Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Advice from guide dog users? (self.Blind)
submitted 8y ago by geoffisblind
Hello,
So I've been consulting with a secondary orientation and mobility specialist about my current means of getting around. I've been on a white cane since last September. I have Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, and I've been having difficulty with it this past year. I am a public transit commuter and have had some issues with safety on train platforms and at bus stops when I try to move quickly. It is because of this that this O&M specialist asked if I had considered a guide dog. I haven't up until this point and now I'm sort of just looking to gauge what it's like. I am not completely blind, I have some usable vision (I can read magnified texts and use a computer screen with heavy use of Zoomtext). My primary issues of concern are my complete blindness in low light, and my absence of peripheral vision. My central vision is usable as I said, but it is very limited.
I was under the impression that guide dogs were more for people who were totally blind, but that's not the impression I am getting from this particular specialist.
Is there anyone out there who uses a guide dog, or has used a guide dog with some vision? What was your experience like applying for various schools? What was your experience at the schools? For anyone who currently uses one, what is it like day to day? The advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
So I've been consulting with a secondary orientation and mobility specialist about my current means of getting around. I've been on a white cane since last September. I have Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, and I've been having difficulty with it this past year. I am a public transit commuter and have had some issues with safety on train platforms and at bus stops when I try to move quickly. It is because of this that this O&M specialist asked if I had considered a guide dog. I haven't up until this point and now I'm sort of just looking to gauge what it's like. I am not completely blind, I have some usable vision (I can read magnified texts and use a computer screen with heavy use of Zoomtext). My primary issues of concern are my complete blindness in low light, and my absence of peripheral vision. My central vision is usable as I said, but it is very limited.
I was under the impression that guide dogs were more for people who were totally blind, but that's not the impression I am getting from this particular specialist.
Is there anyone out there who uses a guide dog, or has used a guide dog with some vision? What was your experience like applying for various schools? What was your experience at the schools? For anyone who currently uses one, what is it like day to day? The advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
bondolo 1 points
It is not uncommon for people with some vision to get guide dogs. Typically because aspects of their vision loss impact traveling. This can include; limited peripheral vision, cataracts obscuring central vision, lack of night vision, poor contrast or brightness adaptation, or even slow focusing.
I would encourage you to talk to the intake people at one or more of the bigger dog schools. They are certainly likely to have more experience than any one person. If your concern is the need to travel faster then perhaps a dog is indeed the thing for you. Dog travel can be much faster than cane travel in most circumstances. Some certainly disagree but I also believe that dog travel can be safer than cane travel.
I would encourage you to talk to the intake people at one or more of the bigger dog schools. They are certainly likely to have more experience than any one person. If your concern is the need to travel faster then perhaps a dog is indeed the thing for you. Dog travel can be much faster than cane travel in most circumstances. Some certainly disagree but I also believe that dog travel can be safer than cane travel.
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