Author: Webmaster

Deanna Noriega, First Vice President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

GDUI: https://www.guidedogusersinc.org/

Call us, toll-free, at 866.799.8436

Like, visit us, and join our Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc

Enjoy the GDUI Juno Report on ACB Radio Mainstream, at8:00 p.m., EDT, every Friday of every month, here: http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream.

Download or subscribe to the GDUI Juno Report pod cast here: http://acbradio.org/gdr.xml

Or search for the GDUI Juno Report on ITunes or ACBLink. .

Support GDUI when you use this link to shop at Amazon.com: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119.

SUPPORT GUIDE DOG USERS, INC GROUP #999969764 when you purchase candles and other decorative items from the Yankee Candle Store here: https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm.

To join the GDUI-Announce List, visit this link: http://www.acblists.org/mailman/listinfo/gdui-announce

To subscribe to the GDUI Chat list, visit this link: gduichatlist-subscribe@guidedogusersinc.org

To subscribe to the (members only) GDUI Business list, visit this link:

Drop Box: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d6s7em3yhwm6ppp/Recording%20of%20the%20March%2017%2C%202018%20GDUI%20Board%20Meeting.mp3?dl=0

A recording of each GDUI announcement is available here: 712.432.1281. Enter the Access Code 488062 followed by the number sign. When prompted, enter the Reference Code, No. 1. The recording will remain available until it is replaced by a recording of the next GDUI Announcement. Please share this information with friends who may not have access to the internet. Thank you. We look forward to sharing information with all of our GDUI members and friends.

GDUI Announcement, March 21, 2018

Dear GDUI Members and Friends,

Welcome spring! Well, at least that’s what the calendar says … Here in the Washington, DC area, but here and further north, all the way to the top of the country on the Atlantic Coast, we have lots and lots and lots of snow! It is soft, billowy snow – the kind we hardly saw all winter long! And, Willow is enjoying every snowy morsel and flake!

Take heart, if you’ve had more than your fill of the white stuff, the flakes and drifts will soon be replaced by cherry blossoms and tulips, And, you’ll soon be enjoying the asparagus and rhubarb that are the herald of springtime deliciousness!

Back to business – If you missed last Saturday’s board meeting, Recordings of the March 17 GDUI Board Meeting are now available. There are three access options. The recording is 2 hours and 3 minutes in length.

Send Space: https://www.sendspace.com/file/gz7hxt

Recording play back number:

712-432-1085

Access code:

919245 followed by the Pound key

Welcome to our new Guide Dog Schools Liaison, Lina Coral. At Saturday’s board meeting, members unanimously confirmed Lina Coral as our new Guide Dog Schools Liaison, and Lina is already busy helping Andrea plan for the GDUI convention and beginning the process of updating our guide dog schools surveys. Here’s a brief biography that Lina shared with us so we can all get to know her better:

I am currently working my first guide, Quest, A long-haired female German shepherd from Fidelco. She is a big playful sweetheart, and she will be turning six in May. We have been a team for three and a half years. I got Quest the summer before my sophomore year of college, so she was with me for most of my undergraduate career. We recently graduated last year, and are currently doing an internship at the Lowell Association for the blind here in Massachusetts. I am also in the process of applying to grad school, and I’m hoping to start in the fall, but I am also applying for jobs. I am hoping to do master’s in mental health counseling in the Boston area.

In my free time, I love reading or listening to books, spending time with my family, and of course, playing fetch with Quest. I’m super excited to be the guide dog schools liaison, and I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone!

Welcome, Lina, and thanks for volunteering to become even busier than you already were!

We Need Your Photos! To be a little more specific, we need photos of your working guides! And, we need them soon!

If you have adorable photos of your guide dogs (either current guides or former guides, and you can attach them to an e-mail message, Deanna Noriega, who is finishing up the final edits on our revised and updated “Making Impressions” publication would love to have them!

I read “Making Impressions” in late 1999, when I was making up my mind about whether or not a guide dog would be the right mobility choice for me – and my family! Thank goodness for all that great information and advice in that book (which, incidentally, was one of the first books I ever read cover-to-cover in braille)! Choosing to partner with a guide dog was one of the best decisions I ever made – about my life and about coping with my blindness! The time has come to update the information contained in “Making Impressions,” and we are very appreciative that Deanna and our Publications Committee have chosen to revise and update the book. We hope to make it available for purchase later this year.

The final step in the editorial process involves adding some visual interest to the text, and that’s where you come in! Please share your photos of your guide dogs (You can be in those photos as well!) with Deanna by the end of the day on March 26! Deanna hopes to have the finished manuscript in the publisher’s hands by the end of the month.

Send your photos to either of these e-mail addresses:

mailto:vp1@guidedogusersinc.org

mailto:quieth2o@charter.net

Thank you!

Still looking for financial help for attending ACB’s and GDUI’s summer conventions, which will take place in St. Louis, MO, between June 30 and July 6? If you’re too young to apply for the Alliance on Aging and Vision Loss (AAVL) stipends [See the GDUI Announcement from March 15, 2018], there are two other opportunities to be chosen to receive financial assistance.

If you’re a first-timer, i.e., you have never before attended an ACB convention, you can apply to win one of two DKM First-Timers’ awards. Visit this link for more information: http://acb.org/content/climb-aboard-2018-dkm-express

Or, even if you’ve attended ACB conventions in the past, you can apply for one of five JP Morgan Chase Leadership Awards. For the third consecutive year, JP Morgan Chase will provide full access to the ACB Conference and Convention for 5 ACB members who have demonstrated leadership abilities. Get connected with previous classes of Leadership Fellows who have had the experience of a lifetime, while meeting other members and active leaders from around the country. By attending the 57th annual ACB Conference and Convention in Saint Louis, Missouri, as a Leadership Fellow you will be introduced to tools for success through participation in informative workshops, seminars and leadership development sessions that are sure to prepare you to serve well in future leadership roles within ACB, your local chapter, and your state or special interest affiliate. Interested?

Read more by visiting http://acb.org/apply-2018-leadership-fellows

Applications for both these awards are due on April 3! There’s still time. We hope you’ll apply, and GDUI’s leadership is ready and eager to help with letters of support and recommendation.

RideShare Refusals? They’re still happening, despite settlement agreements reached with both companies requiring them to take their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act – and our civil rights – seriously! The best way to respond? Complain! Take the time to file a formal complaint, using these links:

Click the link below to register an Uber or Lyft rideShare complaint with entities charged with enforcing the settlement agreements: https://nfb.org/rideshare-test

Complaint to the companies as well

Uber:

Report an Issue with Uber related to Service Dog denials:

https://help.uber.com/h/f838d975-8076-43f5-8ccf-a368cc507f55

LYFT:

To report a problem, call the Service Animal Hotline at

1-844-250-3174

Or, go to the link below and submit a form from the web:

https://help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013080048-Service-animal-policy#report

Are you a writer, or do you know a blind or visually impaired student with writing talent? Here’s a chance to improve your finances while showing off your writing skills! Enter the American Printing House for the Blind’s Writing Contest!

In celebration of their 160^th anniversary, the American Printing House is conducting a writing contest for: Students with a visual impairment who are enrolled in grades 3-12 for the 2017-2018 school year, Adults with visual impairments who use APH products

Professionals who work in the field as vision (teachers, rehabilitation counselors and others)

Current and former employees of the American Printing House for the Blind are not eligible to enter this contest.

Cash prizes will be awarded in each Grade level and adult category:

First Place — $500

Second Place — $250

Third Place — $100

The categories, official topics and maximum word count are listed below:

Grades 3-5 (Maximum 250 words)

Official Topic: The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) provides specialized tools and materials for people who are blind and visually impaired to learn and to live independently. Write a letter to APH telling us about either your favorite APH product: how you use it, and why you love it, or

A product you would like to invent for APH: what the product would be called; how it would be used; and who would benefit from it.

Grades 6-8 (Maximum 500 words)

Official Topic: Louis Braille, a Frenchman, invented the braille code of tactile reading and writing in 1821. He died in 1852 – six years before APH was founded in 1858. Write a letter to Louis and tell him either how Braille changed the lives of people who are blind, or how APH has changed the lives of people with vision loss since it was founded in 1858.

Grades 9-12 (Maximum 750 words)

Official Topic: Think about the career or vocation you would like to pursue as an adult. Write an essay about how your strengths and interests will help you in this work. What person (or people) has empowered you to succeed? What APH product(s) has best prepared you for work in this area, and what product(s) will you use to become successful in this career or vocation?

Adult Consumers (Maximum 1,000 words)

Official Topic: APH has celebrated many milestones since it was founded in 1858. For example: in 1883 a new building was constructed; in 1932, Standard English Braille became the only tactile reading and writing system produced by APH; in 1974, cassette tapes were introduced in the Talking Book program; and in 2003, Book Port was offered for sale. Write an essay about significant milestones in your life. What factors helped you to accomplish remarkable things and to overcome challenges? What APH product(s) have empowered you along the way?

Professionals (Maximum 1,000 words)

Official Topic: Write an essay about the most creative, unique way you have used an APH product (or products). What is the product and what did it help you (or a student or adult you worked with) accomplish?

You can obtain an entry form and detailed information about this contest at http://www.aph.org/contest/160th-anniversary-essay/

Urgent! Please Contact Your Senators and Ask them to Protect the ADA!

Remember that obnoxious bill that the U. S. House of Representatives voted on — and unfortunately passed — a few weeks ago? The bill that would allow businesses and public entities to claim ignorance of their responsibilities to make their venues AND SERVICES accessible to people with disabilities and give them as long as 18 months to respond to a complaint from a person with a disability? Well, it’s back … — or nearly so! Imagine, after nearly thirty years, businesses are still claiming ignorance of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which became the law of the land in 1990 — and resisting the law’s requirements to make their venues accessible to people with disabilities!

Here’s how you can help!

You can call your Senators to ask them to join Senator Tammy Duckworth’s letter to Senate leadership opposing H.R.620, ADA Education and Reform Act and tell them they should not bring forward H.R. 620 or any similar bill to the Senate floor.

Read the Senator’s letter here: http://www.afb.org/community/announcements/call-senators-today-to-sign-a-letter-opposing-hr-620/12

To date, 39 Senators have signed-on to this letter. Our goal is to reach 41 Senators or greater to make cloture on a Senate bill impossible, thus stopping any effort to weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the Senate before it begins.

H.R. 620, which passed in the House of Representatives last month, would make it harder for people with disabilities to report access barriers in places of public accommodation and would allow business owners and public entities to delay making their businesses and services accessible.

We cannot allow Congress to chip away at the Americans with Disabilities Act and roll back our rights!

Please take a moment to contact your Senators and ask them to sign-on to the “Duckworth ADA letter protecting the rights of people with disabilities.” Some offices have said they will not sign the letter — if that is their response; please ask them to send their own letter that they will release to the public, opposing any bill that will weaken the ADA.

Our top focus is on the Senators below:

New Mexico:

Sen. Tom Udall

(202) 224-6621

Sen. Martin Heinrich

(202) 224-5521

Michigan:

Sen. Gary Peters

(202) 224-6221

North Dakota:

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp

(202) 224-2043

It is also important to contact the Senators below:

West Virginia:

Sen. Joe Manchin

(202) 224-2742

Florida:

Sen. Bill Nelson

(202) 224-5274

Indiana:

Sen. Joe Donnelly

(202) 224-4814

Maine:

Sen. Angus King

(202) 224-5344

You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at

202.224.3121

202.224.3091 (TTY)

and ask to be connected to your Senators.

Contacting Congress https://www.contactingcongress.org/

also provides information on how to reach your Senators by email or social media.

The GDUI Announce List

Please share information about this GDUI-Announce list with colleagues and friends who are members of our guide dogs community and support our goals and organization. The ‘Announce List is a one-way list, we try to make it an effective means of learning about our activities, mission and goals. Announcements are distributed, on average, once or twice each month, and we hope that you’ll spread the word about our list and the issues that are important to all of us. Subscribe to the GDUI-Announce e-mail list here: http://www.acblists.org/mailman/listinfo/gdui-announce Announcements are also shared on the GDUI web site and on Facebook, as well as via telephonic recording.

Just a few more days to participate in spectacular fund-raising opportunities for GDUI during March! Triple Donations for GDUI through March 31! When you shop at: Smile.Amazon.com, your first SMILE purchase which designates GDUI as your recipient of choice will earn triple SMILE benefits! Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119 and Amazon will donate triple the usual percentage to Guide Dog Users Inc.

And, if you’re thinking about sprucing up your home for spring, Yankee Candles has a special fund-raiser going on as well! SUPPORT GUIDE DOG USERS, INC GROUP #999969764 when you purchase candles and other decorative items from the Yankee Candle Store here: https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm.

Thank you for helping to raise the funds that make GDUI’s advocacy, education, and empathetic support for guide dog users possible!

Whether you are roaming through the snow drifts or gathering daffodils, we wish you a happy spring, and we thank you for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,

Penny Reeder, President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

Deanna Noriega, First Vice President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

GDUI: https://www.guidedogusersinc.org/

Call us, toll-free, at 866.799.8436

Like, visit us, and join our Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc

Enjoy the GDUI Juno Report on ACB Radio Mainstream, at8:00 p.m., EDT, every Friday of every month, here: http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream.

Download or subscribe to the GDUI Juno Report pod cast here: http://acbradio.org/gdr.xml

Or search for the GDUI Juno Report on ITunes or ACBLink. .

Support GDUI when you use this link to shop at Amazon.com: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119.

SUPPORT GUIDE DOG USERS, INC GROUP #999969764 when you purchase candles and other decorative items from the Yankee Candle Store here: https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm.

To join the GDUI-Announce List, visit this link: http://www.acblists.org/mailman/listinfo/gdui-announce

To subscribe to the GDUI Chat list, visit this link: gduichatlist-subscribe@guidedogusersinc.org

To subscribe to the (members only) GDUI Business list, visit this link:

Drop Box: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dbl5cvigp6gcc29/September%2023%2C%202017%20GDUI%20Board%20Meeting%20Recording%20.mp3?dl=0

Responsibilities of GDUI Officers and Board Members

The GDUI President must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary and ethical responsibilities for an organizational president, in accordance with standard nonprofit practices and procedures.

The GDUI President must be a GDUI member in good standing.

The GDUI President must be a guide dog user.

The GDUI President shall:

Preside over all meetings; Appoint a Vice President to preside over any meeting for which the president’s absence is unavoidable; Propose policies and practices to fulfill the mission of GDUI; Serve as an ex-officio member of GDUI committees (with the exception of the Nominating Committee) in compliance with the GDUI Bylaws); Monitor the performance of Directors and Officers; Submit various reports to the board and to other “stakeholders” as necessary; Propose the creation of committees or task forces to accomplish needed work; appoint chairpersons for committees and task forces; perform other duties as the need arises and/or as defined in the GDUI Bylaws.

The GDUI President shall not be absent from three board meetings in any year.

In the event that serious circumstances make it impossible for the President to attend any meeting of the GDUI Board, the president must inform the First Vice President, in advance, and must arrange for either the First or Second Vice-President to take on presidential duties for that meeting.

The President ensures that an agenda is planned in advance for board meetings.
(This may involve periodic meetings with committee chairpersons to draft meeting agendas and reporting schedules.)

The President presides over meetings of the Board of Directors. In this capacity, the President: Chairs meetings according to accepted rules of order for the purposes of encouraging all members to participate in discussion; Facilitates the board’s work of arriving at decisions in an orderly, timely and democratic manner; Votes as prescribed in the GDUI Bylaws.

The President is responsible for ensuring, on behalf of the membership, that the Board of Directors and officers of GDUI: Are aware of and fulfill their governance responsibilities, including

Comply with applicable laws and bylaws;
Conduct board business effectively and efficiently in accordance with standard nonprofit policies and procedures;
Are accountable for their performance.

The President is accountable to the Board of Directors or Members as specified in the GDUI Bylaws. The President may delegate specific duties to Board members and/or committees, and to the office manager and the webmaster, as appropriate; however, the accountability remains with the President. For this reason, the president may take appropriate action to safeguard the interests of GDUI.

According to the GDUI Bylaws, the president’s involvement in the proceedings of the Nominating Committee is specifically limited; therefore, the President’s accountability, in the specific case of the recommendations or actions of the nominating committee, is accordingly limited.

The President serves as an ex-officio member of all board committees (with the exception of the Nominating Committee). In this capacity, the President’s role is to:

Negotiate reporting schedules;

Identify problems and assist the committee chairperson to resolve them,

Bring such matters, if necessary, to the attention of the Board of Directors.

The President ensures that GDUI maintains positive and productive relationships with organizations related to the mission of GDUI, media and donors.

In this capacity, the President serves as primary spokesperson for GDUI, and Duties may include:

Representing GDUI to the media;

Representing GDUI on governmental or nongovernmental organizations and committees;

Providing timely and appropriate reporting of Board decisions and actions to members and/or donors.

The President is normally designated by the Board of Directors and/or bylaws as one of the signing officers for certain documents. In this capacity, the President may be authorized or required to sign or countersign bank checks, correspondence, applications, reports, contracts or other documents on behalf of GDUI.

The President ensures that structures and procedures are in place for effective recruitment, training, and evaluation of GDUI board members.

The President ensures that structures and procedures are in place for securing the resources required by GDUI.

The GDUI President is the primary liaison between the Board and all GDUI staff. In this capacity, the President:

Meets periodically with these individuals, no less than once a quarter;

Ensures that annual performance reviews of these staff members are conducted;

Participates in the hiring and evaluation of all staffers (presently the webmaster.

Responsibilities and criteria for GDUI First Vice President position

The GDUI First Vice President is required to be willing and qualified to take over as President if necessary, in accordance with the GDUI Bylaws.

Important: Please refer to “Responsibilities and Criteria for GDUI President Position” for specific details.

The first vice president must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary and ethical responsibilities of an organizational vice president, and of President, in accordance with standard nonprofit practices and procedures.

The First Vice President is expected to attend all board meetings, and to preside over any board meeting for the president, if necessary.

The First Vice President shall inform the President, in advance, if unable to attend a particular board meeting.

The First Vice President may not miss more than three board meetings per year.

The First Vice President must be a member in good standing of GDUI.

The First Vice President must be a guide dog user.

Responsibilities and criteria for GDUI Second Vice President position

The second vice president must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary and ethical responsibilities of an organizational vice president, in accordance with standard nonprofit practices and procedures.

The Second Vice President must be willing and able to take on the role and duties of First Vice President as prescribed by the GDUI Bylaws.

*Important: Please refer to “Responsibilities and Criteria for GDUI First Vice President Position” for specific details.

The Second Vice President Must Be a GDUI-member in good standing.

The Second Vice President must be a guide dog user.

The Second Vice President is expected to attend all board meetings and must be willing and able to run regularly scheduled Board meetings, if called upon by the President to do so (in the event that the President or First Vice President cannot be in attendance).

The Second Vice President shall inform the President, in advance, if unable to attend a particular board meeting.

The Second Vice President may not miss more than three board meetings per year.

Responsibilities and criteria for GDUI Secretary Position

The GDUI Secretary must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary and ethical responsibilities of an organizational secretary, in accordance with standard nonprofit practices and procedures.

The Secretary must:

Record (in document-form) meeting minutes for business meetings of the GDUI Board of Directors,

Arrange for the audio-recording of meetings if it is the secretary’s desire to take minutes from an audio-recording,

Possess thorough and quick note-taking skills in case an audio-recording of a meeting fails,

Have the ability to use notes, memory, and/or recordings to reproduce accurate accounts of meetings for minutes,

Use writing skills and discretion to summarize (or write in detail when appropriate) to create informative meeting minutes,

Submit drafts of meeting minutes in time frames which allow other board members to submit suggestions/corrections before a final draft is submitted for approval/acceptance at the subsequent board meeting,

Send minutes and attachments to the Web Master for posting to the GDUI Web Site,

Assist GDUI by researching and reproducing content from previous minutes as is practical.

The secretary is expected to attend all board meetings.

If the Secretary is unable to attend a board meeting, after informing the President, the Secretary will arrange for a competent recorder for the meeting which the Secretary will miss.

The Secretary may not miss more than three board meetings per year.

Responsibilities and criteria for GDUI Treasurer Position

The GDUI Treasurer must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary and ethical responsibilities of an organizational treasurer, in accordance with standard nonprofit practices and procedures.

The Treasurer must:

Assist in the preparation of all budgets including GDUI’s annual budget,

Be a bondable individual,

Monitor the budget on a monthly basis, or more frequently if needed,

Ensure that the financial policies (as set by the Board, and recommended by the finance committee) are being followed,

Report to the Board of Directors and general membership on finances on a monthly basis,

Prepare, in a timely manner, any required financial reporting forms to be submitted to the general membership, accountants, auditors or any such other entity as required for standard accounting procedures and policies,

Maintain all bank accounts in a fiscally prudent manner in keeping with standard accounting practices,

Oversee all financial transactions while ensuring all fiduciary responsibilities are met and inure to the benefit of GDUI.

Serve as a member of the finance committee.

The Treasurer’s signature should appear on all checks of the organization with the second signature from any of the board’s other directors or staff with signing authority for amounts exceeding $1500.

The Treasurer is expected to attend all board meetings.

The Treasurer may not miss more than three board meetings per year.

Responsibilities and criteria for GDUI Board of Director position

Each member of the GDUI Board of Directors must be willing and able to accept the legal, fiduciary and ethical responsibilities of an organizational director, in accordance with standard nonprofit practices and procedures.

Board members are expected to attend all board meetings.

Members of the GDUI Board of Directors shall inform the President, in advance, if unable to attend a particular board meeting.

A GDUI board member shall not be absent from three board meetings in any year.

A majority of Board members will be guide dog users.

Respectfully Submitted,

The GDUI Nominations Committee

GDUI Announcement, September 28, 2017

Dear GDUI Members and Friends,

Again this month, many of the updates that have dominated the news of the world and the country have been unsettling and upsetting. Thank heavens for our guide dogs who can provide welcomed distractions from time to time with their occasional silliness and their constant loyalty and affection!

DAPP Info and News! GDUI’s Disaster Assistance and Preparedness Program is here for any guide dog user who needs financial assistance to care for their working guide dog during recovery from a catastrophic event such as a hurricane, afire emergency or other disaster. If you need help, call our toll-free phone number, 866.799.8436, and Sarah will help you apply for assistance from our DAPP Committee. If you can’t call yourself, a friend or family member or emergency worker can call on your behalf. For more information about the DAPP, visit this link: https://guidedogusersinc.org/resources/disaster-assistance-preparedness-program-dapp/

At our board meeting last Saturday, GDUI’s board voted unanimously to expand DAPP assistance to include anyone who uses a guide dog and needs help while coping with the aftermath of a disaster. When DAPP guidelines were first developed several years ago, financial assistance was restricted to GDUI members only. But, it only makes sense to expand the number of people who are eligible to apply for assistance because disaster can befall any one of us, regardless of organizational membership status or political affiliation, and our administration has never restricted any kind of GDUI assistance exclusively to GDUI members. Any guide dog user can contact our empathizers during any phase of their guide dog partnerships – beginning when they wonder whether or not the guide dog lifestyle is compatible with theirs, and continuing through those first months of adjustment and bonding, progressing through behaviors and health issues that can be concerning, and continuing on through the dreaded days when possible retirement or end-of-life decisions are on our minds. Our guide dog schools surveys are open to anyone who wants to become informed about the similarities and differences between U. S. guide dog training programs. Our web site provides all kinds of information to anyone who wants to visit, and our informational brochures are available for anyone to download. Our GDUI-Chat and GDUI-Announce lists are open to friends as well as members, and any guide dog user can attend our convention, listen to the GDUI Juno Report, call into a board meeting, or purchase a product. Why, then would we restrict funding for any guide dog users who have experienced just the kinds of disasters and emergencies we created the fund to address in the first place? Our board is proud to have made this important change in our disaster assistance policy.

Are you wondering what else happened at the September 23 GDUI board meeting?

Here are several ways to access the board meeting recording from Saturday, September 23:

Send Space: https://www.sendspace.com/file/trwsdm

Play back phone number and access code:

Phone: 1-712-432-1085

Access code: 919245.

Thanks to Sarah Calhoun, our Secretary and Office Manager, for making the recording available so quickly.

Roundabouts: Learn why they’re proliferating all over the country and what you need to know about safety for you and your guide dog when your routes of travel include roundabouts!

Set aside some time on your calendar for this coming Saturday, September 30. That’s when the ACB Transportation Committee and the ACB Environmental Access Committee will be presenting a special tele-seminar on Roundabouts! Roundabouts present a special challenge to every blind person, whether traveling with guide dog or white mobility cane, and their prevalence is growing in every part of the country.

The seminar panel of orientation and mobility, accessibility and traffic engineering experts will cover the following topics:

What roundabouts are, how they function and why they are becoming so popular among traffic engineers and urban planners.

Why roundabouts may pose navigational and safety challenges for people who are blind or visually impaired.

How roundabouts can be designed to be as accessible as possible.

Join us for the call and stick around to get your questions answered and your concerns addressed.

The Details:

Saturday, September 30, 2017

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Participant Phone Numbers:

605-475-4120; code 818-9279

TMobile customers call 605-475-2880; code 818-9279

Introducing the Panel:

Janet M Barlow

Accessible Design For The Blind

Bastian Schroeder, PE, Ph.D.

Principle Engineer

Kittelson and Associates Inc.

Transportation Engineering/ Planning

Mike Goehring

Guiding Eyes

Field Representative.

Proposed Legislation threatening our civil rights under the ADA:

This has been a tough week. First of all, and unbelievably this wasn’t the first time this happened, we witnessed hundreds of people with disabilities being dragged by Capitol Police from the Capitol Building where they were protesting the potential loss of health care – upon which most depend for their very lives. Those members of #ADAPT who take to the streets and the halls of government in wheelchairs, walkers, using support and mobility canes, and dog guides, to stand up for themselves, their civil rights, and all of us are truly among the bravest people I know!

Then, thankfully, we were able to sigh with relief and maybe briefly indulge in a tiny dance of joy when the Senate’s third attempt to take health insurance and Medicaid from millions of Americans was defeated! But, put away your dancin’ shoes and take another deep breath: Now some of your legislators are aiming for your civil rights as a person with a disability who depends on a guide dog for safe and independent travel.

Just after celebrating the 27^th anniversary of the date when the Americans with Disabilities Act became the law of the land, H.R. 620) The ADA > Education and Reform Act of 2017 was introduced. The law would significantly weaken our civil rights protections under the ADA.

First, the law would compel the U. S. Department of Justice to formulate a program to educate business owners and state and local officials on “strategies for promoting access to public accommodations for persons with a disability.” I guess there’s not much wrong with that – except that one would think after nearly three decades, state and local officials and business owners might have not only actually already become aware of our civil rights as they are guaranteed under the ADA, but also figured out how to provide all of the reasonable accommodations we have been advocating for day after day, over the last 27 years!(Has anyone ever heard of the ACCESS Board? Or ADAAG?)

But, okay, if the DOJ wants to provide even more guidance, I guess that’s okay. However, other provisions in this “reform” act would prohibit civil suits arising out of a failure to provide reasonable accommodations unless the person with a disability provides written notice specifying the deficiency to the offending business establishment or agency or organization or public venue. Then, the property owner would have sixty days to respond with a written plan for improvement, and an additional 120 days to correct the deficiency, or demonstrate some degree of progress toward achieving that goal!

(180 days is a long, long time to stand at the curb waiting for your Uber driver to decide to allow you and your dog to climb into the car! Or the owners of the local shopping mall to train their security staff that, yes actually, a person who is blind and uses a guide dog has every right to come inside and even find a table and order a bite to eat!)

The list of realty and hotel and lodging and retail associations and other organizations who are endorsing this bill is long, and includes the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Fortunately, there are some heavy hitters – and long-time friends to people with disabilities who oppose it. That list of our friends includes the #ACLU and Human Rights Watch.

But, we can’t leave this issue only in the hands of friends and advocates. We need to be calling our legislators, raising our voices, and advocating for ourselves and the protections upon which we depend every single day for independence and safety and access and a decent quality of life! Call the Capitol Switchboard, contact your representative and your senators, and let your voice be heard!

Twenty-seven years after the bill became a law, it is ludicrous to imply that business owners are still so uninformed about their civil rights obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act that they need a written notice about violations and 60 days before they even have to think about how to provide the entirely reasonable accommodations that the law requires!

Here is the number for the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Our civil rights were hard won. Don’t allow them to be diminished or watered down. We need to resist!

Hurricane Maria Devastation in Puerto Rico and American Virgin Islands

This year’s hurricane season continues to spread misery and destruction across the Caribbean and throughout our southern-most states, and the season still has at least another six or so weeks to go. The aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the American Virgin Islands remains particularly difficult for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are contending with unavailable electricity, severely limited communications capabilities, food and water and fuel and drug shortages and all kinds of safety concerns and utter misery. If you would like to help, please consider making a donation to the Hurricane Maria Community Recover Fund .

https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/cb4a3c78-5694-4324-bead-42c8ad94c1bf

Until our next announcement, let’s all take good care of one another just as our guide dogs take such good care of us. As always, thank you for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,

Penny Reeder, President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

Deanna Noriega, First Vice President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

GDUI website: http://www.guidedogusersinc.org/

Call us, toll-free at 866.799.8436

Like, visit us, and join our Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc

Enjoy the GDUI Juno Report on ACB Radio Mainstream, at8:00 p.m., EST, every Friday of every month, here: http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream.

Download or subscribe to the GDUI Juno Report pod cast here: http://acbradio.org/gdr.xml

Or search for the GDUI Juno Report on ITunes.

Support GDUI when you use this link to shop at Amazon.com: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119.

SUPPORT GUIDE DOG USERS, INC GROUP #999969764 when you purchase candles and other decorative items from the Yankee Candle Store here: https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm.

To join the GDUI-Announce List, visit this link: https://guidedogusersinc.org/join/.

To subscribe to the GDUI Chat list, visit this link: gduichatlist-subscribe@guidedogusersinc.org

To subscribe to the (members only) GDUI Business list, visit this link:

http://acbradio.org/sites/default/files/archives/eclipse/solar-eclipse2017.mp3 .

GDUI Announcement, September 7, 2017

Dear GDUI Members and Friends,

Stormy Weather: With Hurricane Irma’s 180-MPH winds and torrents of rain heading straight for Florida and then possibly for Savanah, and after that, traveling in directions as yet unknown, and terrible fires clogging the skies with smoke, spreading destruction and ash all across the northwestern states, and thousands still experiencing the devastation of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey many of them just beginning the exhausting tasks associated with recovery and rebuilding, disasters are on all of our minds, and anxiety continues to be our constant companion – if not for ourselves and our own guide dogs, then for family members and friends and teachers and mentors, and so many more whom we care about. We are writing, again, to share our concerns and offer help where we can.

Perhaps that smart Phone can help during the emergency: If you are anxiously searching for bottled water and working batteries, boarding up a residence, planning an evacuation strategy, heading for shelter, or checking on friends and family members, we offer advice recently posted on several of our GDUI e-mail discussion lists and published first in “USA Today:https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/saltzman/2017/09/02/prepare-disaster-how-your-smartphone-can-help-emergency/628323001/.

The article includes information about the apps that can be most helpful (for example, several Emergency apps from the American Red Cross that update alerts and can help you locate emergency shelters; or the Zello app that works like a walkie-talkie even when you don’t have phone service). The writer tells us the kinds of things we should purchase or set up on our phone in advance, and suggests keeping a ziplock bag handy for protecting electronics, even a smart phone that’s not waterproof.

Up-to-Date Information for People with Disabilities Surviving after Harvey: Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) has compiled a resource list for Texans surviving after Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. Please share widely. We would prefer for people to get this list multiple times rather than not at all. Find the resource list here: https://www.disabilityrightstx.org/files/DRTx_Hurricane_Info_for_Web.pdf.

Important Social Security Information for People Affected by Hurricane Harvey: Many Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit payments were scheduled for Friday, September 1. The following information covers the various delivery methods for these payments in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Payments by Paper Check Delivered by the US Postal Service

Hurricane Harvey’s impact on the Gulf Coast resulted in the temporary suspension of mail delivery service, as well as the closure of some postal facilities in the Houston area. The U.S. Postal Service is providing additional information on how customers displaced by Hurricane Harvey can retrieve checks they receive via the mail, here: about.usps.com/news/state-releases/tx/tx.htm

Payments by Direct Deposit: Nearly all payments issued by direct deposit should have arrive as scheduled. If a person’s payment is delayed, they should contact their financial institution. If the financial institution is not operating, please see the “emergency payment” information below.

Payments by Direct Express Debit Card (a Treasury Department program): For recipients in the affected areas who receive their payment through a Direct Express card, fees will be waived, even if they have evacuated out of the area. Payments were posted to Direct Express cards on September 1. People may contact Direct Express at 1-888-741-1115.

To find the nearest open Social Security office outside of the affected areas, call

1-800-772-1213.

(TTY: 1-800-325-0778) or go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/locator

Your civil rights include the right to shelter with your guide dog! We have seen at least one news item which indicated that a person with a disability who uses a service animal was turned away from an emergency shelter during evacuations that occurred during Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. This is, not only unacceptable treatment, but it is also illegal!

Here, from the U. S. Department of Justice, the federal agency charged with writing regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act – and enforcing those regulations – is an official explanation of your civil rights as a person with disabilities who depends upon a guide dog to accommodate your needs:

“The Department of Justice continues to receive many questions about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) apply to service animals. The ADA requires State and local government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations (covered entities) that provide goods or services to the public to make “reasonable modifications” in their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to accommodate people with disabilities. The service animal rules fall under this general principle. Accordingly, entities that have a “no pets” policy generally must modify the policy to allow service animals into their facilities. … Similarly, service animals may not be prohibited from communal food preparation areas, such as are commonly found in shelters or dormitories.”

[From: https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html]

And, should emergency shelter administrators need to know more about their obligations to provide shelter for you and your guide dog, please refer them to this information and this link for the official word from the U. S. Department of Justice:

“Access for All in Emergencies and Disasters

One of government’s primary responsibilities is to protect residents and visitors. Providing emergency shelter during disasters and emergencies is a basic way of carrying out this duty. Shelters are sometimes operated by government entities themselves. More commonly, though, shelters are operated for the state or local government by a third party – often the American Red Cross. Regardless of who operates a shelter, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) generally requires shelters to provide equal access to the many benefits that shelters provide, including safety, food, services, comfort, information, a place to sleep until it is safe to return home, and the support and assistance of family, friends, and neighbors.

In general, the ADA does not require any action that would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program, or activity or that would impose undue financial and administrative burdens.
This Addendum discusses some of the key issues that emergency managers and shelter operators need to address in order to comply with the ADA when they plan for and provide shelter during emergencies and disasters. Although this Addendum focuses primarily on issues affecting shelter residents with disabilities, these issues are also generally applicable to volunteers and employees with disabilities.”

[From https://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap7shelterprog.htm]

DAPP Info and News! GDUI’s Disaster Assistance and Preparedness Program is here for any member with a working guide dog who needs financial assistance to care for their guide dog during recovery from a catastrophic event such as a hurricane, afire emergency or other so-called natural disaster. If you need help, call our toll-free phone number, 866.799.8436, and Sarah will help you apply for assistance from our DAPP Committee. If you can’t call yourself, a friend or family member or emergency worker can call on your behalf. For more information about the DAPP, visit this link: https://guidedogusersinc.org/resources/disaster-assistance-preparedness-program-dapp/

During the past week, we received two generous donations from people who want to help us build the funds earmarked for our DAPP program. We would like to publicly thank our member, Rhea Collett, for her generous donation to the DAPP program, and a Boston-based organization called PAWS Global, Inc. for their generous donation which they hope we can use to assist any guide dog users who need assistance as a result of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. Thank you!

If you would like to make a donation to GDUI, it’s easy and secure to do so online here: https://guidedogusersinc.org/donate/. Or to discuss your donation in more specific terms, call our toll-free number, 866.799.8436, and Sarah will be pleased to assist.

Do you want to help the DAPP Committee? Will is hoping that you do! Here’s a personal invitation from the Chair of our DAPP Committee:

As chair of the Disaster Assistance and Preparedness Program (DAPP), I would like to invite new members to join the committee. As we’ve seen recently with Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana and Hurricane Sandy, guide dog teams are facing the potential of experiencing stronger, longer-lasting and non-traditional weather disasters. It is my hope that with the nature of the issues we find ourselves facing, a group of GDUI members will be able to come together to take a hard look at our DAPP program and determine how well it is meeting the needs of our guide dog teams. We would also like to take a look at various ways to raise funds for the DAPP and develop a better media strategy for letting folks know about the program.

If you are a current GDUI member and have an interest in formulating ways to make our program work in better ways, please send an email to

mailto:will.burley3@gmail.com and place I Want to Join DAPP in the subject line.

DAPP is an advisory committee so our work can inform the board of directors to make any needed changes. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Will Burley, Chair

GDUI Disaster Assistance and Preparedness Program

In Other News: Quickly, we want to remind all members that, as of September 1, GDUI’s annual and life-member dues have increased. The board made the decision to increase dues last spring with the important goal of improving our financial situation, and recognizing that GDUI’s dues had not increased since the turn of the 21^st Century. As of September 1, annual GDUI membership dues are $25 per year. Members, who register on September 1, 2017 and thereafter, will retain a valid membership in GDUI until December 31, 2018. Lifetime memberships are now $400.

If you are in the mood to distract yourself for a while from the daily anxiety of breaking news, remember that the latest issue of PawTracks may still be hanging out in your e-mail In box! PawTracks was delivered by e-mail to all GDUI members who have specified an e-mail preference for their PawTracks subscriptions on August 22. If you didn’t find your copy, don’t hesitate to call our toll-free number, 866.799.8436, or contact our Membership Committee Chairperson, Dixie Sanderson at mailto:Director5@guidedogusersinc.org.Congratulations to our new PawTracks editor, Will Burley, for putting together such an excellent issue.

The next GDUI Board Meeting is scheduled for September 23, 2017, at 1:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (12:00 Noon Central, 11:00 a.m. Mountain, and 10:00 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time) Remember to call712.432.0075. The Pass-code is: 919245 followed by the Pound Sign. All GDUI members and friends are welcomed to attend and to participate near the end of the call by sharing information, suggestions, and concerns.

Set aside some time on your calendar for Saturday, September 30. That’s when the ACB Transportation Committee and the ACB Environmental Access Committee will be presenting a special tele-seminar on Roundabouts! Roundabouts present a special challenge to every blind person, whether traveling with guide dog or white mobility cane, and their prevalence is growing in every part of the country.

Given the increasing prevalence of roundabouts and the challenges they pose, the ACB Transportation Committee and the ACB Environmental Access Committee are cosponsoring a panel discussion about roundabouts. Our [panel of orientation and mobility, accessibility and traffic engineering experts will cover the following topics:

What roundabouts are, how they function and why they are becoming so popular among traffic engineers and urban planners.

Why roundabouts may pose navigational and safety challenges for people who are blind or visually impaired.

How roundabouts can be designed to be as accessible as possible.

Join us for the call and stick around to get your questions answered and your concerns addressed.

The Details:

Saturday, September 30, 2017

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Participant Phone Numbers:

605-475-4120; code 818-9279

TMobile customers call

605-475-2880; code 818-9279

Introducing the Panel:

Janet M Barlow

Accessible Design For The Blind

Lucas Frank

The Seeing Eye

Bastian Schroeder, PE, Ph.D.

Principle Engineer

Kittelson and Associates Inc.

Transportation Engineering/ Planning

Mike Goehring

Guiding Eyes

Field Representative.

Finally, remember just a few weeks ago when the only meteorological event on our minds was the coming solar eclipse, and the most pressing concern for many was simply how to gain access to the experience of Totality? That seems like a long time ago now, doesn’t it? If you would like to recapture the nearly stress-free experience of the Solar Eclipse of August 2017, Joel Snyder announces that the audio-described event is still available for your listening pleasure. Here’s what he says,

“We’ve received so many gracious comments and requests for copies of our ACB Radio Solar Eclipse program. The show is now available at:

Enjoy!”

We want all of you to know that GDUI is here for you. No matter what’s happening in your lives, with you and your dogs, we hope you will share your triumphs and your concerns with others who, like you, depend on amazing guide dogs for independence and safety! We are enjoying the stories you have been sharing with us, on our GDUI-Chat list, and via our new Facebook group and Facebook page about your training experiences with newly matched guides, as well as amusing adventures with dogs who are sometimes more clever than anyone ever expected! Our empathizers are available to listen, to offer advice when asked, and to share their own guide dog experiences. Our DAPP is here for you as well. This is the number to call: 866.799.8436. Or, contact our Empathizers via e-mail here: mailto:concerns@guidedogusersinc.org. Please be safe, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are your guide dog community.

Sincerely,

Penny Reeder, President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

Deanna Noriega, First Vice President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

GDUI Website: http://www.guidedogusersinc.org/

Call us, toll-free, at 866.799.8436

Like, visit us, and join our Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc

Enjoy the GDUI Juno Report on ACB Radio Mainstream, at8:00 p.m., EST, every Friday of every month, here: http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream.

Download or subscribe to the GDUI Juno Report pod cast here: http://acbradio.org/gdr.xml or search for the GDUI Juno Report on ITunes.

Support GDUI when you use this link to shop at Amazon.com: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119.

SUPPORT GUIDE DOG USERS, INC GROUP #999969764 when you purchase candles and other decorative items from the Yankee Candle Store here: https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm.

To join the GDUI-Announce List, visit this link: https://guidedogusersinc.org/join/.

To subscribe to the GDUI Chat list, visit this link: gduichatlist-subscribe@guidedogusersinc.org

To subscribe to the (members only) GDUI Business list, visit this link:

A recording of each GDUI announcement is available here: 712.432.1281. Enter the Access Code 488062 followed by the number sign. When prompted, enter the Reference Code, No. 1 where the recording will remain available until it is replaced by a recording of the next GDUI Announcement. Please share this information with friends who may not have access to the internet. Thank you. We look forward to sharing information with all of our GDUI members and friends.

GDUI Announcement, August 28, 2017

Dear GDUI Members and Friends,

Hurricane Harvey and Its Aftermath: We are writing tonight to assure all of our members and friends who are suffering because of the terrible flooding and other damage that have been caused by Hurricane Harvey that we want to help in any way that we can.

As you may know, GDUI has a fund available to GDUI members who may need financial assistance in caring for your working guide dog as a direct result of a natural disaster such as this. Learn about the GDUI Disaster Assistance Planning and Preparedness Program (DAPP) on our home page here: https://guidedogusersinc.org/ or call our Office Manager and Secretary, Sarah Calhoun, on our toll-free number here: 866.799.8436.

We have heard anecdotally that some people with service animals have been told – mistakenly – that emergency shelters cannot accept service animals. This is untrue! Here, from the U. S. Department of Justice, the federal agency charged with writing regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act – and enforcing those regulations – is an official explanation of your civil rights as a person with disabilities who depends upon a guide dog to accommodate your needs:

“The Department of Justice continues to receive many questions about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to service animals. The ADA requires State and local government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations (covered entities) that provide goods or services to the public to make “reasonable modifications” in their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to accommodate people with disabilities. The service animal rules fall under this general principle. Accordingly, entities that have a “no pets” policy generally must modify the policy to allow service animals into their facilities. … Similarly, service animals may not be prohibited from communal food preparation areas, such as are commonly found in shelters or dormitories.”

[From: https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html]

“Access for All in Emergencies and Disasters

In general, the ADA does not require any action that would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program, or activity or that would impose undue financial and administrative burdens.
This Addendum discusses some of the key issues that emergency managers and shelter operators need to address in order to comply with the ADA when they plan for and provide shelter during emergencies and disasters. Although this Addendum focuses primarily on issues affecting shelter residents with disabilities, these issues are also generally applicable to volunteers and employees with disabilities.”

[From https://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap7shelterprog.htm]

For those of us who cannot personally lend our hands to help, making financial donations may be the most tangible way we can offer assistance at the moment. Both Amazon.com and Apple.com provide links for contributing directly to the American Red Cross, and here’s the link provided by the American Red Cross, themselves: https://www.redcross.org/donate/hurricane-harvey.

If you prefer, you can contribute via phone, here: 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669). You can also reach the Hurricane Harvey relief effort at:

Español: 1-800-435-7669

TDD Operator: 1-800-220-4095.

As the rains continue to fall and the storm ultimately defines a new and possibly equally dangerous route, we will keep all of you and your guides who live along the Gulf Coast, in southern Texas and Louisiana in our thoughts and prayers. As always, thank you for your friendship and your support, and be safe!

Sincerely,

Penny Reeder, President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

Deanna Noriega, First Vice President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

GDDUI Website: http://www.guidedogusersinc.org/

Call us, toll-free, at 866.799.8436

Like, visit us, and join our Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc

Enjoy the GDUI Juno Report on ACB Radio Mainstream, at8:00 p.m., EST, every Friday of every month, here: http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream.

Download or subscribe to the GDUI Juno Report pod cast here: http://acbradio.org/gdr.xml

Or search for the GDUI Juno Report on ITunes.

Support GDUI when you use this link to shop at Amazon.com: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119.

SUPPORT GUIDE DOG USERS, INC GROUP #999969764 when you purchase candles and other decorative items from the Yankee Candle Store here: https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm.

To join the GDUI-Announce List, visit this link: https://guidedogusersinc.org/join/.

To subscribe to the GDUI Chat list, visit this link: gduichatlist-subscribe@guidedogusersinc.org

To subscribe to the (members only) GDUI Business list, visit this link:

https://guidedogusersinc.org/resources/disaster-assistance-preparedness-program-dapp/.

A recording of each GDUI announcement is available here: 712.432.1281. Enter the Access Code 488062 followed by the number sign. When prompted, enter the Reference Code, No. 1. Where The recording will remain available until it is replaced by a recording of the next GDUI Announcement. Please share this information with friends who may not have access to the internet. Thank you. We look forward to sharing information with all of our GDUI members and friends.

GDUI Announcement, August 8, 2017

Dear GDUI Members and Friends,

Welcome to August! Ordinarily, we might be chatting about those infamous “dog days of summer,” but for the past several days, our weather here in the mid-Atlantic has felt more like mid-September than early August, and this year, the one thing we seem to be able to say about climate predictability is that our climate has been anything but predictable! There were tornados in Tulsa a couple of days ago, and here in normally hot, hazy, and humid — but not very meteorologically exciting — Maryland, several localities experienced probable tornados just a few hours ago. The winds were strong enough to flip cars driving down highways where tornados were active. Over the week end, there was flooding in New Orleans when the city experienced ten inches of rain in a single day. Forest fires are raging all over the West, and a new tropical storm reportedly thinks about becoming a full-blown hurricane once it encounters land just about once each week. I bring all of this up just to remind you that, if you experience a natural disaster and that affects your ability to care for your guide dog, GDUI’s Disaster Assistance Preparedness Program is here to help. For more information, visit this link on our web site:

Heads’ Up: GDUI’s Membership Survey is online and ready for your input! As a membership-driven organization, we welcome opportunities to hear from you! That’s why the Membership Committee, in cooperation with the Advocacy and Legislative Committee, and the Public Relations Committee, has created a survey to ask all of you to prioritize the issues you would like us to be working on, what you like about the way we conduct GDUI business, and if and how you would like us to make changes. Don’t worry, the survey is totally accessible (We tested it with a variety of screen readers and browsers), your anonymity is guaranteed, and there are just a few questions. Find our membership survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CS2DPCR

Please complete the short membership survey and submit it by August 31. That’s our deadline. And, thank you!

A new GDUI Facebook Group! Thanks to GDUI Board Member and Social Networking Guru, Minh Ha for creating a new public group on Facebook for GDUI members, friends, and supporters — giving us all one more way to share information, discuss our organization, and compare notes on the guide dog lifestyle and community. You can join the group here: https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc/

An Exciting New Fund-Raising Opportunity for GDUI! PLEASE SUPPORT GUIDE DOG USERS, INC GROUP #999969764

We’re partnering with Yankee Candle Fundraising to help achieve our fund-raising goal this year. They are the world’s Number-One candle brand and they offer a variety of premium candles, fragrances and décor items at a wide range of prices. For GDUI, the most exciting aspect of this generous fund-raising opportunity is that 40 percent of every sale goes to us!

To help support GDUI, you can click on the link below and order all kinds of beautiful sweet-smelling items online. Your purchases ship directly to your home and our group will automatically receive its 40 percent on each and every sale. This promotion is good through January 10, 2018.

Ready to start shopping now? Just follow the link below and you’ll be on your way to helping GDUI reach our 2017 fundraising goals: https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm.

If the link fails to take you to the Guide Dog Users Inc. fund-raising site, don’t worry. Simply visit: www.yankeecandlefundraising.com and enter your Group Number 999969764 in the “Start Shopping” box you’ll find there. Then you can shop for all of the Yankee Candle Fundraising items and your purchases will still benefit GDUI.

Holiday shopping season will be here before we know it! We will be pleased and grateful if you begin your shopping with the Yankee Candle Store and help to support GDUI!

New List Moderators for GDUI Chat, Business, and Leadership E-mail Discussion Lists – We are grateful to Darla Rogers and Will Burley who stepped up to meet our need for members to help with moderating our e-mail discussion lists! Dixie and all of us are pleased and grateful. Thank you.

Great news: The GDUI 2017 Convention Recordings are now available at our web site! If you couldn’t attend this year’s GDUI convention, or you couldn’t attend every single program session, you can listen to the convention recordings, ably created and edited by ACB Radio. It will be almost as good as being there in person! Here’s the link: https://guidedogusersinc.org/gdui-convention-archives/2017-gdui-convention-program-recordings/

Returning briefly to our August theme, we want to share one more intriguing link with you! August is famous for the (apparently) breath-taking meteor showers which fill the night skies during this month each summer. I have often wished I could experience those showers of light. (After all, who doesn’t long to wish on a star?) And, this summer promises an even more extraordinary celestial event, the solar eclipse, which will be visible for a large number of people living in North America, on August 21. Now comes news that, even if you can’t see the eclipse with your eyes, there will be ways for you to experience the phenomenon using other senses!

On August 21, 2017, millions of people will view a total solar eclipse as it passes through the United States. However, for the visually impaired, or others who are unable to see the eclipse with their own eyes, the Eclipse Soundscapes Project delivers a multisensory experience of this exciting celestial event. The project, from NASA’s Heliophysics Education Consortium, will include audio descriptions of the eclipse in real time, recordings of the changing environmental sounds during the eclipse, and an interactive “rumble map” app that will allow users to visualize the eclipse through touch.

No matter which celestial or terrestrial events become the highlights of August 2017, for you and your guide dog, we wish you an enjoyable last month of summer, with lots of friends and family members to share in your enjoyment, and wagging tails everywhere you go! Thanks again for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,

Penny Reeder, President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

Deanna Noriega, First Vice President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

GDUI Website: http://www.guidedogusersinc.org/

Call us, toll-free, at 866.799.8436

Like, visit us, and join our Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc

Enjoy the GDUI Juno Report on ACB Radio Mainstream, at8:00 p.m., EST, every Friday of every month, here: http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream.

Download or subscribe to the GDUI Juno Report pod cast here: http://acbradio.org/gdr.xml or search for the GDUI Juno Report on ITunes.

Support GDUI when you use this link to shop at Amazon.com: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119.

SUPPORT GUIDE DOG USERS, INC GROUP #999969764 when you purchase candles and other decorative items from the Yankee Candle Store here: https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/store.htm.

To join the GDUI-Announce List, visit this link: https://guidedogusersinc.org/join/.

To subscribe to the GDUI Chat list, visit this link: gduichatlist-subscribe@guidedogusersinc.org

To subscribe to the (members only) GDUI Business list, visit this link:

GDUI Announcement, July 10, 2017

Dear GDUI Members and Friends,

Willow and I arrived home from the ACB and GDUI Conventions late on Friday night. After many hours of sleeping soundly under a table at Thursday’s ACB general session and a five-plus hour airplane ride the next day, Willow is all rested up after the many GDUI events we attended together and eager to play with her new favorite ball from the GDUI Suite! I, on the other hand, am still recovering! But with so many wonderful memories and so much gratitude for everyone in GDUI who shares responsibility for a fantastic convention, I am feeling fine.

I am writing tonight to remind all of you about a fund-raising opportunity that will be fun and appealing for you and good for GDUI, too! Amazon.com’s third-annual Prime Day is on Tuesday, July 11, and will feature more than 100,000 deals exclusively for Prime members, making it one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Because of GDUI’s ‘smiling relationship with Amazon.com, all of that shopping can be good for GDUI as well! Whenever you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate to Guide Dog Users Inc.

When you #StartWithaSmile on #PrimeDay, Amazon.com donates to Guide Dog Users Inc. Shop for great deals at smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119.

Advocacy is important, but advocacy doesn’t come free of charge! There are phone calls to make and to hear, meetings to attend, letters to write. Even though our Advocacy and Legislative Committee is led and staffed by dedicated volunteers, there are still expenses associated with helping guide dog users make their cases for equality and civil rights, and persuading business owners, government administrators, and legislators about the importance of those civil rights.

We strive to improve our web site all of the time. Recently, GuideDogUsersInc.org was an important source of information about our fantastic convention. None of those postings came free of charge! And, soon, we’ll be adding the recordings from our GDUI 2017 convention to our web site, as well!

PawTracks is a magazine that informs, entertains, and allows members and friends to discuss all of those guide dog-related issues that need attention. One of our most significant expenses during a year is for the production and distribution of our quarterly magazine!

And, of course you know already that our universally accessible voting system costs $5.00 for every member eligible to vote.

I am hoping to encourage all of you to use the Smile Shopping Portal tomorrow when you check out all of those amazing Prime Day deals! Have fun shopping, and thanks for allowing GDUI to benefit from your purchasing power as well!

Sincerely,

Penny Reeder, President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

Deanna Noriega, First Vice President

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

GDUI Website: http://www.guidedogusersinc.org/

Call us, toll-free, at 866.799.8436

Like and visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc

Enjoy the GDUI Juno Report on ACB Radio Mainstream, at8:00 p.m., EST, every Friday of every month, here: http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream.

Download or subscribe to the GDUI Juno Report pod cast here: http://acbradio.org/gdr.xml or search for the GDUI Juno Report on ITunes.

Support GDUI when you use this link to shop at Amazon.com: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1871119.

To join the GDUI-Announce List, visit this link: https://guidedogusersinc.org/join/.

To subscribe to the GDUI Chat list, visit this link: gduichatlist-subscribe@guidedogusersinc.org

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