Wisconsin could get a guide-dog school for teens
greenbaypressgazette.com
April 25, 2008
Guide-dog center for teens planned at NWTC
By MIKE HOEFT
mhoeft@greenbaypressgazette.com
Organizers announced plans Friday to open a guide-dog
training center at Northeastern Wisconsin Technical
College in what they say would be the first such
facility serving blind teens.
The center would be operated by the Marinette-based
Vision Companions for Teens Foundation, in partnership
with NWTC, Advance Business Assistance Center
and Lions Club.
Colleen Haberl, the foundation president, said the
need for a center became apparent after she and her
husband, Werner, struggled to find a guide dog for
their visually impaired son.
“We started looking when he was 6 and were told to
call back when he was 17,” Haberl said. They finally
found a dog for him at age 13 in Quebec, Canada.
The 14 existing U.S. guide-dog schools generally serve
blind adults, though some place dogs with those as
young as 16. The two closest schools in the Midwest
are in Michigan and Ohio.
“We knew we had to do something,” she said.
Haberl said the facility would cost $720,000 a year to
operate. She hopes to raise $2.35 million by Jan. 1,
2009 to start the program and place at least
18 guide dogs per year in 2010. Organizers hope to
raise a $13.6 million endowment by 2011. It costs
$35,000 to $40,000 to train and place each guide dog.
The foundation’s plans to build a training center in
Peshtigo fell through last year. The Green Bay area
provides a greater opportunity to find institutional,
educational and commercial facilities, organizers
said.
Fred Krumberger of Ashwaubenon, who serves on the
foundation’s steering committee, said placing guide
dogs with young people as early as possible gives
them a head start. Guide dogs can give youths more
mobility, independence and confidence.
Krumberger said enabling blind people to be successful
involves three tools: guide dogs, Braille education
and adaptive technology.
About 1.3 million Americans are legally blind, of
which 55,200 are school-aged children and adolescents,
according to the American Federation for the Blind.
About 68 percent of working-age blind adults are
unemployed. However, the 65 percent of blind
working-age adults who have guide dogs work outside
the home
five or more days a week.
OK, the wording of that last "American Federation for the Blind" statistic about employed guide-dog users confused me at first. But I suppose that's a side issue. What do you all think of this? And what about OccuPaws? I don't know much about that other Wisconsin school either.
I'm skeptical of training younger kids with guide dogs, though I know this is more common with other types of service dogs. The current training models for guide-dog training wouldn't be appropriate for younger children. And I'm pretty sure that most teens would not have been able to handle Yani, who at first had an alarming propensity to poop in harness. And something about the idea of dogs in junior high bothers me. Having a guide dog really does modify your social interactions. This is often portrayed as a positive thing, but I'm not so sure it's best for younger kids. I'm more than willing to hear from those who disagree. Thoughts?
April 25, 2008
Guide-dog center for teens planned at NWTC
By MIKE HOEFT
mhoeft@greenbaypressgazette.com
Organizers announced plans Friday to open a guide-dog
training center at Northeastern Wisconsin Technical
College in what they say would be the first such
facility serving blind teens.
The center would be operated by the Marinette-based
Vision Companions for Teens Foundation, in partnership
with NWTC, Advance Business Assistance Center
and Lions Club.
Colleen Haberl, the foundation president, said the
need for a center became apparent after she and her
husband, Werner, struggled to find a guide dog for
their visually impaired son.
“We started looking when he was 6 and were told to
call back when he was 17,” Haberl said. They finally
found a dog for him at age 13 in Quebec, Canada.
The 14 existing U.S. guide-dog schools generally serve
blind adults, though some place dogs with those as
young as 16. The two closest schools in the Midwest
are in Michigan and Ohio.
“We knew we had to do something,” she said.
Haberl said the facility would cost $720,000 a year to
operate. She hopes to raise $2.35 million by Jan. 1,
2009 to start the program and place at least
18 guide dogs per year in 2010. Organizers hope to
raise a $13.6 million endowment by 2011. It costs
$35,000 to $40,000 to train and place each guide dog.
The foundation’s plans to build a training center in
Peshtigo fell through last year. The Green Bay area
provides a greater opportunity to find institutional,
educational and commercial facilities, organizers
said.
Fred Krumberger of Ashwaubenon, who serves on the
foundation’s steering committee, said placing guide
dogs with young people as early as possible gives
them a head start. Guide dogs can give youths more
mobility, independence and confidence.
Krumberger said enabling blind people to be successful
involves three tools: guide dogs, Braille education
and adaptive technology.
About 1.3 million Americans are legally blind, of
which 55,200 are school-aged children and adolescents,
according to the American Federation for the Blind.
About 68 percent of working-age blind adults are
unemployed. However, the 65 percent of blind
working-age adults who have guide dogs work outside
the home
five or more days a week.
OK, the wording of that last "American Federation for the Blind" statistic about employed guide-dog users confused me at first. But I suppose that's a side issue. What do you all think of this? And what about OccuPaws? I don't know much about that other Wisconsin school either.
I'm skeptical of training younger kids with guide dogs, though I know this is more common with other types of service dogs. The current training models for guide-dog training wouldn't be appropriate for younger children. And I'm pretty sure that most teens would not have been able to handle Yani, who at first had an alarming propensity to poop in harness. And something about the idea of dogs in junior high bothers me. Having a guide dog really does modify your social interactions. This is often portrayed as a positive thing, but I'm not so sure it's best for younger kids. I'm more than willing to hear from those who disagree. Thoughts?