Way OT: school project and guide dogs

[kwitcherkicken99]

I am a student aide for a blind girl and low vision boy. My girl "B" is taking a sociology class and they are doing a project about making it in the real world. They have $400 in savings and a full-time, no benefit, minimum-wage job. Now they have to make it on their own.

Since the teacher has the project set up for sighted kids (those who can drive cars... and the issues that come with them - insurance, breakdowns, gas, etc.) we have been allowed the alternative of her having her guide dog by then. My main problem is that I have no idea what cost is involved in getting a guide dog and what upkeep is required. I was told that there is an initial cost that covers the basics for the dogs: shots, harness, neuter, and a toy or two.

Are there any Disser's that have been through this process and are willing to share what some costs are to help her complete this project and gain valuable information for the future?

TIA!

 

[videogal1]

I am a student aide for a blind girl and low vision boy. My girl "B" is taking a sociology class and they are doing a project about making it in the real world. They have $400 in savings and a full-time, no benefit, minimum-wage job. Now they have to make it on their own.

Since the teacher has the project set up for sighted kids (those who can drive cars... and the issues that come with them - insurance, breakdowns, gas, etc.) we have been allowed the alternative of her having her guide dog by then. My main problem is that I have no idea what cost is involved in getting a guide dog and what upkeep is required. I was told that there is an initial cost that covers the basics for the dogs: shots, harness, neuter, and a toy or two.

Are there any Disser's that have been through this process and are willing to share what some costs are to help her complete this project and gain valuable information for the future?

TIA!

I'm not certain that the Disboards can be read by visual assistance software but I am an attendant for a woman who is blind, works full time and has a service dog. (She cannot "read" the Disboards with her computer software). These are a few suggestions of things to consider:
HUD low-income housing rules for service animals
Special transit public transportation rules for service animals
Determine if the students wish to train their own dog, then figure their own training costs and training issues.
Contact a guide dog school such as The Seeing Eye for trained dog cost info.
Contact Top Dog for costs in owner training.
Ongoing costs:
food, vet, harness, leashes, bowls , backpack, boots, monthly heartworm or flea treatment, refresher training, waste pickup service or cost of hiring aide to help with shopping, grooming, maintenance.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I'm not certain that the Disboards can be read by visual assistance software but I am an attendant for a woman who is blind, works full time and has a service dog. (She cannot "read" the Disboards with her computer software). These are a few suggestions of things to consider:
HUD low-income housing rules for service animals
Special transit public transportation rules for service animals
Determine if the students wish to train their own dog, then figure their own training costs and training issues.
Contact a guide dog school such as The Seeing Eye for trained dog cost info.
Contact Top Dog for costs in owner training.
Ongoing costs:
food, vet, harness, leashes, bowls , backpack, boots, monthly heartworm or flea treatment, refresher training, waste pickup service or cost of hiring aide to help with shopping, grooming, maintenance.

I put in a call to Seeing Eye but they haven't returned my call yet!

I was wondering if screen-reading software could read the Dis, but I thought I'd take a chance!

Thank you so much for helping me get my list started. This is an incredible project for her to work on and the goal is to make it as real as possible.

Thanks for getting back.

 

[Stellapedia]

Costs for the dog aren't much higher than normal dog costs, but I would definitely add pet insurance as a must, owing both to the higher likelihood of injury and the ethical and emotional impossibility of euthanizing a SD for cost. Also high high quality food.
Also, what minimum wage job does she have and what is the likelihood that she can take the dog with her (not legally, practically)? Is she going to be flipping burgers with her poodle beside her? I think that's something that could be considered on a practical level.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

She did an internship through the Indiana School for the Blind doing simple office work for a drug testing facility over the summer. The rate of pay was strikingly similar to what the teacher has given them so we are using that as her pretend job for the project.

What type of dog food are we talking about?? B mentioned specific food, but I wasn't sure what kind to look up.

Again, thank you sooooo much for all of the extremely valuable information.

 

[Stellapedia]

Food, well... you're generally asking a lot from the animal. I feed my dog Evo which is a grain free high protein food. I also Nupro silver supplement, and an electrolyte replacement for when we're really out and pounding.
I take him to the acupuncturist to keep him in line as well. Granted, we do a lot holistically that most people don't do (and certainly isn't necessary). So we end up spending more on him that we really need to. But a really high quality food is absolutely necessary, for ANY animal, but esp for one that is working his soul out every day. It's the difference between us eating fruits and veggies and whole grains versus coke and cheeseburgers for every meal.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

I think we've had blind posters on disAbilities so I'm guessing that at least some screen readers can access it.

I have to admit that I'm wondering why you as the student aid are doing this research and why we aren't hearing from the student whose project it is?

I believe initial cost for the dog varies by what organization you use. There are even one or two who will provide the dog for free. (I don't know as much about guide dogs as I do service dogs)

Definitely high quality food is an important cost. Also think about things like toys for the dog's down time. I'd say at least an annual vet visit (if not more often) and probably an occasional grooming visit for any grooming type needs that B wouldn't be able to take care of on her own (I"m not sure, for example, how she is at clipping nails).

I have to say, though, that as much as it might seem like the others are going to have higher costs because of things like cars, I suspect even without the dog, B will discover that she has to cut back more on some things that other people can do much more cheaply.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I have to admit that I'm wondering why you as the student aid are doing this research and why we aren't hearing from the student whose project it is?
Basically the reason why I'm posting this is because I'm helping the teacher form adaptations to the project to make it apply to her. This is my third year working with B (and I know her best) and I don't think it's fair for her to do the project the way it was assigned if it's supposed to simulate real life. Most of her teachers know that adaptations need to be made, but have no idea what to do. Myself and the rest of my department work our butts off to make the changes needed to keep things interesting for her.

She's third in her senior class and I've got a lot of free time on my hands this year as I no longer attend class with her, just stay in our workroom and prepare her assignments and be available to transcribe homework assignments to turn in to her teachers (mainly math and science).

There was a part of the assignment where the kids encountered car insurance and an unexpected car break down expense. She is not to get the parts of the project until the day they are assigned, so most of this research was done without her knowledge. I could have asked her about it since her sister has a dog, but she would have known about what was to come with the assignment and that's not fair to the other students. She needed to incur unexpected expenses that was close to what the other kids had and using a guide dog was the closest thing I could think of to keep it fair.

 

[Stellapedia]

Unexpected breakdowns can/should be tied to unexpected vet costs... broken leg, bloat, ingestion... All of these can easily outstrip a car repair!

 

[Swmr359]

I put in a call to Seeing Eye but they haven't returned my call yet!
QUOTE]

Leader Dog is another school you can try calling. My family had a retired leader dog; which is also something to consider for the project. Our dog was retired early for being too protective, so her lady had to get a new dog.

 

[Turk82]

I have a guide dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind. They work very hard to not keep a dog from being accessible to someone for cost reasons. I know they answer the phone when you call and are happy to answer questions. I live in NY state and I know for a fact some of the concerns mentioned above are not concerns at all...(i.e. no special transportation requirements just because you are using a GD, a job cannot require that you cannot bring/use your GD, housing CANNOT turn you down because of a GD -I do know this from personal experience, and it would be a major lawsuit that ANY GD school would be happy to take on). My school did not charge for my dog and even covered my transportation (flying out to CA) to get her and 4 weeks of dorm-like accomodations and meal while we were in school. They also have a vet care program that covers my vet expenses almost completely. As far as the food goes my school pretty much requires that the dogs eat Science Diet lamb and rice formula (for cost analysis...my dog eats three cups a day). NY provides me with a $35 monthly allowance to help cover the costs of the food. I have a couple of friends that are willing to trim her nails for me, but the vet will also do it for $5 (I try to get them clipped about every 6 weeks). I honestly don't think a GD compares much to a car!!!! Because it is more like a cane, wheelchair, or crutches - for help walking, not transporting. Transportation can still be expensive if you have to pay friends, taxis, or figure out something if you do not live close enough to a bus line (or in my case, on just the wrong side of the county line!). Toys are not expensive ($5-$12) and she only needs a couple....attention is much more important than the toys!
BTW Dis is very hard to use with a screen reader, but (at least with mine) it is not impossible, I had one of the tech geeks at the association for the blind teach me how. In relation to the list of on-going cost listed above (copied for easy reference)
Ongoing costs:
food, vet, harness, leashes, bowls , backpack, boots, monthly heartworm or flea treatment, refresher training, waste pickup service or cost of hiring aide to help with shopping, grooming, maintenance.

My dogs harness and boots were provided by my school (and I think this is standard for GDs), the food and vet I mentioned above, I have bought a leash ($12), bowls (at the dollar store), she's not allowed to wear a backpack (her job is different that other SDs, and I can carry a backpack), her medicines are covered by my school, my school also sends out a trainer every year (no cost to me) to make sure we are doing well, and I can pick up after and groom my own dog.
I am not trying to discredit what anyone else has said, just share my experience as a GD user...JoJo is amazing and we have travelled quite a bit (2 trips to WDW and a Disney cruise to the Western Caribbean). She has not been a major expense to me, for which I am extremely thankful....I do imagine though that your student will need help with budgeting other things like a reader (for mail, etc), and possibly someone to help with housework (esp. some laundry details), and other issues depending on her personal abilities and strengths. Anyway, just some thoughts!

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I have a guide dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind...

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! All of this is wonderful information!

I'll be sure to list your thoughts out as I'd rather use your insight versus my guessing. I've been working with B for the last 2 1/2 years and it has been wonderful, but I deal merely with the translating of paperwork, not necessarily in the life skills area.

Next year is going to be an amazing and crazy experience and I can't wait to go through it with her.

Thanks again for everything!

 

[SueM in MN]

I am going to move this to the disABILITIES Community Board, where it will be on topic. The link will stay on the disABILITIES Board for about a week before it disappears.

I think there are probably as many experiences as there are SD training organizations. SDs for people who are blind have been around much longer than SDs for other reasons, so there may be more resources/organization set up.
The ADA does address SDs as an aide to a person with a disability; the safeguards to access that Turk82 wrote about are part of the ADA.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I may be the lone voice of dissent, but I would probably have this young woman do the assignment the "regular" way.

I wouldn't want my daughter, 3rd in her high school class, to be learning how to live on minimum wage, or imagining what it would be like if she returned to a high school student's summer job for full time. I'd want her imagining herself as the college graduate she's capable of being, working at a fulfilling career. I wouldn't want school telling her that "the real world" means you didn't plan right, you have no savings, no decent job etc . . . I think that's an incredibly depressing message for kids, and the kind of message that leads to kids living down to expectations.

Given that, I'd rather say to her "this is sociology class, in sociology class we study how all different kinds of people live and interact in society. For this assignment you're going to learn about the lives of the working poor. I'd like you to imagine what it would be like to live that kind of life, and to develop a sense of the very real challenges that those who are working poor face." I wouldn't adjust the assignment for her because, to me, that carries the message that she's planning for and role playing her own future, and I would want to set the expectation of a different future.

Now, if you wanted to assign each student an imaginary character who faces unique challenges -- e.g. a blind person with different transportation costs; someone who works in a seasonal industry with lots of overtime and then lean times with almost no work; a single mother who has some child support, but also daycare bills etc . . . But I wouldn't match her with the imaginary blind person unless everyone got to choose and that's what she chose.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I may be the lone voice of dissent, but I would probably have this young woman do the assignment the "regular" way.

I wouldn't want my daughter, 3rd in her high school class, to be learning how to live on minimum wage, or imagining what it would be like if she returned to a high school student's summer job for full time. I'd want her imagining herself as the college graduate she's capable of being, working at a fulfilling career. I wouldn't want school telling her that "the real world" means you didn't plan right, you have no savings, no decent job etc . . . I think that's an incredibly depressing message for kids, and the kind of message that leads to kids living down to expectations.

Given that, I'd rather say to her "this is sociology class, in sociology class we study how all different kinds of people live and interact in society. For this assignment you're going to learn about the lives of the working poor. I'd like you to imagine what it would be like to live that kind of life, and to develop a sense of the very real challenges that those who are working poor face." I wouldn't adjust the assignment for her because, to me, that carries the message that she's planning for and role playing her own future, and I would want to set the expectation of a different future.

Now, if you wanted to assign each student an imaginary character who faces unique challenges -- e.g. a blind person with different transportation costs; someone who works in a seasonal industry with lots of overtime and then lean times with almost no work; a single mother who has some child support, but also daycare bills etc . . . But I wouldn't match her with the imaginary blind person unless everyone got to choose and that's what she chose.

It was the teacher's idea to do this as our school is over 60% poverty level and for most of the kids at the school, that will be there real life. The teacher was trying to show most of these kids who have never been taught the responsibility of managing a bank account, making and sticking to a budget, etc. that they can do it.

Her aim was to show the kids that it is possible to make it if they make wise decisions and a 6 month simulation isn't going to make a kid decide that is the road to take, especially my girl. She's hard driven to succeed and the changes made in the project made it interesting for her. If it had not been modified, she would have purely gone through the motions and part of our school's motto is keeping kids active and engaged. There would have been no reason for her to do it the regular way if she wasn't engaged in the project. What's wrong with having a little fun with education as long as the underlying lesson is there?