The Guideway A Publication of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind Volume 62 No. 1 Large print edition GAINING FREEDOM AND GIVING BACK Deborah Gibson believes in giving back, and whether she’s volunteering with her local police department, singing in her church choir, or taking cruises, she’s busier retired than most people are when they’re working. Gibson was born prematurely and given supplemental oxygen while she was in an incubator – standard practice at the time. Unfortunately, the resulting high blood oxygen levels damaged her underdeveloped eyes and left her with partial vision in her left eye. Had she not been lying on her stomach with her face pressed into the pillow, she believes she would not have even that much vision. Although she had lived without a guide dog for many years, in 1990, she decided it was time to get one. Gibson relates that her husband Jimmy, who is totally blind, said, “If you get one, I should too.” The Gibsons met in 1976 at an American Council for the Blind convention and were married a year later. At the time, theirs were the first guide dogs Montgomery, Alabama had seen for a long time. Now, there are six guides, including three from the Guide Dog Foundation (this past year, Jimmy Gibson trained with his first Foundation dog) and one service dog. Although she is a good cane user, “Getting a dog represents freedom,” Gibson declares. Being a two-guide-dog family presents no problems, especially since the Gibson household also includes another dog and a cat. They all get along great, Gibson says. Outreach and Education For the past eight years, the Gibsons have been volunteer speakers for the Montgomery Police Department’s Law Enforcement and Disability program. The LEAD program teaches law enforcement officers to be more sensitive to the needs of people who are disabled, whether they are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hearing impaired, a wheelchair user, or mentally ill. “It’s really interesting,” Gibson says, “and I have enjoyed it.” She addresses cadet classes four or five times a year and speaks at the state trooper academy. She also makes time to visit schools, and at least twice a year she speaks to second and third graders. “I love to do that.” And the education efforts pay off. Now, she says she hears children telling their parents, “Don’t pet the dog; it’s working.” Active Churchgoer The Gibsons are members of the Frazer United Memorial Methodist Church and sing in the choir. Frazer has over 8000 congregants, and Sundays are a very busy day, with seven scheduled services, Bible study classes, and other activities. In the time after Gibson retired her previous guide but before she partnered with her new dog Isaac, she found that it was difficult to maneuver around hundreds of people. With Isaac at her side now, getting through the crowd is a breeze again. “He just weaves in and out and makes a path,” she says proudly. “He does it so coolly.” Isaac is the first standard poodle she’s had. “I really like him,” she adds. “They’re not like Labs. They’re more one-person dogs.” In addition to the choir, Gibson also serves as co-chair of Frazer’s “Handicapable for Christ” committee. Its mission is to help the church be more aware of the needs of its members with disabilities and to mentor those members so they can be active participants of the church community. Sailin' along After 26 years with the state of Alabama’s Library for the Blind, Gibson retired. (Jimmy Gibson retired after 34 years.) Now the couple travels extensively and enjoys taking cruises. They have been to Alaska, crossed the Panama Canal, even sailed the Mediterranean and visited the Vatican. Where do the dogs relieve themselves while on board? Gibson laughs and says that’s a question she gets asked often. There are usually big “litter boxes” on deck on the balcony, she replies. “Dogs get used to the litter box quickly.” In her “spare” time, Gibson belongs to a knitting club that has made baby blankets and hats for premature babies. She’s also an avid reader and for years belonged to a science fiction book club and even traveled to several SF conventions. She has also become a moderator at a blindness message board. “I found out about it from a friend, and I liked it,” she says. Between the message board, her Internet book club, and playing computer golf, “I probably spend way too much time on the Internet,” she chuckles. But it has also opened a door for new friendships. When she and her husband cruise up to New England and Nova Scotia later this year, they will meet up with some of their friends from the message board. What does it mean to have a guide dog? Because she has partial vision, Gibson depended on it to get around until she got her first dog. She will always remember what her first trainer told her: “He said, ‘Deborah, don’t watch your feet. Let your dog take care of your feet. Use your vision to enjoy the beauty around you.’” Now, she adds, “I really try to use my vision around me for what I can see. I see beautiful sunsets I probably would never have seen before. I’m not worrying. I trust my dog. As long as I am physically able, I will be working a dog.” Photo: Deborah Gibson and her Standard Poodle guide dog. The caption reads: Deborah Gibson and her new guide graduated in 2007; he is the first poodle guide she's had. Photo: Deborah and Jimmy on vacation in Alaska, posing on front of a mountain. The caption reads: The Gibsons pause for a photo during a recent trip to Alaska. CEO MESSAGE The mission of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind is to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Many people believe, as we do, in the power of dogs to enhance the mobility and independence of people with disabilities – whether they are blind or visually impaired, or have disabilities other than blindness. Our program carefully trains our dogs to do tasks to mitigate disabilities. However, another important component of a consumer/assistance dog team is the emotional support and companionship the dog provides to its handler. More and more evidence supports our faith in the healing power of the special relationship between our graduates and their dogs. The proof is when a graduate tells us how her new guide dog represents freedom to her, or when a veteran says his service dog is his ticket back to the real world. I often say the Foundation is a large, extended family. We are blessed to have a wonderful staff and hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers who are dedicated to achieving our goals. We couldn’t do our vital work without them and the very generous financial support of our donors. Since its creation in 1946, the Guide Dog Foundation has relied entirely on individuals, organizations such as the Lions, corporations, and private foundations to support its mission. Did you know that government funding amounts to less than 1 percent of our revenue? Beyond financial support, however, our donors do so much more. Supporters of the Guide Dog Foundation serve as ambassadors of the Foundation and examples for their families and communities to follow. Often their commitment extends to other areas of our organization: Puppy sponsors, for example, who also volunteer to raise a puppy. Others raise funds or advocate on behalf of our programs. The relationships we create with our donors and volunteers, and the relationships they create with others, serve to strengthen the Guide Dog Foundation as we advance our mission to serve people with disabilities. As we forge ahead in 2008 to expand our outreach, your continued support makes all of our achievements possible. Thank you. Wells B. Jones, CAE, CFRE Chief Executive Officer FIELD REPS PROVIDE HOME DELIVERY There are no borders when it comes to providing guide or service dogs and training for people with disabilities. From its headquarters in Smithtown, N.Y., the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind serves consumers from all across the country and even internationally as they seek the independence and mobility an assistance dog offers. To better serve consumers who live outside New York, the Foundation has added new trainers and instructors to its field service team; this expansion allows the Foundation to take tremendous steps forward in its outreach efforts and aftercare support. Currently, the foundation’s field service representatives are concentrated in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and near Washington, D.C.; some trainers based on campus also serve consumers in other parts of the country. This expanded field service staff will be able to respond faster and more directly to any aftercare issues experienced by our graduates, either immediately or in the future. In addition, having staff in the field allows the foundation to conduct more detailed in-home applicant interviews, and provide home and combination training. For most students, the 25-day, in-residence training at the Foundation’s Smithtown campus is essential because a student is able to concentrate more fully and bond more strongly with their dog during training. Some people, however, find they are more successful when they undergo training in a familiar environment, especially those who have disabilities in addition to blindness or those with disabilities other than visual impairment. In a home placement, a Foundation trainer travels to a student’s home to train the student/dog team in everyday surroundings. A student who undergoes combination training spends about two weeks at the Foundation’s Smithtown campus and about a week working one-on-one with a trainer in the student’s home community. A “partner facility” placement is done at a cooperating institution such as a VA hospital, which may offer its own programs to complement guide dog training. By increasing the training options and strengthening its after care support, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind is ensuring that the people it serves will have all the tools they need to live with independence and self-reliance. AMERICA’S VETDOGS & U.S. ARMY JOIN FORCES TO HELP TROOPS IN THE FIELD Newly enlisted Sergeants First Class Boe and Budge are two black Labrador Retrievers on a mission. For the first time in the history of the United States Army, specially trained skilled therapy dogs, provided by America’s VetDogs, have been sent to work with an Army combat stress control team to help soldiers deal with homefront and combat stress issues while deployed. Major Stacie Caswell, commander of the 85th Medical Detachment, currently based in Iraq, has been pushing for the therapy dogs ever since she learned of George, a VetDogs therapy dog who provides emotional support to recently wounded soldiers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. “Dogs have been the unsung heroes of our war efforts,” Major Caswell says in an e-mail. “Bringing therapy dogs into Iraq will take dogs to the next level on the battlefield. The therapy dogs will be another method that our combat stress teams can use to break down mental health stigma and assist soldiers.” In December 2007, Staff Sergeants Jack Greene and Mike Calaway, certified occupational therapy assistants with the 85th Medical Detachment and currently deployed to Iraq, were given temporary duty assignments to VetDogs’ campus in Smithtown, N.Y. where they learned how to work with their new charges. After an intensive five-day training program, which included obedience, and exposure to helicopters and gunfire, Budge and Boe were formally presented to the Army during a handover ceremony on December 13, 2007. The event was covered by local New York media, as well as national news networks. Says Wells Jones, president and CEO of America’s VetDogs, “We are privileged and proud to have the opportunity to give something back to the men and women who dedicate themselves to our country. We’re honored to serve those who have served us.” Now that they’re back in Iraq, the dogs accompany their handlers wherever they go. Whether in a one-on-one or group setting, Budge and Boe help provide emotional comfort through physical interactions such as playing fetch or simple petting. “The dogs have a natural, uncanny way of reducing stress. It’s kind of magical,” says Greene. Calaway concurs. “They’re great morale boosters as members of the team,” he adds. Based on reports VetDogs has received from Caswell in Iraq, the dogs are going “above and beyond” already. One soldier said, “For a few minutes it was just me and the dog and nothing in this environment seemed to matter.” Media interest in the dogs and the groundbreaking project has remained strong. Updates aired on CNN, Fox News Channel, and National Public Radio, and stories appeared in newspapers, Web sites, and blogs. Boe and Budge will remain in Iraq when the 85th’s tour of duty is over in the spring and the 528th Medical Detachment takes over. Recently, soldiers from the 528th traveled from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to the VetDogs headquarters in Smithtown to learn how to handle and take care of the dogs. Our agreement with the Army states that when the dogs’ tour of duty is up, they will be returned to VetDogs, reassigned to a military or veterans hospital in the United States, or adopted out to their handlers. America’s VetDogs has been honored to make the gift of these special canines to the Army’s 85th Medical Detachment, and proud to be called to serve the valiant men and women who serve our country. Photo: A soldier and one of the dogs walking through the entrance of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. The caption reads: Staff Sgt. Mike Calaway and Sgt. 1st Class Boe visit the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. Photo by: Spc. Rick Rzepka, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Photo: The two soldiers and the new therapy dogs walking in the grass at the Foundation’s campus. The caption reads: Staff Sergeants Jack Greene and Mike Calaway with their new partners, Budge and Boe. Photo by Christopher Appoldt. Photo: Sgt. Greene being interviewed by a reporter. We are looking over the shoulder of the cameraman. Photo by Christopher Appoldt. DOG TREATS PHOTOS Photo: A group shot of the Perkins School for the Blind posed around the bronze statue of Russ the guide dog. The caption reads: As part of the Educational Leadership Program of the Perkins School for the Blind, teachers of blind, deafblind, or visually impaired students from all over the world spend a year at their campus in Massachusetts. On their field trip to New York in February, the group spent the morning at the Guide Dog Foundation learning about guide dogs. The Foundation is the only guide dog school they visit. Photo: A Foundation trainer leads a blindfolded boy around the “town square” with a guide dog. The caption reads: The littlest guide dog handler? No, this young man was visiting with the Perkins School, and it’s his chance to take a blindfold walk with apprentice trainer Dan McCarthy. Applicants for guide dogs must be at least high school age. Photo: A graduate and her guide dog look at a museum exhibit. The caption reads: Our guides get to go everywhere! Here a grad and her guide dog pay a visit to the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Boston. By federal law, the right of a person who is blind to be accompanied by a guide dog in all public places is guaranteed. Photo: The back of an open Foundation van, with a Golden Retriever and a Yellow Lab looking out. One is laying down, the other sitting. An upturned orange safety cone is tipped over to their right. The caption reads: Two dogs in for training patiently wait to begin their training day. It takes between four and six months before a dog is ready to become a guide or service dog. Photo: Soldiers make their way down a line of puppy walkers. The caption reads: Dallas puppy walkers, led by area coordinator Donna Wright and joined by puppy advisor Melissa Blom, make their monthly visit to the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport to meet and greet returning troops. As part of the VetDogs program, this trip has become a regular outing for the Dallas area puppy walkers. Not only do they get to thank the troops for their service, but the pups get a great exposure to the sights and sounds of the airport. Photo: Soldiers seated on the leather couches in the Foundation’s lobby. Sitting by their sides are two yellow and two black Labs and one Golden Retriever in VetDogs vests. Sitting with them is a local politician. The caption reads: Members of the 528th Medical Detachment, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will deploy to Iraq later this year and will take over the handling of Boe and Budge, the military therapy dogs. In February, they visited America’s VetDogs to get a crash course in dog handling techniques. Suffolk County Legislator Lynne C. Nowick dropped by to visit the soldiers during some downtime. Photo: An old newspaper clipping, showing a young man training with his guide dog. The caption reads: In 1953, the New York Journal-American ran a story about a young Korean War veteran training at what was then the Guide Dog Foundation’s Smithtown training campus, which eventually became the Foundation's national headquarters. The guide dog user profiled, Albert DeSimone, is still using a guide dog today. Photo: A sitting female black Lab puppy. The caption reads: Puppy sponsorship is a wonderful way to honor the memory of someone special. Puppy Phil was named in honor of Phyllis Herrington, our former consumer outreach coordinator. As a long-time guide dog user, Phyllis was able to offer applicants her perspective on the freedom a guide dog brings. When Phyllis passed away in 2007 after a battle with cancer, her friends and fellow graduates joined together to sponsor Phil and are now working on a second sponsorship. If you would like to honor a cherished loved one by naming a puppy after them, please contact the Foundation’s Development Office at 1-866-282-8045. End of Dog Treats photos RECENT GRADUATES Miriam Cooper Guide Dog: Boe Massachusetts Robert Evans Capable Canine: Steve Nevada VetDogs graduate Edward Flynn Capable Canine: Ginger New York Charles Ghose Guide Dog: Pearl New York Jimmy Gibson Guide Dog: Chloe Alabama Paulette Glad Capable Canine: Dawn New York Carmen Greico Guide Dog: Jake New York Claire Hux Guide Dog: Harry New Mexico Loretta Jurkiewicz Guide Dog: Nathan Missouri Alex Korszun Guide Dog: Maximus New York Jo Anna Larson Guide Dog: Poly Alabama Joseph Link Guide Dog: Gipper Oklahoma VetDogs graduate Jo Ann Madsgard Guide Dog: Nunzi New York Matthew Stansky Companion Dog: Gypsy New York Janice Toothman Guide Dog: Destiny Maryland U.S. Army Military Therapy Dog: Boe Iraq VetDogs graduate U.S. Army Military Therapy Dog: Budge Iraq VetDogs graduate Marie Underwood Capable Canine: Dottie Georgia Kacie Weldy Guide Dog: Honey Indiana Alyce Wilson Guide Dog: Leslie Pennsylvania Lee Wilson Guide Dog: Baylee Arkansas VetDogs graduate STUDENT RESIDENCE VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE A PICK-ME-UP Volunteers are vital members of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind family, but not every volunteer works with dogs. There is a group of special people who spend time with students when class is in session so they can get a break from training and have some fun. Students stay in the Foundation’s on-campus residence for 25 days when they are training with their new partners. It’s hard work, and it can be tough to be away from home and family and their familiar environment for so long. That’s where the student residence volunteers step up. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons or evenings, during free time, volunteers and students may take a trip to the mall, have dinner in a restaurant, take a walk along the beach, or even go to the movies. The dogs stay behind, though, because until their training is completed, students and their dogs can go out only with an instructor present. Nick DeVenuto originally began helping out because he was inspired by his mother. When he was a little boy, she developed retinitis pigmentosa. “She’s an amazing lady,” he says, “64 and still going strong.” Several other family members also are blind, so DeVenuto is comfortable interacting with people who are visually impaired. “I like helping people and thought this would be the best thing for me,” he says. He has been a volunteer for about six years, but he and his family have been supporters of the Guide Dog Foundation for far longer. Barbara Kaiser and Kim Stasheff, instructors at the Foundation, coordinate the student residence volunteer program. Volunteers attend a three-hour orientation session to learn how to work with people who are visually impaired and how to be a sighted guide. (A sighted guide helps a person who is blind or visually impaired maneuver by offering an arm while walking, or telling them where a chair or door is located.) In addition, volunteers will, while blindfolded, walk through the Foundation’s “town square,” have a meal, and even watch videos to increase their awareness of what life is like without sight. According to Stasheff, “A lot of people, once they do it, find it very rewarding. It’s a great learning experience.” She and Kaiser work from their list of available volunteers to determine if someone has a special skill or interest, and then ask students what they might like to do with their free time. “We try to match the volunteer and student,” Stasheff says, so that everyone gets a chance to relax. In one instance, DeVenuto shared a particular interest with a student: They both restored cars, and DeVenuto took out the student and his wife in his '69 restored Camaro. Another time, he and a student who collected model trains visited with someone who had an extensive model railroad layout. Generally, student residence volunteers and students go out individually, although on occasion a whole class will go out to dinner together with several volunteers and trainers. Students are responsible for paying their own way. The best thing, Stasheff says, is that the student residence volunteers “learn people are people,” whether they are sighted or blind or visually impaired. If you live on Long Island and are interested in the student residence program, please contact the Foundation at 631-930-9000 or visit www.GuideDog.org. Photo: Nick DeVenuto is posing in front of the bronze statue of Russ in front of the Foundation’s National Administrative headquarters. FOOD FOR THOUGHT If you feed your pet Iams or Eukanuba, please save the UPC labels and send them to us. In exchange for the labels, Iams sends us coupons to buy food. Your label contributions help us tremendously in defraying the cost of feeding our special dogs. Please mail all UPC labels to Grete Eide, Director of Canine Care, Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, 371 E. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, NY 11787, and ensure that the words “Proof of Purchase” are visible on the label. Spread the word and thanks for all your support! RECOGNITION DAY IS COMING! Saturday, May 31 Smithtown, New York The Guide Dog Foundation honors our supporters & volunteers for their valuable roles in helping us fulfill our mission. Lions Registration – 10 a.m. Recognition Ceremony – 11 a.m. Lunch – noon Volunteers Registration – noon Lunch – 12:30 p.m. Recognition Ceremony – 2 p.m. For more information, please call 631.930.9000. The Guideway® is the official newsletter of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc.® William Krol, editor. It is available in print, on audio, and on our Web site. We welcome letters, articles, or photographs, but reserve the right to refuse any material. The Foundation’s postal address is 371 E. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, NY 11787-2976. Phone: 631.930.9000 or 1.800.548.4337. Web site: www.guidedog.org.