Min & Deedy

Born in Korea, Min Naples has been legally blind since birth due to optical nerve damage. Because she was the only one in the family who was visually impaired, her birth family in Korea made the difficult decision to put her up for adoption. They knew she would have the opportunity for a better life in the United States. 

Naples lived in a Korean orphanage until she was 8 years old, when she was adopted by a family from Mansfield, Ohio. “I realize that this seems like a diffi¬cult beginning, but I actually had a pretty normal life,” she says. 

Once she was settled in her new home, she began attending school, where an IEP (individual education program) was developed to help her fulfill the state’s educational requirements. (IEPs address what accommodations and adaptations a child with special needs may require to succeed in their studies.) “It was a struggle,” Naples admits, depending on the teacher she had and their experience with special needs children. 

Naples did not really take advan¬tage of the services Ohio offers for individuals who are blind or have low vision. “They were thinking about giving me white cane training, and they started,” she says, “but I wasn’t going anywhere alone. And maybe that’s a vicious circle: you aren’t going anywhere alone so you don’t learn white cane training and you don’t learn white cane train¬ing because you don’t go anywhere alone.” 

Not only was Naples the only South Korean in her graduating class, she also found the lack of diversity challenging when it came to her vision impairment. “The teenage years are always hard when you are born with blindness or are dealing with vision loss,” she says. “I tried to blend in as much as possible.”

Becoming independent 
“Even when I moved away from home, my family has always been there for me, encouraging me to be inde¬pendent,” Naples says. 

Because she maintained a good degree of vision, Naples was able to maneuver without much orientation and mobility training. “I went to a small college, and everything you need is within that little bubble; everything is walkable.” She majored in elementary education and worked as a preschool teacher for about five years after graduation. 




After her stint as a teacher, Naples explored other career options. She worked as a customer service representative and project program coordinator before moving to the Cleveland Clinic, first as a patient services specialist and then administrative coordinator. When an opportunity arose to join University Hospitals, Naples took it. She currently works as an executive assistant to the chief nursing officer. 

“I’ve gotten very lucky with my career moves,” she says. “I think the scariest part for anybody – even with¬out a disability – is having the confidence to change careers.” Thanks to assistive technology, “I can do as much or better than anyone,” she adds. “And I have a very good network.” 

Naples is planning to continue her education and get her master’s degree in healthcare administration. 

Life with a guide dog 
When Naples moved closer to Cleveland, she wanted to explore the city more both by foot and using public transportation. “I realized, especially in early mornings and evenings when I would be commuting, that I felt the need for more security,” she says. “I didn’t walk with a white cane previously and I am very mobile, but I wanted an identifier and something that would help me continue my independence. A white cane helps you correct but a guide dog helps you be intuitive.” 

At a Foundation Fighting Blindness conference, Naples met a representative from the Guide Dog Foundation and began her journey to the guide dog lifestyle. “I was really impressed with [the representative’s level of caring and support, the training, and the application process. And so I applied,” she says. She liked that the Guide Dog Foundation offered a two-week training class and didn’t require white cane travel. 

As part of the application process, potential guide dog handlers undergo an in-person interview and are evaluated to determine their ability to travel safely and independently in their environment. 

Naples’s application was accepted, and she was invited to join the April 2024 guide dog class at the Foundation’s campus in Smithtown. “My family was supportive about my new guide dog.” 

In addition to her family, so was her boss. “She was excited about me getting a guide, so when I found out [about going to class], they held a party for me and everybody bought me gifts.” 

When they arrive, students are orientated to the building and grounds and go on “Juno” walks (where an instructor acts the role of a guide dog to confirm a student’s pace). On the second day of class, they meet their new guide dogs during what is called “Dog Day.” 

“Dog Day was my favorite day!” Naples says. “Deedy [her new guide dog] was so happy to meet me and our bond was instant.” She also felt well matched with her instructor, Lauren Cobb. “I really enjoyed working with Lauren." She did a great job, Naples adds, in answering all her questions, including “the things you wouldn’t ask because you’ve never been here before.” 

Naples was confident when she returned home with her new guide dog. “It wasn’t, ‘Oh, what am I going to do next?’” Before going back to work, she spent time acclimating Deedy to her neighborhood and practicing the bus routes they would take. 
Although she had some trepidation having Deedy at the office, her concerns proved unfounded. Deedy settled into the space Naples had created for her. “She’s so well trained that she’s used to this. I say she can turn it off and on. She can play, but when it’s time for a command, she’ll be on again. I get comments all the time about how I got the perfect dog for me.”
 
Her guide dog, Naples says, has impacted her life in the best way possible. “Deedy and I walk about 10,000 steps a day; she just keeps on going. She’s like me in that she loves to be around people, but also really loves to chill out at home too. She gets excited, but she stays cool under pressure, and she is such a hard worker.” 

Deedy has “given me so much independence and confidence I get to take my best friend everywhere with me.”