A Publication of Guide Dog Users, Inc.
President: Penny Reeder
Editor: Andrea Giudice
Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI)
A special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) since 1972
Toll-Free: 866.799.8436
Election News!
Were you there on Saturday for GDUI’s first Candidates’ Forum in the lead-up to our 2020 Election, scheduled to begin on May 30? If you missed it; or if you want to listen again to our candidates’ excellent responses to the questions which members and our Nominating Committee posed; or learn about the two proposed amendments to our bylaws, which will also be on the ballot; or if you simply want to refresh your memory about how our universally accessible election will proceed, you can listen to the Zoom recording by following the link below. Remember to submit the password when you log in.
Topic: GDUI 2020 Candidate Forum 1
Start Time: Apr 25, 2020 12:52 PM
Meeting Recording:
https://zoom.us/rec/share/1O9_Ea_gyl1LHrPux0HRWOkoNJuiT6a82yYd-vcLnR5mCmg555iJ3UIBhWaj0SwC
Access Password: 2m?Yy=D6
A second Candidates’ Forum will be scheduled on Thursday, May 21, at 8:00 p.m. We will share the Zoom information for that meeting in an announcement which will arrive in your in box closer to that date.
To access our candidates’ biographies and other information submitted to the GDUI Nominating Committee,, to read the full text of our proposed amendments, to remind yourselves of important dates and other election-related information, visit this page on our web site: https://guidedogusersinc.org/category/gdui-2020-election-news/
Convention News!
In case you haven’t heard the news, ACB’s Conference and Convention and GDUI’s 2020 Convention will be held in cyberspace this summer! Here is the statement which the ACB Board of Directors shared with members in late March.
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) Board of Directors voted unanimously to forego its annual conference and convention in Schaumburg, Illinois, amidst the growing concerns about the novel coronavirus crisis. During a special meeting convened by the board on March 30th, the elected leadership moved to explore ways in which members, partners, and stakeholders can continue to meet virtually through an engaging and enlightening experience.
“The health and safety of our members continue to be the leading voice that has guided us,” said ACB president Dan Spoone. “I’m proud of the thoughtful deliberation each board member gave to this difficult decision and the hard work our team in Alexandria and Minneapolis undertook to assure that the interests of those we serve remain paramount.”
Nonprofits around the country have faced similar challenges these recent weeks, and such difficult decisions have brought forward a wealth of resources and strategies about holding effective virtual conferences. ACB staff and volunteers are committed to assure the experience will pull from these best practices in a manner that is both innovative and accessible.
“While some official business will have to be put on hold, we’ll continue to virtually provide many of the valuable programs and break-out sessions that make the ACB conference and convention the greatest gathering in our country for Americans who are blind and visually impaired,” said ACB executive director Eric Bridges. “The support from our leaders and corporate stakeholders has been overwhelming, and we can’t wait to have them join us for what will be an event that will be forever etched into ACB’s history.”
According to ACB’s constitution and bylaws, official business must be held in person. This means elections and other official matters will be put on hold until the 2021 convention in Phoenix. However, ACB’s convention planning committee is already exploring ways to hold virtual programming, exhibits, special-interest meetings and even door prizes through a variety of innovative formats. For more information on this year’s convention, visit www.acbconvention.org.
GDUI is excited about our virtual convention! Our convention committee has already invited several of the speakers whom we had lined up for presentations in Illinois to present on interesting topics via Zoom and ACB Radio. We are looking forward to welcoming even more guide dog users to our virtual convention – and no one will need to buy a plane ticket or make a hotel reservation. (You can even attend in your jammies! – We won’t care!)
We won’t be exchanging hugs – except for the virtual kind – or hanging out in the guide dog relief area this summer. We’ll have to supply our own luncheon, and there’s no GDUI auction this year. Product sales will be on hold until 2021. But …
Our Summer Raffle is still on!
Her name, which pays homage to the virtual nature of the convention this year, will cause you to remember the 2020 way of family gatherings, doing business, learning, visiting with friends, and how Charlie gets his dogs to put a move on. She is ready to guide GDUI in to this new decade and her way in to your home and heart!
Introducing Zoom!!
She is a black and tan German shepherd beauty. About two feet tall, is in a sitting position with her ears up and mouth open in a big doggie smile. Zoom’s tag has been wood burnt with her name and she has her own leash. Of course, she proudly wears a magnificent, hand-crafted, Hava Original leather harness!
Getting tickets is the same as in the past with the exception of in-person sales- there will be none of that!
Important information:
Tickets are 3 for $5 or 7 for $10.
Get them as a gift to yourself or use as gifts for others- These tickets are terrific for all gift giving occasions (Mother’s day, Graduation, Father’s Day, birthdays, appreciation gifts for hosts, thank you gifts for stylists and groomers, don’t forget your in-laws or that impossible to purchase for relative or friend). Anyone can purchase, so have your friends and family buy some for you if self-gifting is not your style; their ticket purchases increase your chances and support GDUI all at the same time. A true WIN WIN all around!
You can purchase by calling Sara Calhoun at 866.799.8436
Or on our website at: https://guidedogusersinc.org/gdui-2020-convention-raffle-tickets/
(There are some very cute photos of Ms. Zoom on that page, so share with your family and friends – They won’t be able to resist buying some extra tickets and increasing your – or their – chances of bringing Zoom home!)
The winning ticket will be drawn on Tuesday, July 8 during the second session of the program. Of course, the winner does not need to be attending to win.
We are so grateful to Hava for once again supporting GDUI and creating another Hava Original pup to want and love!
Best,
Your GDUI 2020 Convention Program Planning Team
What’s one more thing we’re not giving up on this summer? Our Awards, of course!
we plan to honor those special people who support GDUI, who share all the important reasons we love and depend on our dogs in print and audio and other media formats, and who make all our lives with our guide dogs easier and better! Here’s a message from Charlie Crawford, Chair of the GDUI Awards Committee.
Hello fellow GDUI members and friends,
Can anyone think of anything good to say about the Covid-19 virus? We are all familiar with the saying, when life hands you a lemon, make Lemonade! Well, Covid-19 has prompted our governments to tell us to stay at home and not go anywhere or collect in groups greater than just a few people. So where is the Lemonade? I suspect that most of us are busy on our computers or smart phones and wondering what we might do next? Well, this is a golden opportunity to nominate someone for the Lieberg-Metz, the Ethel Bender, and – or the GDUI Moffitt – Gleitz Award!
To help you to do it, I am extending the period for nominations for our awards until May 1, 2020! Now let’s see what awards are there and how can you submit a nomination?
First there is the Lieberg – Metz Award which honors a person or persons who have greatly influenced our guide dog working in positive ways! This award was given last year to Ms. Ann Chiappetta for her publications of poetry and guidance in her written works. Our first Lieberg – Metz winner was the long Time Braille Forum Editor and GDUI Juno Report pioneer, Mr. Nolan Crabb.
Our second award is the Moffitt – Gleitz Award. This award is given out to a Blind person(s) who has or have been exemplary in their contributions to the welfare of guide dog teams and deserve the recognition of GDUI for what they have done. Last year, GDUI honored Mr. James A. Kutsch Jr. for his long life of contributions to the well-being of Blind persons in general and Guide Dog teams in particular. From his development of the first talking computer to his many years as President of the Seeing Eye Inc, Jim has done nothing less than demonstrate the wonderful contributions that can be made by a really exceptional person.
Lastly, our GDUI Ethel Bender Award is open to sighted persons who have done so much to assist GDUI in our mission to protect and further the work of our wonderful guides. Last year’s winner was Ms. Cheryl Lawyer whose many years of service to Blind persons and to Guide Dog puppy raisers and training programs has truly been beneficial to all Guide Dog teams.
Now that you have read about what needs to be done, I know you are asking how does it get done? Could not be easier! All you have to do is send me an e-mail to CCrawford@RCN.Com and let me know which award you are nominating who for and your reasons for doing so. Make sure you have your name and e-mail address in the nomination so I can get back to you, and guess what? To make it all even easier, I have extended the deadline for submitting the nominations until May 1, 2020 which now gives you an additional few days to get that e-mail to me!
Please do consider who you would like to nominate and we really can use some nominations for the Moffitt – Gleitz and the Lieberg – Metz awards.
I Thank you for reading this and for the nominations you may submit.
All my best,
Charles Crawford: Chair: GDUI Awards Committee.
A Message from Deb! Don’t miss The April GDUI Juno Report!
So much has happened since our last Juno Report. So we have diverted from our usual format to bring you excerpts from a recent conference call sponsored by GDUI and BPI called Entertaining Your dog. We learned lots of ways to keep your dog motivated and entertained and manageable during this stressful time. More resources were shared than we had time to air, so we’ll be following up on those and sharing in upcoming publications and Juno episodes. Thanks to the 45 or so dogs with their people who attended.
The Juno report airs on ACB Radio Mainstream on Thursdays at 4 and 7 AM/PM and on Sunday at 9PM and Monday at 12AM, 9AM, and 12PM. All times are eastern.
The podcast comes out in about two weeks. Subscribe in Itunes at:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gdui-juno-report/id1107836850
Wags to all of you.
Deb
Have you ever used the Be My Eyes app?
I have used it several times and, each time, found it to be very helpful. Last summer, I called a Be My Eyes volunteer to identify a huge, beautiful flower that surprised me by popping up in front of my house. I’ve called on Be My Eyes several time to ask a volunteer to read me from the package that contained a mysterious entrée from Trader Joe’s. And, once I called to see if what I remembered about the color of my tee shirt was accurate. It wasn’t!
People also call Be My Eyes to get information about a topic they want to know more about. A topic like “Blindness!” That’s how ACB will be assisting Be My Eyes callers.
Here’s an announcement from ACB Executive Director, Eric Bridges:
We are pleased to be bringing ACB onto the Be My Eyes platform as a “Specialized Help” provider. This means that anyone in the US who needs to communicate with an ACB expert can now initiate a video call directly through the Be My Eyes app and have their call routed simultaneously to our team.
This amazing tech is not only going to boost our efficiency in supporting members and prospective members (being able to solve problems faster, in many cases, by looking at them), but it will also allow us to ensure that calls are answered promptly in all cases.
Be My Eyes has a massive global platform and will be communicating our partnership far and wide, so, as one of only a few blindness orgs on the platform, we are leading the way for others. Currently their partners include big names like Google, Microsoft and P&G so we are in good company on the Specialized Help provider list (only visible in the US) and will be visible under the “Blindness Organizations” category on the Specialized Help screen.
We are thrilled to be signing on and hope that this increased connectivity will be of great benefit not only during this difficult remote period, but will go on to show its value in the future as well!
The Seeing Eye offers suggestions to sighted pedestrians to Help guide dog Users maintain a safe distance from other pedestrians while working our dogs! Let’s share this advice far and wide, with family and friends, so that we can all travel safely and flatten the Coronavirus Curve for everyone.
[From: https://morristowngreen.com/2020/03/26/seeing-eye-give-guide-dogs-and-their-masters-extra-distance-during-pandemic/]Seeing Eye: Give guide dogs and their masters extra distance during pandemic
…The Seeing Eye suggests the following:
- Always remember, distracting a Seeing Eye dog can make its owner vulnerable to harm.
- Guide dogs don’t understand social distancing. Please help keep a safe distance by staying six feet away.
- Please don’t let your pet near a guide dog, even if your pet is leashed. Even allowing your pet to visit or “say hi,” for just a moment, can cause the guide dog to lose focus on the important job he has to do.
- It’s helpful to let a person who is blind know that you are nearby and tell them if you have a dog with you.
- Do not pet the guide dog, call the dog’s name, make eye contact, feed or talk to the dog. It’s always best to treat the dog as if he is not there.
- Do not shout directions, take the person by the arm or interrupt them, especially when they are crossing the street. Always ask the person if they need help first.
Good Advice from Cecelia Warren, GEB grad and disaster-preparedness expert from the Maryland Department of Disabilities: Thanks to Becky Davidson and Cecelia for sharing these Pointers for making Ourselves and our dogs Ready for Emergencies while We Shelter at Home during the pandemic.
- In addition to frequent hand washing, also wipe down high touch points such as the leash and harness handle. Handlers are constantly touching other surfaces, but we always return to pick up the leash and harness. This advice applies to door knobs, cane grips, remote controls, and other objects you frequently touch.
In the event that the dog has to stay with a sitter, have a bag packed with essentials- food, bowls, dog medicine, photo of dog (in case the dog goes missing), monthly preventatives, nylabone/toy (optional). Draft, save, print a set of instructions for the sitter. Include veterinarian name, location, contact info. - Contact the veterinarian, in advance, and put a credit card on file. If your dog needs treatment or meds while you are in quarantine, your sitter will not be reluctant to call the veterinarian. No worries about who will pay the bill.
- If your dog’s medications need refill, do it now.
- Purchase extra dog food now. If additional restrictions are placed on travel, commerce and supply chain interruptions could occur and make it impossible to find.
- Arrange for possible sitters now, while you are healthy. I know of service dog handlers who live in congregate settings where visitors are not permitted during quarantine or shelter in place. There is no one able to take the service dog out for walks or breaks.
- Perhaps puppy raisers or puppy sitters in the local region can assist with caring for the guide dog if the handlers family or friends cannot help. Reach out to them through your school or on Facebook. Get to know these wonderful people who volunteer to raise our guide dogs.
- This is not a formal protocol- but I make these suggestions after many *disasters*.
I am sure there will be those who don’t want to have their credit card on file with their veterinarian. The credit card does not make one pay for unauthorized charges. My dog is my responsibility. If I asked anyone to care for my dog I would want them to take him to the vet if he became ill. Veterinarians are not like primary care docs that let you pay the balance after your insurance pays their part. Vets need to be paid at time of service. Out of respect for the veterinarian and the puppy sitter- I think it’s a good practice not to make money an issue. Anyway, that’s my spin. Take good care of yourself and try to avoid people for a while.
Accessible COVID-19 Surveys: Share your experiences with people and organizations who need to know our community better!
The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) is conducting a confidential, real-time online assessment of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on healthcare and healthcare access among persons with a range of disabilities. AAHD has developed the COVID-19 & Disability Survey to collect and analyze that data.
AAHD is asking organizations to share the survey broadly amongst constituents and to encourage members to take it ASAP.
Please use this link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/COVID-19-Disability) in your listservs, newsletters, social media platforms, and other print and electronic dissemination strategies to help reach the most people. The survey will be open from April 17th, 2020 to May 1st, 2020.
Make sure your voice is heard by participating in a study investigating experiences of adults who are blind or have low vision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Major community organizations and companies have joined forces to collect feedback on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the lives of adults with visual impairments and to identify solutions for these challenges. Participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences in the following areas:
• Healthcare
• Transportation
• Employment
• Education
• Social experiences
• Access to meals, food, and supplies
• Voting
Take the survey at:
https://flatteninaccessibility.com/
This survey is open to anyone over age 18 with a visual impairment in the United States.
The World Blind Union (WBU) has developed a short survey to identify challenges faced by blind and partially sighted persons during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
WBU is undertaking this survey to understand how best to advocate for blind and partially sighted persons to ensure that COVID-19 response strategies are inclusive and accessible.
The survey can be completed in less than 20 minutes and it is available in English, French, and Spanish.
WBU recognizes the unprecedented challenges emerging from this pandemic and is taking the opportunity to learn and establish practical solutions and best practices for the future. We realize that your needs and solutions may vary from country to country and we want to learn from your experiences and define best strategies to overcome the pandemic. We are confident that information and data collected will become a powerful tool for our advocacy efforts among governments, UN agencies and key stakeholders.
Your testimonies will also enable us to understand how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting your day-to-day life. The learnings and practical solutions gathered will be shared widely for the benefit of our community. We want to ensure that your voices are heard, and no one is left behind.
Please take a few minutes to fill out this important survey and circulate it widely to your networks. The survey link is: https://forms.gle/d5NEs7yVPgS14h2Y7
If you encounter any difficulties or accessibility issues while completing the survey, please kindly contact us at info@wbu.ngo. Please also note that we may contact you to follow up on some of your responses.
Thank you in advance for your collaboration.
Terry Mutuku
Communications and Strategic Development Officer
World Blind Union
Survey Time!
Are you looking to find new ways to fill the time during these long shelter-in-place days and nights? Maybe you have overdosed on Netflicks and Disney-Plus? Maybe you need a distraction to keep you from making another quick jaunt across the kitchen floor to open the refrigerator door. Or – even better! – maybe you’re looking for a way to help the researchers and organizations whose missions involve helping those of us who are blind to live better, safer, more fulfilling lives. How about spending some productive time completing several blindness-related surveys!
Calling all adult Braille Display users!
I hope you are all safe and sound! This email is an invitation to blind and low-vision adults, age 18 and older, to join me in helping to make Braille displays more useful and life changing by taking this brief 23 question survey. We want to know what annoys you when using Braille Displays. In return you will be entered into a drawing for an Amazon.com gift card.
You have until April 30, 2020, to complete the survey.
Simply click here to take the survey, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W982W8S.
At Vispero, we want to make innovative solutions that change lives! To do so, we believe we need to listen to our users and understand their needs. Therefore this is your chance to tell us what improvements need to be made in Braille displays! Your input is directly shared with designers and project managers, and will be integrated into our products.
Thank you so much for taking the time to help us make products that change lives! Please stay safe!
Joel Persinger
UX Manager
17757 US Hwy 19 N #560, Clearwater, FL 33764
T: 727.803.8000
HELP US IMPROVE YOUR EXPERIENCE OF ACCESSIBLE ONLINE SHOPPING
Hello,
We’re master students at the University of Washington doing a research
project looking into blind and/or visually impaired people’s
experience with online shopping activities. We want to know what’s
working well and what needs improvement. We need your help!
What participants are we looking for?
Our ideal participants are those who identify as blind or visually
impaired and have done online shopping previously.
What will I be doing in a study?
We will conduct a phone or Zoom online interview. We are going to ask
you some questions mainly related to your shopping experience.
How long will it take?
The session will take about 45 minutes.
Will I be compensated for participation?
We will offer a $15 Visa Gift Card as compensation to show our
gratitude for your participation.
How will the transcript of the interview be used?
We understand this is a sensitive topic. We want to ensure that any
collected information will be anonymized and is only for our research
project.
How do I sign up?
If you’re interested or have any questions, please feel free to reach
out to Yagmur by email at yerten@uw.edu or text/call at 202-390-3275.
Dear friends in blindness,
As part of a collaborative research project, our small NYU-based team is recruiting interview participants to discuss different aspects of web development with a screen reader. Specifically, we would like to interview blind adults that have some web development experience (novice to expert welcome). Interviews will be conducted via zoom and will take no more than one hour. Participants will receive 25$ Amazon eGift Cards as honorarium. If you are interested, please contact Claire Kearney-Volpe at claire.kv@nyu.edu.
Kindly,
Claire Kearney-Volpe and Chancey Fleet
Study on mentoring and career advancement
My name is Tonika L. East, and I am a doctoral student in Leadership and Professional Practice at Trevecca Nazarene University. I am conducting an online study investigating mentoring and career advancement for individuals with blindness and/or visual impairments (B/VI) and how mentoring relationships affect employment outcomes. I am looking for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, over the age of 18 and who have held at least one job, to participate in my study.
This study consists of an online survey, which should take you about 30 minutes to complete. All of your responses will be anonymous and confidential. There will be an additional opportunity at the end of the online survey to participate in a follow-up focus group or interview.
To begin the study, please go to: https://www.research.net/r/blindmentor
If you have any questions before, during or after the study, feel free to contact me at 615.568.2613 or by email at tleast@trevecca.edu.
Thank you in advance for your participation in my doctoral research project.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University invite you to participate in a survey as part of research on supporting navigation and orientation by people with vision impairments. For this study, participants will be asked to complete a 30- minute survey about their navigation experiences. To be eligible to participate, you must be blind or visually impaired, at least 18 years old, a US resident, and navigate to somewhere new at least once per month. Participants who complete the survey will be compensated $10. Participation is completely voluntary.
More information about the survey, and the survey itself, can be found at this link:
Risks
The risks and discomfort associated with participation in this study are no greater than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during other online activities.
Benefits
There may be no personal benefit from your participation in the study, but the knowledge received may be of value to humanity. The knowledge received from this study could help researchers better understand how to design interactive tactile ground surface indicators.
Compensation & Costs
You will receive $10 for your successful completion of the survey for this study. The payment will be made available as an Amazon gift card that can be redeemed.
There will be no cost to you if you participate in this study.
Right to Ask Questions & Contact Information
If you have any questions about this study, you should feel free to ask them by contacting the Principal Investigator now at Patrick Carrington, Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, 407 S. Craig Street, Room 201, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, Phone: (412) 268-6541, Email: pcarrington@cmu.edu. If you have questions later, desire additional information, or wish to withdraw your participation please contact the Principal Investigator by mail, phone or e-mail in accordance with the contact information listed above.
Dogs join fight against COVID-19 by learning how to detect the virus
[From: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/dogs-join-fight-against-covid-19-by-learning-how-to-detect-the-virus-1.4893325] Published Sunday, April 12, 2020 9:52PM EDT
TORONTO — A British charity which has successfully trained dogs to detect
malaria is now attempting to train their canine sniffers to detect COVID-19.
Medical Detection Dogs, a charity in London, U.K. has partnered with the
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to initiate trials that will
train dogs how to sniff out the coronavirus
Dr. Claire Guest, the behavioural psychologist behind the charity, told CTV
News she is confident in these canines’ ability to help combat the spread of
the virus.
“We already train dogs in the past. absolutely no reason why a dog can’t
detect the virus,” Guest said.
Four years ago, CTV News’ Sandie Rinaldo saw first-hand how these dogs are
trained to detect serious illnesses such as prostate cancer, Parkinson’s
disease and malaria.
Kiwi, a three-year-old golden retriever at the time, showed his skills by
sniffing various negative samples of a patient with prostate cancer and one
positive sample. Within minutes, Kiwi stopped and
attentively sat in front of the positive sample.
Kiwi and other dogs in the program have been trained to be more than 80 per
cent accurate. The same structure of trial is being used to teach dogs how
to sniff human samples that have been treated in
advance for COVID-19.
“The person will be breathing out, there’ll be a lot of odour around the
body that the dog can detect, the dog has to learn that smell,” said Guest.
Upon successful trials, Guest said the dogs will be vital in detecting those
who have the virus but are not exhibiting symptoms, which could be extremely
useful when screening travellers entering the U.K.
The U.K. has faced several weeks of lockdown already, with more than 85,000
cases of the virus, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who
spent a few days in the ICU earlier this week, but
has since been released.
Research into whether dogs can sniff out COVID-19 is based on previous
research into dogs’ ability to sniff out malaria and is based on a belief
that each disease triggers a distinct odour. (AFP)
More Help with Zoom
Hello. So many of us are spending more time in our homes. Some of us may be working from home while others, though they may not currently be employed, are using their technology even more. So many individuals and organizations are hosting conferences using the Zoom Cloud Meetings platform. Many people are receiving invitations to these conferences and are finding themselves using Zoom for the first time. While Zoom is very accessible with screen readers, there’s still a lot to learn, and many of us have questions that we would like answers to.
To that end I have created a mailing list for people to ask questions and to provide support on how to use the Zoom program. I currently have just two rules that I’d like all users to follow.
- All messages should be relevant to Zoom. This can include Zoom on Windows, Mac, iOS or Android.
- Harassment or rudeness of any kind will not be tolerated.
To join the group, send an email to
zoom-users+subscribe@groups.io
To send a message to the group the email address to use is
Happy Zooming!
David Goldfield,
Blindness Assistive Technology Specialist
JAWS Certified, 2019
We hope you have enjoyed our fourth issue of “Paws for GDUI News You Can Use.” Remember, this is your magazine, if you are a guide dog user, whether a member of a guide dog team or just beginning to think about getting a guide dog of your own, our goal is to reach out to you, add to your knowledge about living and working with guide dogs, answer your questions, keep you interested, and to make you feel included as a member of the largest guide dog-related membership organization in the United States. We welcome your submissions and your feedback! Send e-mail to us here: Editor@Guidedogusersinc.org. Or, call our office, and Sarah will help you get in touch with us by phone.
We know that these anxiety-filled days and nights are hard for you and your dog. They’re hard on us, and on Anders and Willow too. We enjoyed our community conference call on the topic of Keeping Our Dogs Entertained During Shelter-at-Home. If you missed it, do check it out on the April GDUI Juno Report! And, make plans to attend future GDUI calls. We’re planning another call, this one focusing on grooming our dogs while sheltering at home. Watch our web site and our lists for an announcement regarding time and Zoom access, and look for our call listed on ACB Community Conference Calls schedules. The number of ACB community calls continues to expand, as does the diversity of topics. The calls, offered many times during day time and evening hours, offer a wonderful opportunity to connect with others who are blind and visually impaired. Often it is connections like these that help all of us get through troubled times.
Visit this page on ACB’s web site to learn more about upcoming calls, and to subscribe to the list where Zoom access information is shared for daily scheduled calls: https://acb.org/ACB-community-conference-calls .
We want to highlight one more upcoming GDUI event, and that involves our up-to-date guide dog school surveys! We expect to have the updated surveys online within the next couple of weeks. Vickie Curley, our Guide Dog Schools Liaison, and Cynthia Hawkins and Dixie Sanderson, both GDUI Board members, spent countless hours contacting, re-contacting, and sometimes re-re-contacting guide dog schools and training programs to assure that the information we publish is updated and reliable! When the schools open for business again, the surveys will be so valuable for helping us compare the various programs and approaches to training so that, when we’re ready for a new guide dog, we can choose the training program that’s the best match for our personal preferences and needs. The data collection is complete, the spread sheets have been created, and we expect to be handing the documents to Steve for uploading to our web site within the next week or two.
Thank you for reading and sharing our Paws for GDUI News You Can Use! We welcome your feedback and your involvement in our organization. Thank you for your friendship and support.
Penny Reeder, President
Guide Dog Users, Inc.
Andrea Giudice, Editor
Connect with GDUI
Visit our web site: https://www.guidedogusersinc.org/
Call us, toll-free, at 866.799.8436
Our Facebook page can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/GDUInc/.
Our Facebook group can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/groups/GDUINC/.
Our Twitter timeline can be accessed at https://twitter.com/gduinc.
Download or subscribe to the GDUI Juno Report pod cast here: http://acbradio.org/gdr.xml
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: http://www.acblists.org/mailman/listinfo/gdui-announce.
To subscribe to the GDUI Chat list, visit this link: chat+subscribe@guidedogusersinc.org.
To subscribe to the (members only) GDUI Business list, visit this link: