All:
I have been asked by several people, both off list and on, to clarify my
posting regarding the viability of guide dogs in India. Please read my
entire post below, before commenting as this is not a simple question.
It
is a long post but I don't post that often so I'll make up here for lost
time.
To have an enlightened discussion about whether or not guide dogs as an
aide to independent mobility by blind people is a viable option in the
Indian context, some facts about guide dogs and guide dog training must
be
understood. There are many misnomers perpetuated by popular media, about
what guide dogs for the blind can and can't do and how guide dogs and
their
blind handlers interact. Many people, both blind and sighted, believe
that
a guide dog is responsible for taking a blind person to their destination
rather like a sighted companion. Stories abound of the heroic guide dog
who
saved its blind owner from some tragedy. In reality, a guide dog
responds
to commands given by its blind handler such as left, right, forward etc,
as
part of a progressive set of directions from one place to another. The
blind person must always know where he or she is going and must remain
oriented to the environment at all times. At no time does a guide dog
assume responsibility for "taking" a blind person from one place to
another.
It is therefore manditory that the blind handler be trained in and
practice
good mobility and orientation skills in order to use a dog effectively.
Using a dog does not substitute for mobility training, quite the
opposite.
Anyone contemplating training with a guide dog must have above-average
mobility skills before any training can begin. Many people make the
mistake
of believing that having a dog will make this requirement unnecessary.
At present, the cost of training a guide dog is about fifty thousand US
dollars, that is within the US economy and taking into account current
labor
costs etc. The suitability of a particular dog for guide work begins
with
the breeding process. Genetics, temperment and other profiling are
factors
in determining whether a dog is right for this work. Although donated
dogs
are occasionally trained for work as guides, the vast majority are bred
at
the training schools and given to families to raise. The job of
puppy-raising families is to acquaint the dog with typical environments
it
will encounter throughout its working life. The dog is socialized within
the family and local community, taken into public, and must demonstrate
certain qualities of temperment and behavior necessary for a guide dog.
During this time the pupppies are assessed to ensure they are developing
the
required skills and behaviors. When they are about eighteen months old
they
are taken to the training school where they begin learning how to become
a
guide. During this process they are constantly assessed as to whether
they
should remain in the program. A substantial number of dogs each year are
removed from the program due to one or another reason and they are given
to
local families where they make excellent pets. Some even become therapy
dogs or assume a service that is less stressful or demanding. During the
training period the dog is also evaluated to determine what type of
person
would be the best match for that dog. Careful records are kept on all of
these aspects so that the best possible pairing can take place.
All of this explanation is to say that as one person correctly said in
his
posting to the list these are not pets. One does not go to a shop, pick
out
a dog he likes and have it trained.
A person who is qualified to train guide dogs through a recognized school
must first complete a two year apprenticeship before applying to be a
trainer with that school. They must understand both dogs and people and
they must understand how dogs can supplement the independent travel of
blind
people. It is not enough that someone has been a dog trainer of police
dogs, therapy dogs or service dogs such as what paralyzed people have.
In
fact, many of the attributes desirable in guide dogs are opposite of
those
required in these other fields. For example, a police dog is trained to
obey its owner and show aggression to a criminal or provide protection in
the case of security details. Aggression on the part of a guide dog on
the
other hand is almost always inappropriate and can land the blind owner in
a
lot of difficulty. But another aspect of guide work which is different
than
any other work dogs do is known as "intelligent disobedience." If you as
the blind handler tell your dog to go forward and the dog knows it isn't
safe, the dog is trained to disobey that command. In order to do this
successfully, a dog must have the right combination of initiative and
confidence to disobey its handler yet remain docile enough to be
responsive
to commands. To what degree the knowledge and skill a person has in
training other types of working dogs is transferable to guide work is
beyond
the scope of this post. But suffice it to say that competence in
training
dogs as guides for blind people is not achieved by reading "procedures,"
academic tomes or other literature. It is a specialized area of dog
training. The life of the blind handler will depend on this training
being
successful.
An often ignored aspect of this question is the welfare of dogs who might
be
trained as guides in very stressful environments. India presents unique
circumstances that introduce hazzards for dogs. In my observation,
Indian
society is quite hostile to dogs on the whole. Many including myself,
would
say that subjecting a highly trained, sensative dog to the kind of
meanness
found in India's streets is irresponsible. The excessive crowding on
railway platforms is only one example where the human environment as it
is
today could be perilous for a dog who is, afterall, closer to the ground
than we are and likely to be kicked, stepped on, and otherwise abused
without your knowledge or ability for recourse or to identify the
perpetrater. Daily or even occasional exposure to these conditions can
make
an otherwise well-behaved dog traumatized and aggressive, and for good
reason. Vetri has correctly stated that even in the US there is
sufficient
rubbish in the street to interest a dog with a scavenging nature but it
is
nowhere near the amount or variety as we have here in India. Loose dogs
are
another reality that must be acknowledged. Dogs operate in packs and
when a
strange dog enters their midst they respond with aggression and attack.
One of the most important functions of a guide dog is keeping its blind
handler safe in traffic. As you know, the traffic conditions here in
India
are some of the most dangerous and chaotic in the world. I don't
honestly
know how or if a dog could be trained to work safely in the traffic
conditions we have here. Only someone who has been trained to assess
traffic conditions in the context of guide dog work can say whether or
not
it is viable. When a blind person is walking on the street people
interfere
by grabbing a person's arm or in some way attempting to assert their
control, to prevent this or that catastrophe, real or imagined. This
sort
of interference on the part of the public can be devastating for a guide
dog
and result in its losing confidence in its abilities as a guide. A dog
who
is not confident is not safe.
The sheer lack of space in restaurants, on trains and buses and so forth
in
countries like India is another factor that put dogs at risk for injury.
Many, many people in India are not only hostile towards dogs but are
truly
afraid of them. No amount of public education is going to change the
mind
of someone who was attacked as a child or has a belief that dogs will
somehow contaminate their environment. The question must be considered
of
how this reality would impact one's relationship with potential or
current
employers, perspective or current customers, etc.
As when anything new is introduced into a society, massive amounts of
public
and private education must be done so the public, police and others
understand what that thing is, how it works and why it is there. Guide
dogs
first appeared in the US in 1929 and even today discrimination is
rampant.
The advantage in places like North America is that there are municipal,
state and federal laws designed to protect the rights of guide dogs and
their blind handlers and for the most part, these laws are enforced. But
this does not prevent discrimination from happening. I should know.
During
my tenure as a guide dog handler in the US I had to file countless
complaints and one lawsuit because of discrimination. Public education
campaigns are conducted by the guide dog schools and consumer
organizations
continuously with no end in sight any time soon. It is debatable as to
whether things are getting better or worse with regard to guide dog
discrimination.
If this is the state of affairs in a country with a presence of guide
dogs
since 1929 and one where dogs are generally respected and integrated well
into society, how can there be any realistic expectation that any similar
law would be upheld by the courts of this country? We are all aware of
how
laws are enforced in this country. The biggest difference is that in
Europe
or North America the public is likely to support you in a conflict
situation. In India, they would stand by and watch the show for their
own
amusement. No law will help you when someone throws a stone at your dog
to
see if they can make it drag you into traffic. Sorry folks, that is the
way
it is.
The education and accountability campaigns to be undertaken if guide dogs
were introduced in India would be massive, expensive and ultimately
unproductive. The first people to begin traveling with guide dogs would
enjoy no respite from interference and scrutiny. The slightest mistake
or
problem would be magnified out of all proportion by a media that thrives
on
sensation and controversy. You would spend all your time fending off
interference by both the well-intentioned as well as the malevolent. The
stress of this on a person is one thing, but the stress on a dog is quite
another.
In addition to the costs of training a guide dog, there are ongoing
expenses
to consider. Guide dogs have strict dietary needs. They are not fed
people
food. If this is done, the next time you visit a restaurant with your
dog I
suspect you will have some explaining to do to the people at the table
next
to yours. A dog must be groomed every day and receive regular veternary
care. Daily obedience routines must be maintained especially for young
dogs.
Govind Reddy is correct that comparing life for blind people in India
with
that of other countries in this context is not helpful. In response to
Rahul Bajaj's assertion that blind people in places like the US have
better
lives than those in India, I believe the quality of one's life is largely
determined by internal factors and that although external environments
can
play a large role in one's quality of life the ultimate responsibility
for
the quality of our lives is held by each one of us as individuals. Anand
Sharma's statements about "uncivilized people" being cause for concern
are
correct. The bitter irony is, that the scenario he describes of someone
deliberately parking his car below your steps for you to trip over is
exactly the kind of situation guide dogs are meant to minimize.
I believe the question going forward is not whether or not guide dogs are
a
viable mobility option for blind people in India. This discussion leads
us
to a bigger, much more important question of how can we maximize the
options for independent mobility we have and develop new one's if the
one's
available now aren't good enough. What is missing in our current skills
of
mobility and what can be done to enhance independent travel?
It is no accident that this discussion is taking place just prior to the
November meeting in Trivandrum where options for the future can be
discussed
and debated in person. Here are some things to consider.
To determine once and for all whether or not guide dogs are a viable
option
for India, one or a combination of the blindness organizations should
undertake a study in which those with a high level of knowledge and
hands-on
experience with training guide dogs are brought to India and consulted
about
whether dogs could be used safely and effectively. I reiterate that when
I
say safely I mean for the dog as well as for the blind handler. If it
can
be done then the study should articulate under what circumstances and
with
what modifications to current training it can be done. Competent
consultants should come to India to give an opinion. And, if the trainer
who has been mentioned wants to raise dogs for possible work as guides
she
should go abroad for proper training. If it can't be done then they
should
articulate the reasons why it can't be done and put the matter to rest.
Several years ago Joyce Kane of the National Federation of the Blind of
the
United States visited India accompanied by her guide dog. I don't know
much
about her visit but engaging with her about her experiences would be
informative, keeping in mind that she was a visitor here for a short time
and was in India as an official guest. Her experiences will reflect this
fact.
My observation over the years is that proficiency of mobility and cane
travel among blind people is uneven. Some people have mastered advanced
skills of orientation and mobility while others have not. Whether this
is
do to a lack of standardized training or other factors I don't know.
Part
of the problem is that the environment in which people learn their
mobility
skills is a difficult one and the potential to be independently mobile is
hard to achieve. Afterall, if you are trying to teach someone to analyze
traffic at a signal but no one bothers to stop at the signal or remain on
the correct side of the road the exercise of teaching traffic analysis is
pointless and proficiency can not be expected. Those of us who travel
both
in India and Europe modify the independence strategies we use for a
continuum of environmental factors, at least I do. Others can comment as
to
their own experiences.
I do think the time has come for this group to evaluate what exists for
mobility training and discuss what might be done to make things better.
Is
it dogs? Is it technology? Is it improved training? A combination of
these? Is it something else? I have noticed that echo-location training
is
on the Trivandrum agenda and while the practice seems a bit anti-social
to
me it is certainly worth considering as one part of an overall mobility
strategy. Whatever the outcome, the biggest thing I have observed that
is
missing is how to obtain and use personal power effectively. There are
blind people in the world who have no mobility training or aides
whatsoever
but assume the rights and responsibilities of self determination anyway.
There are also people who have all the advantages of mobility aides and
services and remain dependent. So the difference is not just external.
Finally, I was asked by several people to comment about my own experience
as
a guide dog handler for over ten years in the US. I had a very
successful
partnership with a wonderful black Labrador named Harvey. We had many
memorable experiences together and he died of old age in 1996 after a
grand
and fulfilled life. So why didn't I get another dog? Even in the US
people
interfere, discriminate and behave ignorantly and I found it
intolerable. I
would never subject a dog or other animal to the kind of hostility and
creulty found in India's streets simply for my own gain. To promote some
notion of independence at the expense of another creature is inhumane and
in
itself, a criminal act.
Madhu Singhal inquired about other countries in Asia where guide dogs are
used. To my knowledge, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea have successful
guide
dog programs. There are schools throughout western Europe, North
America,
Australia and South Africa as well. Acceptance of dogs as a legitimate
part
of society tends to take place in countries that have moved beyond
survival
and become prosperous. This kind of acceptance is necessary for a
successfull guide dog program.
The unfortunate irony is that countries such as India are exactly the
place
where the type of assistance provided by a guide dog is the most needed.
If
it was not for the human element and all the destructiveness it brings
the
concept might be workable. And, if you think I have more concern for the
dogs in this equasion than for the people, you are right.
As always, comments on or off the list are welcome.
Jean
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