Writers Wanted!

Seeing Life Together is making some big changes! Starting soon, new bloggers will post about their guide dog adventures. To write for SLT, apply by February 10 using this link!
https://goo.gl/forms/3Ryc2I9M1p5p6UlD2

The Adventures Continue

Hi Friend!

It's me, Renee! My mom keeps hogging the computer, so I haven't been able to write much lately. But I finally got a chance. And whoa, do I have lots to share!

My mom is in her last year of law school. This means LOTS of travel! I am so good at travel. I love to fly, but I like airports even more. I zoom and weave between people and suitcases with ease. My mom loves that I do this, so she doesn't bump into anything.

I like the new addition to our team, Aira, at the airport, too. My mom and I aren't great at finding gates in airports. Mom says she can't read the signs well. I'm not sure why, but honestly, I cannot read them either. They didn't teach me my numbers and letters much at the Seeing Eye.

So Aira is this camera thing that my mom has on her Google glasses. It connects to an Aira agent through my mom's phone, and the agent can see for my mom. It's like we are driving a car...My mom is at the wheel guiding us, I'm at the peddles to stop and start for safety, and Aira is the eye of the driver. Aira is my mom's eyes.

We went to Chicago for a conference that was really cool. I had a MAJOR traffic check on the way to the hotel. A traffic check is when a car doesn't follow the rules of the road and puts my mom and me in danger. A big city bus ran a red light and almost hit my mom. If she had kept walking on her own, well, that would have been really bad. But I was there to stop just by the bus, letting it pass. I don't get why drivers don't follow the lights of the road, but I love that I can save my mom's life when this kind of thing happens.

We also went to Arlington, Virginia for another conference. That was cool, because we got to stay with my mom's friends who also have guide dogs! I got to play and have adventures around the town. I love new places!

This whole new Aira thing is just so cool. I can feel my mom relax, knowing she has an extra set of eyes to help. Just this morning, my mom and I went on a new adventure. Mom has been nervous about visiting the Education Building's coffee shop on campus for the past two years. She has never been there and hates going into new places where she doesn't know how or where to order. Coffee shops are especially hard, because sometimes they give you your coffee and sometimes you have to get it yourself.

But my mom is brave. She decided to try with Aira. Emma, an Aira agent, was super helpful. She told my mom where the line was for ordering. She explained how many people were ahead of us. She even read the menu that was up on the wall, something my mom has never been able to do before. Mom ordered her coffee, and Emma from Aira guided my mom to the counter where the coffee was given to her. It was so cool! My mom and I felt confident with our new pal, Aira.

All of this is just so exciting. And there's even more excitement going on! My mom is talking more and more about graduation from law school. I think I heard it's sometime in May. She's talking about moving to another city and a whole new state. She thanks me for being flexible about the idea of moving. In reality, I love it! It would just mean more adventures for us. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are the best team we can be. I just love being a seeing eye dog!

All for now, and lots of kisses,
Renee, the Seeing Eye Dog

A New Member of Our Team

Dear Readers,

Renee and I are doing well, going on many adventures together. But we have a new member of our working team! I'd like to introduce you to Aira, my new tech that helps me be even more independent.

Aira is a pair of glasses that I wear. It has a camera above one eye. It is connected through an app on my iPhone. I can call an Aira agent on my phone, and they can see what I would see through the camera.

I had an initial session to get used to Aira in September. I decided to try it out at the grocery store. For the first time in my life, I could "read" the signs for each aisle. The agent read everything to me. She even helped me find my favorite brand of yogurt and some baked goods I needed for a party.

I didn't use the glasses much after that. I had trouble thinking of ways to use them. It's hard when I'm so independent already to let someone (or something) in to help me. But after talking with some other friends who are blind, I decided to brainstorm some ways Aira can make my life easier.

Last night, I used Aira for the first time, and it was awesome. Something as small as browning meat on the stove might seem simple to most people. But for me, it's a guessing game. I've been nervous for years about browning meat without being able to see the color change.

I put the meat in the pan for a few minutes. Then, I called an agent to ask for help. It's a good thing I called; there were still some pink spots that needed to cook longer. The agent stayed on the line until the meat was fully browned. My taco dinner was a huge success.

Sometimes we all need to be open to a little help. We don't all have to be independent all the time. Whether it's opening ourselves up to people, technology, or something else, it's important to realize the value of being helped.

I feel confident now. I can call for help any time I need it. I plan to use Aira to help me read signs at airports and train stations, find my Uber rides when I order them, and get me to new places as Renee and I continue our adventures.

Thanks Aira! Glad to have you on our team.

Best,
Sara

Convention is Hard!

Hi Friend!

I've been guiding my mom throughout the American Council of the Blind convention this week. Conventions are really hard! My mom is constantly going somewhere new, and there are so many people and dogs here!

We arrived on Thursday. It was a nice flight. I was at my mom's feet the whole time. Then we went to the hotel, which is super strange. There are lights flashing everywhere. My mom said that's what Reno is like, but I have no clue why. We have a HUGE room in the hotel with lots of space for me to scratch my face on the carpet and leap to play with my lamb chop toy. My mom was more excited about the Jacuzzi. I don't know why. I hate baths.

On Friday, we sat for hours in a board meeting. My mom is the youngest person to ever be elected to the national board of ACB. I think that's pretty cool. I mostly slept during that meeting though, so I can't say what they talked about. We also started helping in the communications center on Friday. It's the place where people put Braille papers together for the people at the conference. We helped there every day this week!

On Saturday, mom and I did a walk. It's a fundraiser for ACB. We won First Place! I was so fast. It was really fun. We also went to a mixer for people with low vision. I don't really know what "low vision" means, but my mom says it's people who don't see super well. Mixers aren't my favorite. I got stepped on a lot, because there wasn't much space. My mom said she wouldn't make me go to another mixer again, and I was glad. I think my mom had fun though. She talked to everyone for a really long time. I was bored. After the mixer, we went to General Session. It's where the whole convention gets together each day to meet. I slept through that one, too.

On Sunday, my mom got me up really early. I wasn't sure why. All we were doing was going to General Session. But instead of sitting in the audience seats, we went on the stage! My mom sat at a keyboard and played and sang before the session started. I enjoyed the music, but I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. After the session, my mom and I went to the Exhibit Hall. I don't like mixers, but I hate exhibits. I got hit with white canes and was run over by two walkers. It was just too crowded in there! My mom said she wouldn't take me to exhibits anymore either. Phew!

But my mom did try out a really cool pair of glasses. They have a camera on them and link to her iPhone. When she's wearing the glasses, she calls someone from the company. The person can see through the camera and tell her what's around. They told her what colors matched with clothing, what people looked like around her, and where to go around the room. My mom asked them if I made a mess, would the person be able to help her know what to clean up. I was super embarrassed, but the guy on the phone said they could help her with that. He also said they could help with things like grocery shopping, going for a walk, and going to a new place. It was seriously cool!

After exhibits, my mom put me back in the room. I wasn't working well. I kept stopping every few steps. I was exhausted and was feeling bad about getting hit and stepped on so much. I was so glad she gave me a break! Mom went to Olive Garden with friends, and I napped.

On Monday, we had a really busy day. We went on stage at General Session again. This time, instead of singing, my mom talked. She did the opening prayer for the day. It was really cool. After the session, mom and I took a nap. We were both so tired! Then my mom taught a session about advocacy for a bunch of people. I napped during that, too. In the evening, my mom described auction items for the big ACB auction. I napped even more.

I'm tired, but I do like convention. My mom and I do really cool things. I love meeting new people and going new places. I don't really like the heat in Nevada, but mom cools me down by taking me to air conditioned spots after going out. I'm such a happy dog and am excited about the rest of the convention!

Love and Kisses,
Renee, the Seeing Eye Dog

Let's Get Rolling!

Hello Friend!

It's been a while since I wrote, because my mom has been sick. I have been taking extra special care of her. She's better now, and I'm so glad to be back writing to you!

My mom and I are in Reno, Nevada right now for the American Council of the Blind convention. My mom is on the board. I think that's really cool. Plus I get to sleep during long board meetings!

I had the funniest thing happen though at the hotel yesterday. Some guy I've never met came over to my mom and said his wife had half of a steak sandwich se didn't want. He offered the steak to me! My mom laughed, because she thought he was kidding. That's ridiculous though...We don't joke about something like steak! Then my mom told him I couldn't have it. I was kind of bummed.

There are also so many dogs here. My mom said something about over 500 guide dogs here. I'm working really hard not to be distracted by the other dogs, but sometimes I just can't help it! I'm going to work really hard though. My mom needs me.

I just love being a Seeing Eye Dog and going everywhere with my mom. It's nice to be traveling again. I'll be back to blog about my adventures in Reno throughout this week. Stay tuned for more fun with me!

Paws and Love,
Renee, the Seeing Eye Dog

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Friend!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!! I'm so happy to be back on here today. I've been busy with my mom lately. She has been really sick the past few months, and I've had to be Nurse Renee to her. I'm really good at making her smile when she feels bad.

I am so thankful for my job and my family and the birdies and stuffed animals and kibble and, well, everything! My life as a Seeing Eye Dog is just so great. Some people ask if I like to work. They should see how high I jump with excitement when my mommy pulls my harness out!

Now that I'm back to work again, I'll be blogging more. I hope you all have a great day today with lots of snuggles and kisses.

With sloppy kisses of thanks,
Renee, the Seeing Eye Dog

Dogs at Work

Dear Readers,

I've been reading a number of articles lately about the difficulty people face when untrained service dogs are being used as if they are service dogs. I've also been engaging with people in the disability community to talk about some of these issues. I decided to share my thoughts on this issue in hopes that I can encourage and empower people both with and without disabilities to help educate others about this very important topic.

Here's some background that might be surprising to you. Did you know that a lot of people register their pets as "service dogs" for emotional support in order to bring their dogs onto planes, into businesses, and into other locations that would otherwise not be allowed for pets? It's true. It actually happens every day. I personally experience issues with this multiple times per week and know that my friends in the disability community have issues with this problem on a daily basis.

So what's the problem? Why shouldn't you register your sweet pup as an emotional support animal? Well, there are two main reasons. First, if the animal is not certified or trained through a program that provides specific qualifications that a dog must meet in order to be classified as a "service dog," the dog is not prepared for going to these location where pets would otherwise not be allowed. Programs are important for many reasons. Dogs need to be trained in order to provide whatever service he or she is meant to provide. Dogs also need to be able to handle the incredible stimulus in public places, such as food on the floor in a restaurant, the chaotic masses of people in an airport, or the smells of endless treats in a grocery store.

It's not fair to the owner, the general public, or the dog to give the dog a title without proper training. Further, without training, the title of "service dog" devalues the titles given for dogs who have had people working in their lives to provide incredible amounts of genetic counseling, proactive breeding, puppy-raising, specific training, and pairing with the person who has a disability. When someone signs their dog up as a support animal without all of these things in place, those aspects of the service animal programs, not to mention the hours or work and finances that go into them, that are crucial to the dog's success, are grossly devalued.

The second main problem with signing a dog up as an emotional support animal without a good reason is that you devalue the emotional disabilities that impact many people in society. This is a tough topic, because I know some people with disabilities like mine who argue that emotional support animals aren't necessary at all. However, I strongly believe that given proper training, dogs can be an incredible support to people with Autism, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and other clinically diagnosed problems or symptoms of other problems. However, when a pet is signed up as an emotional support animal, it's as if someone is saying that those needs don't matter. It's as if someone is saying that the person with an emotional problem is just like anyone else. The fact, is that person is struggling far more than you or I may ever imagine. We must recognize and validate the struggles of these people and respect the programs that allow them to gain support from trained service animals.

Fundamentally, I believe that all dogs have jobs. Some dogs, like my Renee, are guide dogs, helping people like me travel safely every day. Other dogs help people who are deaf to observe the audible cues you and I take for granted. Some dogs alert their owners to blood sugar level changes for diabetics or to brain wave issues for seizures. Still others give independence to people in wheelchairs by picking up things or opening doors. Some dogs provide balance for people who have trouble walking on their own. Still other dogs give encouragement to individuals recovering from trauma or who are learning to live with emotional disorders.

Those are the dogs who have named titles. But "pet" is a title, too. In fact, "pet" is one of the greatest titles of all! How many of you have had pets in your lives who have helped you through a hard time? How many of you have had pets as friends or as playmates? How many of you have had pets who act like part of the family? Pets are just as important as service animals.

But just because pets are important does not mean their title should change. Pets are not meant in certain public areas. Why? It's not about exclusion. It's not about some dogs being better than others. It's about some dogs providing jobs for people in certain environments while others are not needed there. Let your pets do their jobs at home or in the public areas where pets are allowed.

Let me try to explain from a personal standpoint. I experience limitations when people try to bring their pets into no-pet zones all the time. For example, when people bring their certified but not trained dogs into airports as emotional support animals just to have them on vacation, those dogs often distract my dog from her work; they bark, lunge, and jump. These dogs make my travel experience less safe than it should be, because my dog has to focus even harder with this distraction. Now, Renee does an excellent job at trying to ignore these things, but it's not easy. Occasionally, she is surprised or distracted by untrained dogs jumping at her and she misses guiding me around a rolling suitcase or misses my verbal command to go in a different direction. In turn, because of the distraction, I have tripped over suitcases when she has missed obstacles and have been late to my gate when she misses my cues.

This also takes a physical and emotional toll on Renee, as she gets very stressed when she can't do her job well. She still works beautifully but cannot work as long and as passionately as she could otherwise without the unnecessary distractions. I wish Renee could talk, but I swear her expressions tell me everything. She becomes frustrated when she messes up in these situations and has to redo or fix something. We feed off of each others' stress. These untrained dogs hurt our team both in that moment and for the long-term work we do together.

Another example is less connected. A lot of people try to take their pets into no-pets-allowed restaurants or cabs. Then, when I enter days or months later with my seeing eye dog, I am refused service. It's not because the restaurant manager or cab driver is trying to be rude. Usually, it's because pets have come in and have caused problems in the place. The problem might even just the the pets' presence, because the owner or driver has made that rule for a reason. Whenever this happens, I have to go through channels to gain access by filing complaints, calling the police, or the worst, being embarrassed with my group of friends and needing to find another place to go. In other words, when people take their pets with them in non-pet locations, breaking the rules, I am further limited in my access to those locations. The law remains that my dog is allowed in every public place, but the pet-owners who break the rules make it harder for the law to support me.

This truly happens to my friends in the disability community every day. We are all so tired of it. While we all understand that pets are awesome and should come along when pets are allowed in certain places, pets need to stay home when they are not allowed somewhere. Please help the disability community by extending this education. It's not just about sneaking your pet in. It's about limiting the access and ultimately the safety of others like me who just want to navigate through the building full of obstacles, go out to eat with my friends, or get a ride to work. Think twice before you take your pet to a place that generally does not allow animals, and share the news to others. Together, we can make a positive change so that all dogs can perform their jobs to the best of their abilities.

Best,
Sara