Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Question about visually-impaired building resident (self.Blind)
submitted by YourWelcomeOrMine
I realize the sensitive nature of this question, and apologize in advance is I come across as too harsh. I am actually severely hearing-impaired. As such, I am very sensitive to disability issues.
There are two blind residents in our building. When they walk their dogs with the proper harnesses and handle, there is no issue. However they frequently walk their dogs with just a leash and when they do this their dogs do not seem to act as seeing eye dogs.
On two separate occasions I have been opening the side door with my back to the street. The visually-impaired woman has twice slammed into me, almost knocking me over. I have also seen multiple times when they walk their dog on the sidewalk and many residents have to jump out of the way at last second when they realize the dog is walking straight into them. Some local senior citizen residents have almost gotten knocked over as well.
This morning, I tried very politely to ask the woman why she does this, and to try to make her aware that she is also putting other people in danger. She screamed at me and refused to talk to me. She was incredibly hostile and wouldn't even let me introduce myself.
As I mentioned, I am severely hearing-impaired and very sensitive to disability issues. However this resident has repeatedly put other people in danger. What should I do about this?
There are two blind residents in our building. When they walk their dogs with the proper harnesses and handle, there is no issue. However they frequently walk their dogs with just a leash and when they do this their dogs do not seem to act as seeing eye dogs.
On two separate occasions I have been opening the side door with my back to the street. The visually-impaired woman has twice slammed into me, almost knocking me over. I have also seen multiple times when they walk their dog on the sidewalk and many residents have to jump out of the way at last second when they realize the dog is walking straight into them. Some local senior citizen residents have almost gotten knocked over as well.
This morning, I tried very politely to ask the woman why she does this, and to try to make her aware that she is also putting other people in danger. She screamed at me and refused to talk to me. She was incredibly hostile and wouldn't even let me introduce myself.
As I mentioned, I am severely hearing-impaired and very sensitive to disability issues. However this resident has repeatedly put other people in danger. What should I do about this?
Drunken_Idaho 17 points 4y ago
Don't hold these blind people to any different standards you'd hold anyone else to. Contact the landlord if you can't reason with them.
There's no excuse for them to act like that. If the dogs aren't well behaved, they shouldn't just get a free pass.
There's no excuse for them to act like that. If the dogs aren't well behaved, they shouldn't just get a free pass.
YourWelcomeOrMine [OP] 4 points 4y ago
Thanks. I kind of felt the same way, but wanted to make sure there wasn't something about the blind community I was completely unaware of. For me, my hearing situation sucks, but it's not a free ticket to be a jerk.
OutWestTexas 9 points 4y ago
When a guide dog is on a leash and not in harness, they are “off duty”.
YourWelcomeOrMine [OP] 3 points 4y ago
Thanks. I assumed as much. Isn't it dangerous for them to walk them like this, without any other assistance?
KillerLag 6 points 4y ago
Not necessarily, but it does depend how well the client is familiar with the area. If you have concerns, you should contact the school (the logo of the school is usually on the harness) and talk to them about your concerns, if you can't get through to them.
YourWelcomeOrMine [OP] 2 points 4y ago
I did not realize that. I'll definitely look into that next time. Thanks!
itisisidneyfeldman 7 points 4y ago
> However they frequently walk their dogs with just a leash and when they do this their dogs do not seem to act as seeing eye dogs.
That part is by design. The dogs are trained to be "working" when their guide harnesses are on, so they can be regular dogs when they aren't working. In that context, they are subject to being trained better or worse, and it is okay to hold their owners responsible for their behavior.
Something is likely going on with the woman other than that one interaction you had. Mobility could be a major daily challenge for her and what you are seeing is the best she can do. Or she may have a separate social difficulty. Or there was some misinterpretation that happened during your specific conversation. Hard to tell from here, but your core question was about whether it's justified to talk to her about it and try to change the behavior, and the answer is yes.
That part is by design. The dogs are trained to be "working" when their guide harnesses are on, so they can be regular dogs when they aren't working. In that context, they are subject to being trained better or worse, and it is okay to hold their owners responsible for their behavior.
Something is likely going on with the woman other than that one interaction you had. Mobility could be a major daily challenge for her and what you are seeing is the best she can do. Or she may have a separate social difficulty. Or there was some misinterpretation that happened during your specific conversation. Hard to tell from here, but your core question was about whether it's justified to talk to her about it and try to change the behavior, and the answer is yes.
YourWelcomeOrMine [OP] 6 points 4y ago
Thanks. That completely makes sense.
itisisidneyfeldman 3 points 4y ago
What exactly did she scream at you? And do you mind my asking how, specifically, you conversed with this woman? Do you have a hearing aid that makes verbal conversation easier, or was the actual process also difficult? As you are likely aware, having a disability doesn't magically make someone sensitive and observant to other people's disabilities, so the conversation could have gone wrong for reasons besides your particular topic.
I don't have a concrete suggestion other than to consider trying again and to try depersonalizing the hostility if you can, before moving on to something like contacting the landlord.
I don't have a concrete suggestion other than to consider trying again and to try depersonalizing the hostility if you can, before moving on to something like contacting the landlord.
YourWelcomeOrMine [OP] 4 points 4y ago
Sure, I should've clarified my hearing situation because it's not typical. I lost my hearing in my mid-20s, and now have cochlear implants. In a quiet one-on-one situation, my speech comprehension is actually pretty good. In any outside situations or situations with multiple speakers, I need some form of assistance (usually real-time captioning).
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I said "Do you mind if I ask why you walk your dog without a harness?" to which she replied "Because I do." I replied "Ok, can you clarify? Because sometimes it puts other people in danger \[like when she's slammed into me\]." At this point she just started screaming "I don't have to f\*cking talk to you! Leave me alone!" (Yes, it escalated that quickly.) Every time I tried to say, "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to understand," she would start screaming again.
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I said "Do you mind if I ask why you walk your dog without a harness?" to which she replied "Because I do." I replied "Ok, can you clarify? Because sometimes it puts other people in danger \[like when she's slammed into me\]." At this point she just started screaming "I don't have to f\*cking talk to you! Leave me alone!" (Yes, it escalated that quickly.) Every time I tried to say, "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to understand," she would start screaming again.
itisisidneyfeldman 4 points 4y ago
Yikes, sounds pretty bad. But it also kind of sounds like your interaction was the latest in a long line of these confrontations over the course of her having a guide dog. (Not with you, with others.)
If you wanted to dissect this more analytically, I would say that despite your cordial wording, the opener wasn't as polite or neutral as you intended. "Why do you walk your dog without a harness" is guaranteed to elicit a defensive reaction, especially with the followup of "it puts people in danger." Right there she's hearing that you are calling her a menace, and closes up. She didn't handle this well, but whatever else her issues, I'd guess that was part of her reaction. I can't condone or explain the subsequent screaming though.
Hard to tell if this is salvageable, but would it be worth it to try? "Hey Ms. X, it's YourWelcomeOrMine from the first floor. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything the other day. When [Dog] is off harness, he sometimes [does specific behavior] and I wasn't sure if you were noticing that it's almost knocked a few people over. *[if necessary]* Of course I'm not saying you shouldn't walk your dogs, but in your position I'd want to know that. There are a few senior people living here that would be really hurt if they fell down. Can we figure something out?"
That may be optimistic. Given how your last conversation ended it's unlikely to make things worse, though. And it's not a situation either of you have to accept as is without at least trying. My understanding is that guide dog handlers also get training in managing their dogs, for example this text document from Guide Dogs for the Blind: $1.
If you wanted to dissect this more analytically, I would say that despite your cordial wording, the opener wasn't as polite or neutral as you intended. "Why do you walk your dog without a harness" is guaranteed to elicit a defensive reaction, especially with the followup of "it puts people in danger." Right there she's hearing that you are calling her a menace, and closes up. She didn't handle this well, but whatever else her issues, I'd guess that was part of her reaction. I can't condone or explain the subsequent screaming though.
Hard to tell if this is salvageable, but would it be worth it to try? "Hey Ms. X, it's YourWelcomeOrMine from the first floor. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything the other day. When [Dog] is off harness, he sometimes [does specific behavior] and I wasn't sure if you were noticing that it's almost knocked a few people over. *[if necessary]* Of course I'm not saying you shouldn't walk your dogs, but in your position I'd want to know that. There are a few senior people living here that would be really hurt if they fell down. Can we figure something out?"
That may be optimistic. Given how your last conversation ended it's unlikely to make things worse, though. And it's not a situation either of you have to accept as is without at least trying. My understanding is that guide dog handlers also get training in managing their dogs, for example this text document from Guide Dogs for the Blind: $1.
TwistyTurret 4 points 4y ago
I think the blind woman should be using a cane when her dog is not on the harness. However, using a cane is up to the individual so she may choose not to use it or may not have the skills to use one.
YourWelcomeOrMine [OP] 2 points 4y ago
Interesting. Thank you for that perspective.
estj317 2 points 4y ago
I sometimes disagree with this community but I have to agree with everyone here. Yes I think she should be using a cane when she walks the dog out of harness. I mean unless she knows the area well or can have enough skill to avoid people. I do I don’t slam in to people if I don’t use my cane. I do it sometimes and there is no problem. I promise you I don’t usually slam in to people, in a crowd maybe but yeah. Still it’s not common. Slamming in to someone isn’t acceptable blind behavior. Blind people don’t get a pass with slamming in to people or ramming them over, sorry. She can say what she wants but it’s not true and that interaction sounds amazing! Not in the good way. I don’t have anything to add here I think you have some good advice already. Please report this if it doesn’t get resolved. She’s not special.
lovethelabs 2 points 4y ago
I’m not sure if there’s a way you could figure out what guide dog school the dog came from but if there is I would contact the school and let them know your encounters/observations. Reputable schools care about the dogs they’ve trained and it’s possible the resident could be putting the dog’s safety in danger when it’s off duty. So maybe someone else like the school should be talking to her as well.
YourWelcomeOrMine [OP] 2 points 4y ago
That's a really interesting suggestion. I'll definitely take it under consideration. Thanks!
angelcake 1 points 4y ago
I don’t know if this is advisable or not, I am sure if it’s not I will hear about it post haste :-)
What about making a recording, putting it on a CD or a USB stick. I’m guessing she very likely has a computer. You could script something very simple, explaining that you didn’t mean to upset her and you are sorry for that, that you are profoundly deaf and had a very difficult time understanding why she was so upset and then explain your concerns about the off leash walks and the potential danger. Obviously you can’t write a note unless you can somehow do it in braille, presuming she even reads braille because not all blind people do obviously
You could also do some research and see if there is a local chapter of a society for the blind in your area or people that you could call for advice. In Canada we have the CNIB but I don’t know where you’re located. If you explain the situation and what you’ve experienced they might be able to give you some advice on how to better approach her.
What about making a recording, putting it on a CD or a USB stick. I’m guessing she very likely has a computer. You could script something very simple, explaining that you didn’t mean to upset her and you are sorry for that, that you are profoundly deaf and had a very difficult time understanding why she was so upset and then explain your concerns about the off leash walks and the potential danger. Obviously you can’t write a note unless you can somehow do it in braille, presuming she even reads braille because not all blind people do obviously
You could also do some research and see if there is a local chapter of a society for the blind in your area or people that you could call for advice. In Canada we have the CNIB but I don’t know where you’re located. If you explain the situation and what you’ve experienced they might be able to give you some advice on how to better approach her.
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