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Guide Dogs
Individuals with severe visual impairment may receive a guide dog. Many forms of visual impairment allow the person to see some light or some of their field of vision, but they are considered legally blind.
The cost of providing a guide dog runs to nearly $40,000 which includes the cost of training the dog, providing instruction for the user, public transportation to students traveling to the school, room and board, and equipment costs. Schools provide guide dogs free of charge to blind and visually impaired people. They receive no state or federal money and rely solely upon voluntary contributions. The American Foundation for the Blind maintains a very good list of schools on their site.
Students attend guide dog school in a roughly four week training program that includes country, city and nighttime travel, how to incorporate a dog into a daily routine, and dog care knowledge. Students are matched with a trained dog with consideration made to lifestyle, travel pace, physical size and stamina. A person must have enough strength and stamina to handle a large dog in a working situation. All guide dogs need physical interaction from time to time, especially when they are learning to work with a new handler.
Training programs accommodate both the experienced guide dog handler and the first timer. The desire and commitment to work with a guide dog must be strong within each individual. Applicants are usually eligible to apply at 16 years of age. But, even more important is the ability to make sound and sensible decisions about the team. The human partner must be the leader of the team, directing the canine partner in a supportive and consistent manner.
An applicant must already be an experienced, independent traveler, which most often means they've had a full Orientation and Mobility training course. A reputable guide dog school insists on giving travel training along with the dog. A person must be active enough to provide sufficient work to keep a guide dog healthy, happy and effective. Both dog and human are competent travelers when they come together as a team.
Dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles but they are color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs. The human half of the guide dog team does the directing, based upon skills acquired through previous mobility training.
The blind person directs the dog to where he or she wants to go. It is the responsibility of the human member of the team to listen for the movement of traffic and other sounds in the environment to determine whether it is safe to proceed. If the guide dog judges that it is unsafe, it will refuse the command. This is called "intelligent disobedience".
A blind person accompanied by a guide dog has the right to go anywhere the general public is allowed. This includes restaurants, medical centers, stores of all kinds, taxicabs and airplanes, to name a few places. These rights are guaranteed by Federal and State Laws. Guide Dogs travel free when accompanied by their owners on public transportation. For example, when traveling by airplane, the airlines do not charge for the dog and even allow the dog to be with the owner on the aircraft. Keep in mind that although many countries have similar laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is in effect in the United States only, and if you plan to travel elsewhere read the information on foreign travel with guide dogs.
Business Access for Guide Dogs.
Etiquette When Meeting Someone with a Guide Dog.
For other takes on having a guide dog, check this article in Future Reflections, a publication of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), called The Guide Dog Experience by Dana Ard. Additional information is available at the National Association of Guide Dog Users, a Division of the NFB.