Dog GuidesIt is critical for individuals with visual impairments to learn to move safely, efficiently and as independently as possible through all environments. Orientation and Mobility Specialists (O&M or COMS) will work directly with the individual to provide alternatives to using sight for safe and independent travel purposes. This section provides information on the different areas of O&M instruction.
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By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Updated June 9, 2019 Dog guides are assistance dogs trained to lead people who are blind or visually impaired. Dog guides can be helpful for many, but not appropriate for everyone. The person who uses the dog guide must have excellent orientation and mobility skills. They also must like dogs and be willing to provide ongoing care and maintenance of a dog guide. History in the United StatesDog guides were first introduced to the United States when Morris Frank, a Nashville resident, returned from Switzerland with a German shepherd named Buddy who was trained by Dorothy Harrison Eustis, an American dog breeder living in Switzerland. Frank traveled around America telling people about dog guides. He later co-founded The Seeing Eye in Nashville, Tennessee with Dorothy Eustis.
AccessibilityIn some countries, including the United States, dog guides are exempt from regulations against the presence of animals in places such as restaurants and on public transportation. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits any business, government agency, or other organization that provides access to the general public from barring dog guides. Further, the Fair Housing Act requires that landlords allow tenants to have dog guides, as well as other types of assistance animals, in residences that normally do not permit pets.
The DogsIt must be understood that dog guides are professional working dogs and must be well trained. All dog guides are trained extensively before they are matched with a candidate. They are instructed in navigating obstacles and also to follow verbal commands. The most popular breeds of dogs used as dog guides are Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and German Shepherds. Recently, other breeds have been trained including Standard Poodles and Collies.
Candidates for a Dog GuideDog guides are carefully matched with the person who is blind to best match the person's personality, lifestyle, and physical needs. The person who is blind must know how to get from one place to another, and the dog's job is to get them there safely. The dog can then help the person locate familiar landmarks and negotiate obstacles. All programs require that candidates complete an application and meet eligibility requirements. Most programs require that the candidate must be in good health, be able to walk at a good, brisk pace, use the dog on a regular basis, and typically be at least sixteen years old. The candidate must be willing to provide continued maintenance, obedience training, and care.
Dog Guide Programs
The mission of Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. is to improve the quality of life for people who are blind, visually impaired, or with other special needs. Since 1946, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. has provided guide dogs free of charge to blind people who seek enhanced mobility and independence. Their students come from all over the United States and many foreign countries. Their trademark small classes and individualized instruction often attract students who may have special requirements. They have successfully trained hearing-impaired blind people as well as many physically challenged people. They are supported entirely by donations from generous individuals, corporations and foundations. We receive no government funding.
Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. provides skilled dogs and training in their use free of charge through private donations. Their unique program is equal parts match-making, intensive training, and lifetime support. Students have access to instructors, counselors, and veterinarians, a full-time nursing staff, a dedicated dormitory staff all of whom attend to students' needs in order to make their stay pleasant and enjoyable. They also offer follow-up services to each graduate of our program at their home or place of business for the lifetime of their guide dog partnership.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is an internationally accredited guide dog school providing greater independence, dignity, and new horizons of opportunity.
Leader Dogs for the Blind provides free guide dogs, GPS and orientation and mobility programs to the blind, Deaf-Blind and visually impaired. Guiding Eyes for the Blind is dedicated to enriching the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women by providing them with the freedom to travel safely, thereby assuring greater independence, dignity and new horizons of opportunity. It is an internationally accredited, nonprofit guide dog school with a 50-plus year legacy of providing the blind and visually impaired with superior Guiding Eyes dogs, training, and lifetime support services. Their students come from across the United States and around the world.
The Seeing Eye, Inc. is North America’s pioneer dog guide school and the oldest existing guide dog school in the world. Students come from all over the United States and Canada to spend up to a month training with a new Seeing Eye dog. They range in age from 16 to senior citizens. They strive to make constant improvements to their program, listening closely to what all their students have to say during exit interviews at the end of class and in surveys.
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Buy together at a reduced price and get BONUS resources! TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level. In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community-based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites. In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included: ·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist ·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page. TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details ·      Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font) ·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments ·      Author: Carmen Willings ·      Language: English Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page. Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details: ·      Digital pdf download: 210 pages ·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments ·      Author: Carmen Willings ·      Language: English Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement The Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency. For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details: ·      Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets ·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments ·      Author: Carmen Willings ·      Language: English Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. Additional Use: Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code. For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details: ·      Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource ·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments ·      Author: Carmen Willings ·      Language: English BONUS! Lotto Cards The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. On My Way File Folder Cards Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27. NEW! Access to TVI's Guide Bonus Membership Pages Note: All products are digital pdf downloads. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number. If you encounter any difficulty, please let me know and I can assist you. *Please contact me if you need to purchase using a purchase order. I am happy to help guide you in the process of adding Teaching Students with Visual Impairments as an approved vendor for your school or program or you can visit the product support page for information on using a PO. |
