Guide Dogs - A Viable Option for Blind Veterans Purpose: The purpose of this document is to familiarize Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST), Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist (BROS), and Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) staff with changes in the guide dog industry. These changes have resulted in guide dogs being a more viable option for many older blind veterans who have not previously considered this possibility and for the soldiers injured in the Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) conflicts who have special needs in addition to blindness. We will look at some of the issues that should be examined in choosing a guide dog program. We will also review some of the considerations in determining whether a person is a good candidate for a guide dog. History: Since 1929 guide dogs have provided a mobility option for blind individuals in the United States. A number of programs have been established to provide guide dogs. Some programs breed, raise and train their dogs; others obtain dog stock from breeders; and some use dogs that have been obtained from animal shelters. Some programs have used portions of each of these scenarios at different times in their histories. Some blind individuals have obtained their own dogs either through private dog trainers, self-training their dog, or a combination of the two. The Seeing Eye, located in Morristown, New Jersey, is recognized as the first school in the United States. Several other schools were established in the 1940s with war blinded veterans as one of their primary service populations. Rights of Access: Since the establishment of the schools, ongoing efforts were made to enact laws providing access rights for blind individuals using guide dogs. Federal rights were achieved with the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990, providing an alternate course for pursuing a grievance when discrimination is encountered. Changing Demographics: In the early days of guide dog use, a majority of people obtaining guides were relatively young. As time passed, seasoned guide dog users continued to return for successor dogs. While returning guide dog users were getting older, the dogs were still young, fast, strong and playful. Programs addressed this situation differently. Some discouraged older returning applicants and did not consider new applicants who were seen as too old to keep up with a young, vigorous dog. Programs also reacted in varying ways to returning and new applicants with disabilities in addition to their impaired vision. A number of programs undertook strategic planning initiatives designed to respond to this changing population with dramatic modifications in traditional programs. Training methods were reviewed and breeding requirements were modified to produce dogs more suited to working with an aging blind population with possible multiple disabilities. These modifications would also be appropriate for younger applicants, such as OIF/OEF veterans. Not long ago, only legally blind individuals were accepted for guide dog training. Many programs did not even accept legally blind people with conditions such as retinitis-pigmentosa, believing that the individual's high central acuity would distract them from relying on the dog's guiding. Today most programs consider candidates who have travel deficits that can be overcome with a guide dog’s assistance regardless of their legal blindness status. In summary, the scene has changed dramatically over the past 75 years. Today's aging or multiply disabled blind person, guide dog user or prospect, can contemplate this mobility option in a much friendlier environment. Since there are variations among programs, interested individuals should select programs that best meet their needs. In the next section, we will address some of the considerations in the identification of appropriate guide dog candidates and the selection of the best source for a guide dog. Who should apply for a guide dog? Q. What are the minimum requirements for a Guide Dog Applicant? A. The general requirements are: * Legally blind or impaired travel vision. * At least 16 years of age, with no maximum. * Able to assume responsibility for care of a guide dog including: routine vet care, grooming, quality food, parasite control, medications, etc. * Has completed O & M training. * Is an independent traveler. Q. What additional characteristics should a candidate possess to be a successful guide dog user? A. The candidate should: * Be an active person able to give the dog the exercise and work challenges to maintain its health and training. * Display safe orientation and mobility skills. * Know when the dog requires unusual treatment as a result of an accident or hazardous situation. * Have family support that accepts the guide dog into the home. * Be aware that a dog’s average work life is eight years. What to Look for in Choosing a Program? Q. Should I choose an established school program or a privately trained guide dog? A. The vast majority of individuals choose to go to an established guide dog program. Ensuring a successful private training outcome is challenging, especially for those considering their first guide dog. A person considering a private trainer should verify the trainer’s credentials: * How many successful guide dog teams has he trained? * What is the total cost of the training? * Is the dog specifically bred for guide work? * What veterinary checks and inoculations are done on the dog? * Can the trainer provide any form of aftercare over the working life of the dog? Is there any cost for this? * Will the applicant need financial support if major veterinary bills occur in the future? Q. Do all schools offer ownership of the guide dog? A. No. Some programs automatically transfer title to the successful graduate. Others offer an option of ownership or school retention of title. A few schools retain ownership of the dog. For many people this is not a major consideration, but for some, it is an important matter. In some cases, even the schools that offer transfer of ownership will include provisions in the contract for reclaiming a dog under specific and drastic circumstances. Q. What training options are available in most programs? A. This varies dramatically from school to school. Options include: * Campus-based training, where the student lives on the campus during the entire training period. Advantages to this approach are exposure to and support from other students, group lectures on shared information, and the ability to concentrate exclusively on training. * Home-based training, where the team is trained in the student’s home community. Advantages to this approach are avoidance of travel, and the opportunity to work on the routes they will use. * Combination of campus and home-based, which allows for beginning training on campus, with completion in the home community. This provides most of the advantages of both approaches. * Classes at a remote site - For example one school conducts guide dog training at, and in partnership with, the West Palm Beach BRC, in a pilot program. Q. Do all schools offer campus-based training? A. No. Although most do, a couple of programs offer only home-based training. Q. Do all programs have dormitory facilities? A. No. While many have dormitory facilities, some smaller programs use local motel or hotel facilities. Even among the programs offering dormitory facilities, the staffing and amenities differ widely. If a student has need for ongoing medical attention or monitoring, they should determine if the program has the necessary medical and nursing support. Q. Do all programs offer the same size classes? A. No. Classes at various schools can range from two to twenty-four students. Student to training staff ratios can range from two to six students per trainer. Q. What types of dogs are used for guide dog work? A. A variety of breeds are used. At this time, the vast majority of guide dogs are Labrador and Golden Retrievers. Some programs use German Shepherds, Standard Poodles, Labrador/Golden crosses, Labrador/Poodle crosses, and Collies. A few programs have used Boxers and Doberman Pincers. Many consumers have strong breed, gender and even color preferences which some schools will address to enhance the compatibility of the match. Q. How long does a student and guide dog train together? A. For first-time guide dog users, a campus-based program averages 3.5 to 4 weeks. For individuals receiving a successor dog, the training period can be anywhere from ten days to four weeks. Home-based programs average about two weeks of training but this can include everything from ten partial days to fourteen full days. Combination training will be composed of a period of time at the school, followed by a period of individualized training in the person's home environment. Again, the length of each part of this program varies widely. Q. Is there any cost for a guide dog? A. Almost all of the programs in the United States provide transportation, room & board, training, basic equipment, follow-up services, and, of course, the dog, at no charge to the individual. Each school should be questioned regarding their policy. . Privately trained guide dogs can range from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands, depending on a variety of elements such as the trainer's cost, the cost of the dog, the length of training, living accommodations during training, etc. Q. Can I refer a prospective candidate to any of the schools on the list of programs? A. Because of the significant differences among programs and the unique needs of clients, careful research should be undertaken to produce a good match for the veteran. Q. Can a person apply to more than one school at a time? A. Yes. A school may ask if you have any other active applications on file. From the consumer's point of view, having multiple applications under consideration may quicken the waiting time. From the program's perspective, multiple applications inflate waiting times, and waste staff resources dedicated to identifying a good match for each person on the waiting list. Generally, an individual is best served by focusing on the school which best meets his needs, and giving the process a chance to work. Q. Will a student have a roommate in the dormitory? A. Perhaps. Some programs have renovated or built new dormitory facilities that offer individual rooms with private baths. Other programs still offer shared rooms and a few use nearby motel or hotel facilities. Q. Can family members accompany the student? A. In most cases, no provision is made for family members. In those cases the programs feel that the individual must give full attention to the bonding process with the new guide dog partner and all distractions should be avoided. A few programs, especially those using off-site housing, do allow family member presence as long as it does not interfere with the training process. In home-based and combination training programs, the dog will be naturally worked into the home setting and family members will be encouraged to maintain their normal routines. Q. Do all schools offer aftercare? A. Aftercare is assistance to a guide dog user throughout the working life of the guide dog. Most schools provide some type of aftercare, through telephone, e-mail, or other correspondence, and on-site visitation by a certified Instructor. However, each school’s offerings differ, and may be affected by the distance from the school. An applicant should verify a school’s policy on aftercare. Q. Is Veterinary Assistance available? A. Some guide dog programs will also assist their graduates with veterinary expenses. You can verify this with each school. Q. If I am working with someone retiring a guide dog and returning for a successor dog, what should be done with the retiring dog? A. This is a question that has many answers depending on the program, the person and the dog. Most guide dog users either retain their former guide as a pet, or place it with a family member or friend. Most schools will assist in finding a retirement home for the dog. Conclusion: Guide dog programs have improved their capacity to serve elderly and multi-impaired veterans. Policies and program characteristics vary among guide dog programs. Blind Rehabilitation Service professional staff should carefully consider whether guide dogs would be appropriate for their veteran clients and which programs would best meet the needs of those clients. Currently there are approximately 3 million severely visually impaired persons age 65 or older in the U.S. With the predicted increase in the number of elderly persons in the U.S. by 2030, there will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 million or more people afflicted with severe visual impairment (NEI, 2001). Moreover, the population of veterans experiencing blindness concomitant with other disabilities is expected to grow more rapidly than the general population. The vast majority of these cases will be from age-related causes of blindness. Within the VA system, we continue to see this trend as we serve more and more veterans from the Vietnam era. We may even see a significant number of OIF/OEF veterans who require guide dogs that can also accommodate additional disabilities. Lasfargues, John E. (1993). SCI in the United States, 1993-2025. Paraplegia News, 47(8), 50-53. National Eye Institute (NEI). 2001. Vision Research: A National Plan 1999-2003. Office of Science Policy and Legislation, National Eye Institute, National Institutes for Health. Bethesda, MD: Government Printing Office. U. S. Guide Dog Schools which are accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation (alphabetical order) Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc. P. O. Box 142 Bloomfield, CT 06002 860 243 5200 Fax: 860 243 7215 E Mail: info@fidelco.org Website: http://www.fidelco.org Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind 1210 Hardscrabble Road Cassville, NY 13318 315 822 5132 Fax: 315 822 5132 (call before faxing) E Mail: freedomdog@a-znet.com www.freedomguidedogs.org Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. 371 East Jericho Turnpike Smithtown, NY 11787 2976 631 930-9000, 1 800 548 4337 FAX: 631 930-9009 E Mail: info@guidedog.org Website: http://www.guidedog.org Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. P. O. Box 151200 San Rafael, CA 94915 1200 415 499 4000 1 800 295 4050 Fax: 415 499 4035 E Mail: iadmissions@guidedogs.com Website: http://www.guidedogs.com Guide Dogs for the Blind (Oregon Campus) 32901 S.E. Kelso Road Boring, OR 97009 503 668 2100 FAX: 503 668 2141 Guide Dogs of America 13445 Glenoaks Blvd. Sylmar, CA 91342 818 362 5834 1 800 459 4843 FAX: 818 362 6870 E Mail: mail@guidedogsofamerica.org Website: http://www.guidedogsofamerica.org Guide Dogs of the Desert, Inc. P. O. Box 1692 Palm Springs, CA 92263 760 329 6257 Fax: 760 329 2127 E Mail: klaidlaw@guidedogsofthedesert.org Website: http://www.guidedogsofthedesert.com Guide Dogs of Texas Inc 11825 West Avenue, Ste 104 San Antonio, TX 78216 United States 210 366 4081 Fax: 210 366 4082 E-mail: mikemason@guidedogsoftexas.org Website: http://www.guidedogsoftexas.org Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Inc. 611 Granite Springs Road Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 914 245 4024, 800 942 0149 Fax: 914 962 1403 E mail: info@guiding-eyes.org Website: http://www.guiding-eyes.org Leader Dogs for the Blind, Inc. 1039 South Rochester Road Rochester, MI 48307 3115 248 651 9011, 888 777 5332 FAX: 248 651 5812 E Mail: leaderdog@leaderdog.org Website: http://www.leaderdog.org The Seeing Eye, Inc. P. O. Box 375 Morristown, NJ 07963 0375 973 539 4425 1 800 539 4425 FAX: 973 539 0922 E Mail: semaster@seeingeye.org Website: http://www.seeingeye.org Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc. 4210 77th St. East Palmetto, FL 34221 941 729 5665 Fax: 941 729 6646 E Mail: webmaster@guidedogs.org Website: http://www.guidedogs.org Other U. S. Guide Dog Schools (alphabetical order) Eye Dog Foundation For the Blind, Inc. 211 S. Montclair St., Suite A Bakersfield, CA 93309 3165 661 831 1333 1 800 393 3641 Fax: 661 831 0681 E Mail: eyedog@lightspeed.net Website: http://www.eyedogfoundation.org EDF Training Center: 8252 South 15th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85041 7806 602 276 0051 Fax: 602 276 1046 E Mail: eyedogaz@uswest.net Pilot Dogs, Inc. 625 W. Town St. Columbus, OH 43215 4496 614 221 6367 Fax: 614 221 1577 Website: http://www.pilotdogs.org Guide Dogs - A Viable Option for Blind Veterans Page 9 of 9