of harness envy.

A few years later, my school announced they were redesigning the harness, incorporating the lightweight quick release clips and floating handle , similar to the harness from the other school while still keeping in mind the classic elements of high quality bridle leather and solid metal hardware that withstood the test of time and the elements.

I hoped and prayed that I would one day get this into my hot little hands and onto my dog’s back and finally benefit from a more sensitive piece of equipment. I didn’t have long to wait and wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I am very impressed.

The new harness is slimmer, lighter, and gives the handler more sensory information. I can now feel my dog’s gait, shoulder movement, and pace. She leads out more confidently and I feel her move in ways I never did with the other, heavier and less intuitive harness. When my dog shifts or changes elevation for a dipping sidewalk or a ramp, I feel it. Also, the handle floats so my dog doesn’t require additional hardware to keep the handle off her back, an issue she has from a sensitive rump, what the instructors called cushy tushy syndrome. The new harness is also much lighter and the back and shoulder strap isn’t as thick as the old harness so it doesn’t weigh down my dog. She is a female lab and only weighs 60 pounds so I lighter, slimmer design really helps her work better for longer periods of time. It means less physical stress on her back and shoulders which could help her work better and longer and reduce discomfort.

I am very happy with my new harness and thank my school, guiding Eyes for the Blind, for taking the concerns of our students to heart and maiking improvements for those of us who felt it was time to do it.

Not Sure What to Call it But I’m Writing it Anyway

December 7, 2012 | Filed under Guide dogs writing

Not Sure What to Call it, But I’m Writing It Anyway

Truth never damages a cause that is just. -Gandhi

In 2009, shortly after I came home with Verona, my first guide dog, I embarked on a new path, this being the guide dog lifestyle. I was now using a dog to travel with and part of the support I decided would help was talking with other guide dog handlers. I Joined a National guide dog organization and began the email dialogue which would assist me many times with new dog concerns. For instance, I got help researching a grain –free diet, grooming tools, and other nutritional supplements that assisted me to bring my new dog to her optimal health. I was also able to glean much needed information on working my dog in difficult situations. I felt like I was part of the lifestyle and was part of a caring, objective, community.

When I decided to run for a board seat in 2010, my relationship with this organization changed. There was a serious communication problem amongst some of the board members. I should have, at the very least, listened to my gut and observed that the problems were not just about that specific issue but I didn’t. I believed at the time that this was just an isolated incident and it would be resolved. Boy was I wrong. The small minded and inflexible attitude’s of some board members and committee chairpersons prevailed and ultimately proved to be the board’s undoing. The major players involved in what would later indirectly lead to the strife within the organization’s officers and directors seemed , to me, a singularity but I was wrong in that assumption.

Eventually, the pre-convention hubbub ruined the board. The resignations of a few board members were the end result of the strife just beginning to play out again for me and the other newer board members. The implosion wasn’t heard around the world but it was heard in our vital and important piece of it and I still grieve for better times and an improved future for the organization.

The strife ebbed a bit and we continued with the board business. I had hopes, what I thought were reasonable and shared by others on the board. I saw great potential for this organization on many fronts. Back then, our president was a sincere and honest person with the right combination of leadership skills, knowledge, and empathy. We were fortunate to possess a large cash settlement from a donation resulting from an access case, which gave us the ability to keep and meet a moderate budget. the population served were passionate and we had the framework in place to take the organization from a PTA mentality to that of a legitimate not-for-profit business supporting our population. Having already been a frontrunner in implementing telephonic voting, we were working on bringing our organization to the top tier by addressing our aged financial practices. Bringing our bookkeeping and office management into the 21^st Century by migrating to online banking and electronic bill paying systems was the next logical step in breaking away from a paper-driven system. Electronic banking would not only save money but also save time for our volunteers taking on the bookkeeping responsibilities. The settlement money also needed a more lucrative interest bearing home. Additionally, handling our finances in a more transparent and responsible way would enable us to budget in costs for board members to participate in a board retreat and also defray costs to board members who were traveling and representing us . We were also ready to create a stronger online presence by rebuilding our website.

What happened to prevent the continuation of the transition? I’ve turned this over in my head many times in the last year and I have one hypothesis: corporate identity crisis. Those of us on the board who believed that the only way to keep the forward motion was to step to the next tier of standards of proper business practices were at odds with those who believe that the organization should remain the same; the PTA mentality, meaning bake sales and dollar bills in the cash box was at odds with those who wanted to see this organization utilize more of its resources to increase its effectiveness within the community it served. I’m not criticizing the kind of organizational style of what I refer to as the PTA mentality, but it no longer suited us because we represented over 700 members worldwide and were only one of two groups in the parent organization that merited a high level status and we weren’t living up to our potential. We had a chance to rise up and show the other groups we worked with how a member-driven group rich in finances and passionate beliefs could lead others by example.

Unfortunately, the embedded attitudes refused to compromise in the same key areas: finances, electronic communications/membership management, and the creation of improved corporate policies which would govern our business practices from this point forward.

The progressives, who held a board majority, were viewed as a threat and those who felt threatened put the entire organization at risk by behaving as if it was a personal insult to them to try to change. To be fair, board members did attempt to bring forth a policy structure but it was rejected each time the president appointed a committee to work on a handbook. The resistance exhibited by some board members was almost pathological and boarder lined on paranoia. It was as if the proposed changes were being asked of them in a personal framework and the entrenched ownership can only be described as Founder’s Syndrome.

It is my recollection that the first order of change regarding our public image began shortly after I won a director’s seat on the board and was charge with rebuilding the website. I was ordered by the board, in an official meeting, to work with two other board members to write a RFP, also known as a Request for a Proposal. We achieved this goal in three months, and then proceeded to choose the web designer by board approval and the rebuild began. We had trouble with the old site being sabotaged but the new web design studio went above and beyond to develop a work-around a stayed in our budget to complete the migration despite the sabotage by the former webmaster. Much to my disappointment, the snafu was a serious glitch for us and it effected how some board members viewed my work ethic but I did my best and kept going, encouraging the others working with me to ignore the negativity. I didn’t, to the best of my knowledge, deflect any responsibility for the glitches or the disagreements stated about how we handled things. I recall saying that we did the best we could do, being volunteers and we would continue doing our best. After all, this was the most expensive project with the exception of the annual conventions so I took it all with a grain of salt.

The website was launched in July 2011. The new webmaster was hired in January 2012. My resignation was tendered in November 2012, along with seven other board members. We tried to prevent the shrinking of our corporate identity back to the little metal PTA cash box but failed. We grieve for, and are still mourning over, our failure and hope that one day our organization will one day shed the shackles of fear, controlling personalities and once again get back to living up to its true potential. There was no trust, no personnel policy, and no internal structure. The business side of this organization was missing, causing a serious imbalance in the organization and resulting in poor governance due to the lack of sound organizational structure. The irrational belief that if we begin acting like a business, we will ignore the issues that created this organization in the first place was voiced by some. It is irrational fear like this that ruins organizations, not the push for fiscal responsibility. Mismanagement is mismanagement and we were surely reflecting this in our board.

I suppose that in terms of a confidence building experience, I’d say it was fifty/fifty. I say this because when I did take part in a project in which we excelled, I felt an undercurrent of resentment.

I think of some of the other board members and here a few attitudes that I feel should probably not be expressed for the greater good. These voices are the main reason for my leaving. The first is the self-righteous First Amendment Freedom Fighter. You know the person, the one who flames everyone and flouts their right to free speech. Next, is the narcissist, the one who manipulates with half-truths and lies and denies everything. This person has a puppet, the one who they control and is the mouthpiece. Then, there are the sheep. That is self-explanatory. Where, you may ask, are the normal folks? Well, the normal folks try to hang on but burn out or get pushed out by the dysfunction.

What, if anything, have I learned? I learned what I already knew about myself and my personal work ethic: that I am a good project coordinator. I make mistakes and take accountability for them. I work well with other people who like to cooperate and get things done. I am also a bit of a rogue, especially when I encounter resistance from an individual who refuses to help when asked. I will take calculated risks and accept the consequences. I can stand up to bullies and self-righteous individual’s, and I will not ever volunteer for another board position on this particular organization ever again.

November 2012

Ann Chiappetta M.S.

Barricades

July 30, 2012 | Filed under Guide dogs

Barricades

By Ann Chiappetta

Verona and I follow the wide sidewalk in downtown White Plains. It is a route we traverse every work day. She puts on the brakes so hard I’m jerked to a full stop. Whoa, I say out loud, put out my foot and feel some kind of construction barrier. My hand feels the Yellow warning tape strung out above it.

I praise her and say forward. She hesitates briefly, sizing up her options. Then, she pulls me to the left and slowly eases us through a clear area between a large tree and the broken walkway. We skirt the barrier with careful steps and when we’re clear, I stop and praise her , rubbing her ears and letting her know just how much I appreciate her work. I imagine her satisfied look, as if to say, I know, Mom, don’t worry, I won’t let you down.” After three years, I still get blown away by her ability to keep me safe, make judgments and decisions that would otherwise have me at a serious disadvantage if I was out there with a white cane.

On the way back, with lunch in hand, we face the barrier again. This time, since the clearance is more tricky going in the other direction, she takes me out into the street, parallel to the curb, and back onto the sidewalk when we are past the barrier.

I think to myself, as we go, I hope someone was watching. I want to tell everyone how special she is and I know that there are no true obstacles a dog and a person cannot overcome with perseverance, practice, and patience. I wish the other human interactions and challenges in life were as simple to solve.

For instance, sometimes days blur into one another and routines dull our senses. Fortunately, working a dog guide limits the dullness of repetition, and, a good example of this is today. I wish I could take away the lesson I learned of working past the barricade and apply it to some of the other concerns at issue in my life right now. I wish I could heal the problems facing me and those I love. Most of all, I want to share that feeling of complete trust and unconditional love and the solid bond felt between me and Verona and hand it over to those I am at odds with, to show them that if we allow it, working around barricades like misunderstandings and communication failures can be overcome.

I want to tell them, what could be more important than working together to work past a hole in the ground? That if we allow it, we can work around the road blocks of life, just like a guide dog team.