🚀 go-pugleaf

                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 947

                            Friday, June 18, 1993

Today's Topics:


                                ******


                      Re: questions from a new dog user
                     Library of Congress Online Listings
                      Re: questions from a new dog user
                        Re: Canine food preferences..
                        Re: Questions from a new dog
                                  Jaws 2.3
                          Re: braille code changes.
                                  Job Bank
                                 help needed
                          Speech output vs braille


                                ******


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Subject: Re: questions from a new dog user
From: William.Wilson@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (William Wilson)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 BH> Falling into a hole with a dog is one of the things that
 BH> concern me.  With a cane, I can dip it over the edge to
 BH> determine just how far dow I am going to step or fall.  With a
 BH> dog, it appears as if I just have to take his or her word for
 BH> it that it's not too far down,

Bob,
    Assuming you receive this before your trip to San Raphael, trust
me...you're going to hear this about a zillion times in the next few
weeks...

     Follow your dog!

     Seriously, one of the tendancies I think most of us had when we
were in training with our first pooch was, after we stopped at a curb,
to take that first step off with shakey knees and lots of apprehension
rather than just following our partners lead!  I think this is one of
those things that developes only after a considerable amount of time,
but after a while one sort of gets a feel for how high that step is
through the harness, and although we're only talking a split second
between the time you notice the depth of the drop the dog makes and your
foot hits the pavement, it is enough for you to adjust appropriately.
Also, unless you get a pooch with some sort of a Masochistic tendancy,
you aren't going to have to worry about any extremely large drop-offs,
as it will be obvious if you encounter one when your canine companion
puts it into reverse and literally tells you in not so many words, "No
sir, we ain't going this a way!"

     Most of the things you discover as a guide dog user, at least so
far as I am concerned, are'nt easy to describe in a very meaningful
fashion with words, for even though I don't believe in mystifying the
process as the media in general does, they do seem to be very subtle.  In
fact, how I interpret the things Lee B.D. tells me and how I interpreted
the things Strider told me are quite different, even though the net
result is pretty much the same!  All I can say is, everything everyone
has told you in this thread is good advice, but in fact, take it all
with a grain of salt, for there are simply too many variables in the
process to come up with any hard and fast rules!  About the only
consistancy I know of is, most of us who use a guide dog for traveling
have grins on our kissers when we're out there doing our thing with the
mutt, so what more can you ask for?
                                        Willie

... Have you smooched your pooch today?

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!William.Wilson
Internet: William.Wilson@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Library of Congress Online Listings
From: Carla.Campbell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89.0 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Hi, folks.

After seeing the Internet address here, (locis.loc.gov) I've logged on
and checked out the Library of Congress's online listings.  Braille and
Talking books are listed and the database is searchable by title, author
and subject key words.  I found the system quite easy to navigate,
though as clumsey to operate as any library system when it came to
searching.

                Listings include title, author, RC, RD or BRA number,
number of cassettes, records or Braille volumes and pages, narrator (if
applicable), recording studio (APH, etc) and short annotations on the
subject matter.  So, now you can find all books by a favorite author,
look up a book you vaguely remember  with most of its title but not all,
or find all books on aardvarks or eggplants.

I was sad to find that many of the books I located seem to be "available
only to holding agencies," whatever that means.  <sigh> Guess that'll
teach me to look for rare books and books I remember from my childhood.
;-)

But this is an amazing resource.  Next, I check out the RFB listings.
Thanks for the addresses, people!

Cheers,
                                                 --Carla

... Read what I mean, not what I write!

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!Carla.Campbell
Internet: Carla.Campbell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: questions from a new dog user
From: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 BH> I will be a member of the May 23rd class at Guide Dogs.  I'm 54

That will be a big change for you.  I hope it goes smoothly and easily
and that a dog proves to offer you what you are looking for in the way
of improved mobility.  If it's any comfort, you're far from the only
person who's ever gone for a dog with doubts about whether or not it
will be for the best.  I certainly wasn't sure I would be able to work
well with a dog when I went for my first in 1983.  I wouldn't be without
one for anyone's money, now.

You've got the important issue in mind-- trusting that dog.  That 28
days of training will lead you toward that end, but you'll probably have
a lot of work to do on your own once you return, too.  Don't expect this
to come easily and smoothly, like unwrapping a new cane and trotting out
the front door.  And don't be discouraged if it takes a little longer
than you expected to perfect your teamwork with your new dog.  Just like
perfecting cane technique, it can take months and even years of practice
and experience before everything falls into place.  But when it does...!
There's nothing like picking up that harness handle and just going.
Sounds like you've done your research, though, and know better than
that, already.

You're right, though-- absolutely right-- to be concerned about your own
lack of enthusiasm for the training and the resulting partnership with a
dog. The training, itself, is not easy, nor will be your adjustment once
you're back at home.  They're not things to be undertaken until you're
ready, or you won't get what you want out of the experience.  Corny as
it may sound, to be a really good dog handler, you've really got to be
ready and willing to give something of yourself into the process.  It
helps to want that dog-- helps keep you from getting discouraged on the
rougher days of training and helps you keep up your learning and your
dog's training once you return home.

I'd recommend you talk this over with the instructors at Guide Dogs on
your arrival.  Let them know about your doubts and concerns.  They may
be able to help you make a better determination about what a dog can do
for you, as well as understanding your attitude and thereby being able
to match you with a dog which will work best for you.  Some dogs need
you to "believe in them" more at first than others, in my experience.

My advice:  don't worry about eating crow.  Try hard, if you can, not to
worry about what other people *think* about you and your partnership
with your new dog.  Very, very few people understand the relationship
between dog guide and handler, and you will find yourself at the mercy
of their ignorance from time to time, to be sure.   They may believe the
dog is Lassie or Rin Tin Tin, and that it drags you unwittingly about to
the places you need to go.  *You* will know better, though.  You will
understand full well by the end of your training, the balance of
responsibility between human and canine and will know well the decisions
you make and those which ought to be made by your dog to make your work
together most effective.  In time, you'll probably be able to tell other
people how it really works.  Meantime, yes, you'll have to put up with a
bit more attention from the general public than you're accustomed to. If
your ego can't handle being upstaged by a dog from time to time, this
might be difficult for you.

Sure, it's irritating and unfair and plain old stupid if blind people
travelling with dog guides receive more attention than do cane users.
But it's the way of the world-- people like dogs and are attracted to
them.  Most of them want to help the blind person with a dog not so much
because they percieve him or her as being more helpless than the cane
user, but because they find him or her more approachable.  They want to
interact with the dog, and there's not a five-foot piece of fiberglass
between them and their hapless victim.  ;-)  YOu just have to get used
to fending off dog lovers.  And, in a way, the dog distracts a lot of
people from thinking of me as different from them-- oddly enough, they
are more aware of the dog than of his role as my guide, if that makes
any sense.  Also, because of the common myth that the dog is the one
doing all the navigation, you may find that fewer people think you're
lost than do when you're out there with a cane.  Sad, but true.

Something I've observed is thatthe more confidently I walk, the more
confidently the dog works.  The more confident we both appear, the less
likely we are to be pestered with unwanted attention and offers of
assistance.

 BH> Why does everyone say, "Oh! a dog will be such a good companion
 BH> for you."  Why do I need a companion?  I am not lonely, I have
 BH> a wife and friends.

This should not affect your decision on what mobility aid to use.  If
they said "Oh, you look so much taller with a cane!" would that make you
shun the cane because people think you need it to look tall?  Don't
sweat it. You *don't* need a companion.  That's not what your dog's job
is.  That's not what the school thinks your dog's job is.  Now, truth be
told, your dog will probably wind up being another friend to add to your
collection, and your dog's friendship will be quite different from those
of your human friends, but it's not your fault or the dog's fault that
someone thinks you might be lonely.  Try not to resent the dog when
someone first says to you "I'll bet he's your best friend!"-- they'll
say it, and it's still not the loyal mutt's fault if he's only one
amongst many and not, perhaps even as valued as the humans in your life.
I guess I'm just trying to say that it's easy to hold back from the dog
to prove these people wrong, and holding back and not allowing the dog
to be *some sort of friend* to you will not serve you well in terms of
your effective mobility.  Purely practical.

For the most part, I think this expression  (and I've heard it a lot,
myself) is more an expression of their own desire to have the constant
companionship of an unquestioning, non-judgmental friend like a dog.
They're plain old jealous.  They'd like to be able to take a dog
wherever they went and to have soft ears to scratch when they're tired
and bored and lonely.  So?

 BH> I shutter to think of the cost of training a dog person team,
 BH> and it has to be done again every eight years or so.  There is
 BH> no cost to me for the dog or the training.  On the other hand,
 BH> It was nearly impossible to get any professional training with
 BH> the cane after once being trained.  To the best of my
 BH> knowledge, there is no such thing as a free cane.  I know that
 BH> I spent at least $100 each year for new canes.

No such thing as a free dog, either, in the end.  Dog food, vet care and
general canine maintanance costs add up to a lot more than $100 a year,
I fear.  You'll also be paying for your way to and from San Rafael, I
presume, and that, too, may be considered a cost to you.  Also, if the
public image stuff worries you over-much, half the world thinks we have
to pay a bazillion dollars to get a dog guide.  They'll boldly ask.
Wait and see.

 BH> I'm going to need all of the good wishes and advice that all of
 BH> you can give me.  It's a big step for me and one that I did not
 BH> make without several years of careful thought.

I wish you all the good luck and good wishes you can use.  I think
you'll find working with a dog rewarding and even *fun*, if you allow
yourself to.  I am sorry if I have sounded discouraging, above.  I don't
intend to.  My dogs are two of the most wonderful things which have ever
happened to me.  But working a dog safely and effectively *does* require
a certain measure of commitment and enthusiasm.  The dog can easily
sense if you don't want to be there, and some of them care a lot.  Relax
and try to soak in as much as possible during your training, and I bet
you'll wind up with a mobility tool and as much more as you want from
your new dog.

Let us know how things go, and I truly do wish you the best of luck with
your training.

Cheers.
                                                --Carla

... Read what I mean, not what I write!

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!Carla.Campbell
Internet: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Re: Canine food preferences..
From: Carla.Campbell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89.0 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 IH> You were lucky that all your dog got was an upset stomach.
 IH> Chocolate (particularly in large quantities) is actually quite
 IH> toxic to dogs, and can lead to problems such as irregular
 IH> heartbeat, seizures, etc.

Thankfully, according to my vet, it takes more than the chips in even a
few dozen chocolate chip cookies to do more than give a large dog a bit
of a buzz.  A big dog has to consume something like 2 pounds of solid
chocolate before being at risk of the problems you describe.  But they
are, indeed,  real risks if chocolate is consumed in quantity, and if
there's any question as to how much was munched, it's not a bad idea to
take a chocolate-mooching pooch in to the vet's to have the treat
extracted before it does any serious harm.
             Cheers,
                                                --Carla

... Read what I mean, not what I write!

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!Carla.Campbell
Internet: Carla.Campbell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: Questions from a new dog
From: Carla.Campbell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89.0 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 BH>  As for touch, I still fear the idea of stepping off of a curb,
 BH>  and finding that it is a loading dock, or a subway platform.
 BH>  Not being able to dip the cane over the edge to see how deep
 BH>  it is is going to really require faith.

The nice thing is that you can *feel* the dog's movements through the
harness.  The dog's front quarters are slightly in front of you, so when
you give the "forward" command, the dog moves ahead of you.  Its front
feet will be off a curb or step before yours are, and through the tilt
of the harness handle and the pull on it, you will be able to guage the
depth of the drop-off.  With very little practice at all, you should be
able to guage the exact depth of a curb or step by the feeling of the
dog's movements as it moves slightly in front of you.

BH> Dalmatians have
 BH> the temperament of a healthy 12 year old boy, and about as much
 BH> sense.  As much as I loved her, I shutter to think of trusting
 BH> her to give me any thing but love and an occasional laugh.

Several of the larger schools used Dalmations at one time or another,
but they, too, found them tempermentally unsuited to the work.
Labradors, Goldens and Shepherds used for guide work tend to be less...
shall we say energetic and distractable than your average (or
above-average) Dalmation.  And with the training they recieve, it's
amazing how the most immature dog on the planet can suddenly become
calm, serious and responsible when that harness is on its back.  Many
"goofy-seeming" dogs seem to treat guide work as a "game," but a game to
which they know *all* the rules and which they play with a dedication
not unlike that of pre-teen boys hoping to become football or track
stars.  I think you'll find that the dogs who make it through training
for guide work are incredibly responsible and capable, but still good
for a laugh when they're out of harness!

But you're right-- they *are* dogs.  There are certainly times when my
guide does things which seem inordinately stupid (turning around when
out of harness and off-leash and bashing his head into the wall of a
narrow hallway, for example) which lead me to wonder about his I.Q. and
qualifications for his job.  Yet, put that harness on him, and
Maxwell-Not-So-Smart bucks right up and would no more hit his head (or
mine) on a wall than he would pick up and fly.  But always, always,
always, you've got the brains and the dog has the eyeballs. ;-)

Cheers!
                                                 --Carla

... Read what I mean, not what I write!

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!Carla.Campbell
Internet: Carla.Campbell@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Jaws 2.3
From: Kelly.Ford@f8.n121.z1.fidonet.org (Kelly Ford)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:121/8 - JW-PC DataFlex.HST, Sun Prairie WI


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 WS> I also like most everything with 2.3, but there is one thing I don't
 WS> like.  When you take your cursor, and cross a capital letter, and if a
 WS> space follows that letter, the speech still stays up until it crosses
 WS> a
 WS> lower case letter.  Have you noticed this, and what do you think.

Walter,

a number right after a capital i.e. the pitch will stay raised.if
you pass over

* OFFLINE 1.54

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!121!8!Kelly.Ford
Internet: Kelly.Ford@f8.n121.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: braille code changes.
From: Al.Gayzagian@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Al Gayzagian)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:101/460.0 - VI/BUG, Holbrook MA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

In evaluating the Braille code changes and writing to APH about them, I
found many of them to be acceptable, but I did object to the elimination
of the 2-word contractions and a number of other changes, all of which
I feel expand the size of the Braille material without accomplishing
anything more than adhering to some rather arbitrary rules.  I won't
go into details here, although, if there's any interest, I can upload
a copy of my letter to APH.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!101!460.0!Al.Gayzagian
Internet: Al.Gayzagian@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Job Bank
From: Jamal.Mazrui@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Jamal Mazrui)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:101/460.0 - VI/BUG, Holbrook MA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Accessible, current job listings are now available at the Access
Center, Boston Public Library.  The Job Bank is a project initiated
by the Bay State Council of the Blind's Metro Boston Chapter, and
done in partnership with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
and the Boston Public Library.  The Metro Boston Chapter
contributes search software and volunteers who update the system
regularly.  The Commission supplies timely information, and the
Library provides a public site with equipment and staff.

Each week, hundreds of new job listings are downloaded from the
electronic bulletin board of the Massachusetts Commission for the
Blind.  They are added to a database system on a computer in the
Access Center.  This verbally and visually friendly software allows
a blind or low vision job seeker to conveniently search listings by
location, company, or field of interest.  Searches may easily be
combined.  Any listing may be saved in braille, large print, or
disk formats.  A listing may be directly incorporated into a cover
letter and edited with the WordPerfect word processor, which is
also available on the computer.

The Boston Public Library in Copley Square is accessible by any
Green Line train and by several buses.  The Access Center, on the
lower level, is open every weekday afternoon, on Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday mornings, and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Instructions for operating the Job Bank are available there in
braille, large print, and as a disk file that may be read with the
speech output of the computer.  Library staff can also provide some
assistance.

To reserve time at the Job Bank or learn of other resources at the
Access Center, call the Boston Public Library at (617) 536-5400.

For more information on the activities of the Metro Boston
Chapter, Bay State Council of the Blind, call (617) 969-1092.

For more information on the services of the Massachusetts
Commission for the Blind, call (617) 727-5550.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!101!460.0!Jamal.Mazrui
Internet: Jamal.Mazrui@p0.f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: help needed
From: Lisa.Warner@f136.n267.z1.fidonet.org (Lisa Warner)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:267/136 - Access BBS, Ballston Spa NY


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

if anyone can tell me a list of jobs totally blind people are
currently holding in the banking business, and how to get ahold of
the banks they work for, I'd grately appreciate it.  I'm currently
working at the switchboard but am searching for other employment
opportunities within my organization which is KeyCorp and I was
speaking to somone in personnel and she said that if she had a list
of jobs and modifications that were made to do those jobs then she
could better assist me in finding other employment.  I'm very
appreciative of all the help.  thanks!

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!267!136!Lisa.Warner
Internet: Lisa.Warner@f136.n267.z1.fidonet.org




------



Subject: Speech output vs braille
From: Larry.Thacker@f24.n3602.z1.fidonet.org (Larry Thacker)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3602/24 - ADAnet One (tm) Net, Pinson AL


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 CF> I am writing a paper on the educational implications of choosing one
 CF> system over another, that is speech output versus braille display.  If
 CF> you have personal experience or even professional knowledge on the
 CF> subject please send me a note.

I think that decision will vary depending on the needs of the
individual.  I think that blind people should learn speech if at
all possible, because we can generally listen faster than we can
read braille.  Speed is always a problem, and anything that
increases it is preferable.

However, I have a friend who has used both extensively, and prefers
braille. He is totally blind, and I think that makes some of the
difference.  He has been blind all of his life.  Screen
configurations are difficult for him to conceptualize.  He says
that he could never do the job he's doing today if he had to rely
on speech.

I understand the need to see something for sure instead of relying
on the voice synthesizer's pronunciation.  I have some vision, so I
use screen enlargement in combination with speech synthesis.  I
would want to use braille display if I could not see at all, but I
would not want to go without speech.

I also wonder about GUI's.  I know that work is being done to make
things like Windows talk, but is anyone working on something to
represent them on a braille display device?

... Can I blame my spelling on Line Noise?
===
 * Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 *
 * JNet 1.05 * FIAWOL/MS-Connections (214)790-6472

 # Origin: ADAnet(tm) NetHub Birmingham, Alabama (205)854-9074  (94:94/1)

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!3602!24!Larry.Thacker
Internet: Larry.Thacker@f24.n3602.z1.fidonet.org




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                 End of Issue # 947 of the Blind News Digest

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