President: Sarah Calhoun
Editor: Andrea Giudice
Co-editor and GDUI Immediate Past President: Penny Reeder
Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI)
A special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) since 1972
Toll-Free: 866.799.8436
From the editor: Hello fellow GDUISters
GDUI Convention 2021 is over and, as for Mr. A and I, much rest did ensue!
I am taking this opportunity to recognize people, without whom, this convention would not have happened, or been so successful!
To the Convention Program Planning team- Deb Trevino, co-coordinator, Sarah Calhoun, GDUI President, Lynn Merrill, Maria Hansen, Maria Kristic, and, last but very much not least, my anonymous (name withheld to protect the innocent) Planning Partner- unnamed but eternally thanked!!! Ladies you made me look clever, creative- like all that and a Kit Kat!! “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!” To Steve our wonderful web master, you always rise to whatever challenge I throw at you. As a result of your expertise, and prompt response to any and all requests updates and changes to gdui.org happen quickly and accessibly. I am forever grateful for the Steveafacation of the content I send your way! To all of the presenters for giving up time during their summer to share with us and be interesting, informative, and enlightening. To Hava who provided plush guides, Pawz and Rezoom, so beautifully appointed in their hand-crafted gear! To everyone who purchased tickets for the drawing and registered for GDUI at the time of overall conference registration helping raise much needed funds for GDUI to continue the life changing work we do. To the people who hosted each session, making certain untrained people such as myself didn’t derail the doings. To everyone behind the scenes at ACB for making the virtual experience so terrific and unforgettable. To all of you who attended the sessions, causing all the time, energy, and work necessary to make GDUI Convention 2021 happen fade in to a distant memory, replaced with a feeling of having hit one all the way out of the park!
I really enjoyed the program this year! I found it interesting, informative, and thought provoking. It was great fun being part of the team that put it together!
While it was not the intention to create a program that was thematic, that is what happened. Our author, Christie Bane, talked about her book, Forward Together: An Inside Look at Guide Dog Training, which delves in to the raising, training and placement of guide dogs. Dr. Giudice and Paul Fink describe some of their current research and talked about the future of autonomous vehicles (Avs; the many benefits and huge potential of this newest form of transportation, and highlighted some of the challenges that need to be addressed.
We learned of a collaborative video, created to educate TSA, airport, and airline employees. Chelsea White- The Seeing Eye and Rabih Dow- Guide Dogs for the Blind, partners in the video, explained who is the target audience and urged all of us to share it with anyone we know, or anyone we know who knows someone, connected to TSA and airports and airlines.
Find the video here:
David Locklin- Leader Dogs for the Blind, Lukas Franck- The Seeing Eye, and Diane Bergeron- CNIB Guide Dogs discussed the importance of knowledge sharing between guide schools. Whether helping each other through the pandemic or with the challenges faced establishing guide dog programs around the world. Additionally, we had more guide dog schools than ever before at the school update session; filling us in on how they have weathered the past year, and the creative, innovative way they have met the unusual circumstances of the pandemic. Of course, let’s not forget, the amazing, inspiring award winners!
So, focus on travel you ask? Yes, each session focused on some aspect of the guide dog world… how they grow and learn, the fabulous lives people lead and things they do while partnered with a guide dog, how the programs that breed and train them are working, individually and together, to meet the needs of their graduates and applicants, how those same guide dog programs are dedicated to bringing the freedom and independence of the guide dog life style to the whole world, we received a new tool, the video, to make air travel less frustrating, and finally, what it might look like for us to be able to “drive” ourselves, and our guides, to a favorite local business and get a celebratory treat or beverage.
Well, space, and your attention, runs short. “Madame President, I apologize, my rhapsodizing has left no room for your usual greetings! “
Enjoy this issue and stay safe and cool!
Sending cyber hugs and wags, Andrea and Mr. A
Announcement: Want to help drive the future of driving?
Contact Dr. Nicholas Giudice to get involved with his research
Announcement: News from National Braille Press
Massive Downloadable Braille Sale!
Download and store these books before they disappear on August 31st!
Though National Braille Press moved exclusively into using the Unified English Braille code (UEB) back in 2016, we still have a handful of useful and/or fun books in downloadable electronic braille format (BRFs) in the old, English Braille American Edition code (EBAE). To help us clean up our database, we plan to remove these older BRFs, but not before we give you a chance to download them at a huge discount!
We’re offering these books as downloads only for $5.00 each between now and August 31, 2021. From cookbooks to kids book, get them now!
Take a look here: https://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/download-sale
Announcement: Totally cool source for accessible games
64 Ounce Games
3911 Greenwood Drive
Pearland TX 77584
Announcement: Hadley presents
Two interesting items from Hadley:
Now There’s a Magazine Website Specifically for You
Dorrie Rush, OE’s Chief Content Officer, joins us for a chat about this wonderful online resource chock full of tips for living well with vision loss.
You’ll find great articles on using tech tools, tips for health and well-being, stories from others living with vision loss, a terrific podcast, and more.
Audio Described National Parks
Audio Describe the World! That’s the mantra of UniDescription: a free smartphone app that provides audio descriptions and navigation tips for US National Parks and other public places.
Downloadable transcripts are available at: hadley.edu
Article: Important news about traveling with a guide dog, from the CDC
As of July 14, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began requiring that people traveling back to the U.S. from countries where rabies is a high risk obtain a permit to return to the country with their dogs. The CDC urges people to apply for the permit 6 weeks before they intend to return to the country with their dogs. This permit requirement does apply to service dogs and you must have the permit even if your dog was vaccinated in the U.S. and you have proof of vaccination. Below is the list of countries the CDC considers to be high risk. If your travel destination is not on this list, you do not need to apply for the permit. You should review the list carefully as you make your travel plans.
Below is a link to detailed information about how to apply for the permit, including information about where to email your completed permit application.
How to Apply for a CDC Dog Import Permit
You must already have the permit when you return from the high-risk country to the U.S. You cannot apply for the permit upon your return to the U.S. If you return without a permit, your dog can be denied entry into the country.
If you have questions about this information, please reach out directly to the CDC either by email at cdcanimalimports@cdc.gov or call (800)-232-4636.
Beginning July 14, 2021, there is a temporary suspension for dogs imported from high-risk countries for dog rabies. CDC has the authority to issue a CDC Dog Import Permit for US citizens and lawful residents relocating from high-risk countries to bring their dogs into the United States. Such permits will be issued on an extremely limited basis.
First 90-Day Transition Process
From July 14 through October 14, 2021, dogs coming from high-risk countries with CDC Dog Import Permits can enter the United States at one of these 18 airports: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago (ORD), Dallas, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York (JFK), Newark, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle, and Washington, DC (Dulles).
After October 14, 2021, dogs coming from high-risk countries with CDC Dog Import Permits must enter only at approved ports of entry.
High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies:
Updated July 14, 2021
Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti
Egypt (Temporary importation suspension of dogs from Egypt until further notice)
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,
Eswatini (Swaziland), Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya
Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria
Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa
South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara
Zambia, Zimbabwe
Americas & Caribbean: Belize, Bolivia, Brazil
Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador
El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras
Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Asia and the Middle East, Eastern Europe:
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan
Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brunei
Cambodia, China (excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan)
Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan
Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia
Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, North Korea, Oman
Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia
Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand
Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine
United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen
If a country or political unit is not listed above, it is not considered high risk for importing dog rabies into the United States. Therefore, if the country is not listed, CDC strongly recommends a rabies vaccine certificate, but it is not required to enter the United States.
Editor’s note: I sent an e-mail requesting more detailed information about how this CDC Dog Import Permit and the restricted entry airports pertains to guide dogs. I did receive an answer, just today, and I am pasting in one line from that message: “At this time, service dogs may travel through the approved airports.” I am no expert; however, it seems careful research needs to be done if your travel includes any of the above-mentioned countries.
Article: Prevent these five common summer paw problems
(https://vcahospitals.com/shop/home/articles/prevent-these-five-common-summer-paw-problems)
Spending time outside in the fresh air and sunshine is one of the many joys of summer, but sometimes outdoor play can end up being a bit rough on dog paws. Nothing puts the kibosh on outdoor fun as fast as a paw injury. Keep the good times going by taking these steps to ensure your dog’s feet remain unharmed throughout all their summertime shenanigans. While some cuts and bruises may be unavoidable, these five classic summertime paw problems are perfectly preventable.
Burnt and torn pads:
If you’ve ever run across the street barefoot as a kid, then you undoubtedly remember just how hot and uncomfortable that blacktop can get. Walking or, even worse, running on its scorching and rough surface can easily burn and tear your dog’s paw pads. Protect those tender toes by restricting your walks and runs to the cooler hours of the day and the smoother sidewalk surfaces.
Metal edging injuries:
Metal edging is a common fixture in many backyards, which is probably why it’s also one of the most common causes of cut dog paws. Although it may seem blunt, it’s as good as a knife when a running dog lands on it at high speed. Remove the risk from your yard by opting for pet-friendly edging options like brick or poured concrete.
Torn nails:
A toenail that gets snagged during rambunctious play or a full-tilt run can end up getting pulled right off—ouch! Keep your dog’s nails trimmed short to prevent them from catching on things. If you’ve been avoiding this task because your dog isn’t a fan of nail trims, check out our tips to de-stress your pet’s pedicures.
Grass awn foreign bodies:
Grass awns, also known as foxtails, may look harmless as they barely cling to your dog’s coat, but these problematic seed pods have the uncanny ability to penetrate the skin and then slowly work their way deeper into the tissue. They often end up between dog toes, making their way into the paw itself. Keep grass awns off your dog by mowing your lawn regularly and avoiding tall grasses on walks.
Ticks:
These crafty parasites like to burrow in tricky places, and one of their common hard-to-find spots is between the toes (in the ears is their other super sneaky hideout). Because finding them can be so difficult, the best way to protect your pet from ticks is to use year-round parasite preventives.
Article: Guide Dog Raised by NHL Team Is Ready to Head to the Paralympics with His New Swimmer Owner
(Article link: https://people.com/pets/guide-dog-raised-by-nhl-team-paired-with-paralympic-swimmer/)
Anastasia Pagonis, 16, and Radar the guide dog are currently at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado
September is National Service Dog Month, but that’s not even the biggest news in Radar’s life.
The Labrador retriever guide dog was recently matched with his owner Anastasia Pagonis, a blind 16-year-old who quickly succeeded at competitive swimming after losing her eyesight two years ago. Two weeks after being introduced, Radar and Pagonis are residing at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Pagonis, one of the top athletes on the U.S. Paralympic Swimming Team, is training for a chance to compete in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo — now rescheduled to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Even though the pair only knew each other for 4 days ahead of the trip from Pagonis’ home in Long Island, New York to Colorado, the swimmer says that Radar handled travel “really well.” Having Radar by her side was a welcomed change for Pagonis, who had to “rely on other people” for almost everything before being paired with the guide dog.
“Honestly, I couldn’t be like my own person and so now that I have him, I feel so independent,” the teen tells PEOPLE about how Radar has already rapidly reshaped her life.
“I’m gonna conquer the world with him,” she adds.
Pagonis already conquered quite a bit before meeting Radar. At 11, Pagonis, then playing soccer, was starting to lose her vision due to a genetic disease, and while she could see “pretty well at the time” she had a blind spot that caused her to ” get kicked in the face too much with the ball.” Dedicated to keeping athletics as part of her life, Pagonis spoke to her doctor about a different sport she could try that was better suited to her vision loss. Her doctor suggested swimming.
“When I got in the water, I fell in love with it,” Pagonis says of starting the sport. “It was a place where I felt free, where I didn’t need any help getting around, and I didn’t need anything.”
Unfortunately, in 2018, Pagonis’ vision “completely blew” suddenly, leaving her only able to distinguish some variations in light.
“We didn’t understand why this was happening or what was going on,” Pagonis says of the overwhelming moment. “I went back to the doctor and I came back with autoimmune retinopathy, which is another disease on top of my genetic disease. How lucky am I?”
The sudden loss of her vision understandably rattled Pagonis who stopped swimming and went through “a really dark time” as she grappled with what this change meant for her future. With help from her supportive family, Pagonis focused on her mental health and got the help she needed to be ready to start swimming again.
“Then, we could not find a coach that wanted to train me because nobody wanted to train the blind girl,” she says of trying to restart swimming. “Nobody had faith in me.”
Until Marc Danin of Islander Aquatics happily agreed to train Pagonis, even blacking out his goggles to get a better understanding of how Pagonis experiences swimming.
“I figured it out and I got back into it and now it’s my happy place. I love it so much again. It’s honestly my favorite time of the day. My favorite time of everything. It’s my life now,” Pagonis shares.
This passion, and the support of Coach Danin and her team, has helped Pagonis rise to the position she is in now: training for a potential spot in the Paralympics. Pagonis has also embraced her vision loss and has become an advocate for blind people and everything they can achieve, using her Instagram (@anastasia_k_p) to show her support and enthusiastically educate others on what living life as a blind person is really like.
Pagonis says it is not uncommon for followers to slide into her DM to question if she is really blind because of her appearance and everything she has achieved, an impressive amount for any 16-year-old. She relishes replying to these doubters, explaining to them how real blind people, like her, rarely match the helpless stereotypes many have in their heads.
“I get put in a box all the time. I get put in a box that I can’t do this. I can’t do that,” she says. “I just feel like blindness has such a stereotype where you have to look a certain way, and act a certain way, and you can’t be an elite athlete, and you can’t wear makeup, and you can’t dress up. You just have to be what they want you to be.”
Having Radar by her side only makes her feel more fierce and unstoppable.
“He is literally amazing and he is the smartest dog in the world,” she says of the pooch, who goes with her everywhere, including the pool.
“He’ll just sit on the side of the deck and he’ll just chill there.”
If Pagonis heads to Tokyo in 2021 for the Paralympics, Radar will be there too, and he is uniquely prepared for the crowds, sounds, and chaos that comes with big events.
Radar, a guide dog trained by the Guide Dog Foundation, was raised by the New York Islanders hockey team. While Radar was born at the Guide Dog Foundation’s campus in Long Island, New York, and was later trained by their professionals and matched with Pagonis free of charge, the non-profit relies on volunteers to help raise and socialize their puppies before they return to campus for more advanced training.
The New York Islanders, who had partnered with the Guide Dog Foundation before to raise funds for their efforts, decided to take their support one step further by helping the foundation raise puppies, and Radar was their first. The precious pup attended Islanders games, met fans, pawed around the office, and was regularly immersed in all the sounds and sensations that come with a major sports game.
“Essentially a huge portion of what the first few months of guide dog training are is socializing the puppy and introducing them to new things,” says Ann Rina, the senior director of community relations for the Islanders. “And what better way to do that? We have a captive audience of 15,000 fans in our arena, so why not?”
Radar quickly became a team favorite during his puppy raising period with the Islanders, and Rina says the team, and their fans, are overjoyed to see the dog grown up and already making an impact on his owner’s life. The NHL team was so smitten with being part of the process, the are in the process of raising another service puppy, this time for the Guide Dog Foundation’s sister organization, America’s VetDogs.
To keep track of Pagonis’ Paralympics journey, which hopefully ends with a gold medal for her and Radar, follow her on Instagram.
Article: Judge David Tatel’s lack of eyesight never defined him, but his blindness is woven into the culture of the influential appeals court in D.C.
By: Ann E. Marimow
The Washington Post July 8, 2021
When Judge David S. Tatel informed President Biden of his plan to step back from the federal bench this year, he closed his letter on a personal note: “My guide dog, Vixen, is pleased to know that First Dogs Champ and Major are also German Shepherds.”
In nearly three decades on the appeals court in Washington, Tatel’s lack of eyesight has never defined him. But his blindness — and more recently the attentive German shepherd at his side — is now woven into the culture of the courthouse where Tatel has been at the epicenter of consequential cases affecting major aspects of American life.
The latest formal portrait of the court’s black-robed judges features Vixen in the front row.
“For a judge who can’t see, he sees everything. Not just what is going on in the case before him, but how it matters in the future,” said Steve Vladeck, a constitutional law professor at the University of Texas and close observer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit. “It’s hard to think of a judge who is more highly respected on the federal appellate bench even by those who disagree with him.”
His plan at age 79 to take a lighter caseload or “senior status” once Biden installs his successor winds down the career of a leading, liberal-leaning voice on the bench that has shaped laws affecting voting rights, the environment, Internet regulations and press freedoms.
Biden’s first slate of judicial nominees aims to quickly boost diversity in federal courts Tatel’s tenure on one of the most influential courts in the country has often thrust him into high-profile disputes involving the
government: New York Times reporter Judith Miller’s battle to protect a confidential source; the troubled military trials at Guantánamo Bay; and more recently, his unsuccessful attempt to block the Trump administration from reviving the federal death penalty.
“After so many years in D.C. in the thick of a lot of controversies, it would be easy to be cynical. But he’s never wavered in his faith in the system he’s a part of,” said Goodwin Liu, one of Tatel’s former law clerks who is a justice on the California Supreme Court. “He has always believed he could persuade his colleagues with rational argument and is open to persuasion himself.”
During oral arguments in the wood-paneled fifth-floor courtroom, it is easy to forget that Tatel is blind. He asks penetrating questions and often has a better handle on details from the dregs of thick case files than some of the attorneys arguing before him. The signs are subtle — an elbow from a colleague guiding him to his seat or the request from a fellow judge to the arguing attorney to read a specific statute out loud.
Retired judge Thomas B. Griffith, who served with Tatel for 15 years, never considered Tatel’s blindness a limitation, but rather envied how his work seemed enhanced by technology. On the bench,
Tatel uses a small Braille computer, listening through one earpiece as he clicks through his meticulous notes.
“Our joke in chambers was, I want one of those little black boxes because it’s got all the right answers, it asks all the right questions and has all the right record citations,” Griffith said.
“It’s just amazing.”
‘The brain adapts’
Tatel’s vision first posed a problem when he played baseball as a kid in Silver Spring. Diagnosed with a retinal disease at the National Eye Institute at 15, he stopped driving his third year of law school at the University of Chicago. His eyesight deteriorated dramatically during a family ski trip when he was nearly 30.
Tatel’s wife Edie, and later the couple’s four children, became his “audible artists” — reading to him, describing the world and guiding him on hikes and down ski slopes.
But after Tatel lost his eyesight, his memory improved prodigiously.
The system of workarounds and network of support he developed, in addition to advances in technology and his superior memory, gave Tatel something akin to a superpower.
Early on, when he was a lawyer in private practice in Washington, Tatel needed everything read to him — newspapers, the mail, legal briefs. Now his desk is a tangle of cords for devices that include the Braille computer that converts text to speech and an oversized iPod-like audio reader.
The computer speaks to him in a robotic, male voice that reads everything including Roman numerals and punctuation marks while mispronouncing certain words. The judge listens at a clip four, sometimes five, times the normal speed, and tears through three newspapers daily and at least half a dozen books a month.
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“The brain adapts,” he said.
By necessity, Tatel’s law clerks read drafts of opinions out loud and make edits as they go before he does light edits on his own computer.
“If a clerk read the wrong word or missed a comma, he would know and say, ‘Isn’t there a comma there or isn’t that a different word?’”
recalled Michelle Friedland, a former clerk who is now a judge on the 9th Circuit.
Tatel’s writing is sparse and not prone to rhetorical flourishes. He detests passive voice and considers footnotes clutter. Anything worth saying should be fully explored in the text of the opinion, he says.
“He has tremendous ability to think in complete paragraphs and a great command of the overall picture of what a draft looks like,” Liu said.
President Bill Clinton picked Tatel in 1994 to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg. By then, he’d had a long career as a prominent civil liberties lawyer working to desegregate public schools throughout the country. Tatel honed his judicial style in more than 700 opinions and has collaborated with more than 100 clerks, whose photos are prominently displayed in the hallway of his chambers.
Some include college debate champions who Tatel first hired as his human readers before they went on to law school and returned to his chambers. Travis Crum, his first, gave Tatel a pipeline to what Crum jokingly calls “fast talking nerds who want to go to law school.”
“With all due respect to Yale Law School,” said Crum, now a law professor, “it was the best legal education I got.”
‘He plays it straight’
Even as technology has evolved, what has not changed is Tatel’s analytical, energetic approach to the law and appreciation for the real-world impact of his decisions.
In 2012, a significant case landed with Tatel and his colleagues over a central provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that required states with a history of discrimination to seek federal approval before changing voting laws. Proponents said it was needed to protect minority voting rights, but the Supreme Court had already signaled skepticism.
“I’ve read the briefs, and I realize the Supreme Court has hinted where it’s headed,” Judge Stephen F. Williams, a nominee of President Ronald Reagan, wrote in an email to Tatel. “But I remain uncertain.
What’s your view, David?”
What followed were memos, phone calls and meetings in Tatel’s chambers overlooking the National Gallery of Art in which the judges grappled over the law and the issues in a collaborative back-and-forth.
“You can’t predict how he’s going to decide based on who the plaintiff is or what the issue is. He plays it straight,” said Griffith, the third judge on the panel.
Tatel could not persuade Williams, his close friend who died last summer. But Griffith, a nominee of President George W. Bush, joined Tatel’s majority opinion upholding the law. The courts had no reason, Tatel wrote, to second guess Congress when it came to ensuring that “the right to vote — surely among the most important guarantees of political liberty in the Constitution — is not abridged on account of race.”
But, as Williams predicted, the Supreme Court reversed Tatel the next year in a 5-to-4 decision written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
Republican-led state legislatures have since passed a flurry of new voting restrictions.
Geoffrey Stone, a professor and former dean of the University of Chicago Law School, said Tatel’s opinion “captured perfectly the reasons why the act was constitutional, why it was sensible and why we as a nation needed it.”
Tatel’s work has also impacted major environmental policies and shaped the future of the Internet. He was initially on the losing side when the full D.C. Circuit refused to rehear a lawsuit from Massachusetts and other states saying George W. Bush’s administration was not doing enough to fight global warming.
“If global warming is not a matter of exceptional importance, then those words have no meaning,” Tatel wrote, after delving into climate science.
He was vindicated in 2007 when the Supreme Court embraced his view and said in a 5-to-4 decision that the Clean Air Act empowers the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases.
A few years later, Tatel ended up reviewing a trio of critical cases affecting the Internet. In 2016, he and Judge Sri Srinivasan wrote a rare joint opinion upholding strict rules banning Internet providers from blocking or slowing traffic to consumers.
“Given the tremendous impact third-party Internet content has had on our society, it would be hard to deny its dominance in the broadband experience,” the judges wrote. “Over the past two decades, this content has transformed nearly every aspect of our lives, from profound actions like choosing a leader, building a career, and falling in love to more quotidian ones like hailing a cab and watching a movie.”
‘What a good dog’
On the back roads of rural Virginia, where the Tatels relocated during the pandemic, the judge and his dog log many miles exploring together. Tatel firmly grasps Vixen’s harness as she gently steers him to the side of the road, standing guard between him and the large trucks that rumble by. And during virtual court hearings or while Tatel edits an opinion, Vixen collapses on an oversized pillow awaiting the judge’s next move.
Tatel was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in 1957 as a teen attending Montgomery Blair High School. As he studied political science at the University of Michigan and later met Edie, his vision problems did not initially interfere with biking, skiing, reading or work.
After law school, he became an investigator for the Chicago mayor’s commission to study the 1968 riots, which cemented his commitment to civil rights and education. He would go on to lead the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the national committee in D.C. During the Carter administration, he revived the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
By his early 30s, Tatel had lost his eyesight.
He learned to use a mobility cane from a woman who taught tap dancing at the Chevy Chase Community Center. But for years, he resisted getting a guide dog in part because he thought it would require a lengthy training period away from court. Some in his family were also reluctant — partly fearing they would be displaced by a dog.
“All these years, we’ve walked together,” Tatel said of Edie. “My children, too. We never walk anywhere without holding on.”
But Tatel’s thinking changed as his movements became more prescribed.
Edie walked with him from their apartment in Friendship Heights to the Metro. Law clerks took turns meeting him at Judiciary Square to walk with him to the gym to swim laps and then on to court.
Tatel first met Vixen in the summer of 2019, after his grandson shared a podcast describing a guide dog program with on-site, at-home training.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Tatel, who has run three marathons. “You have to give up all the techniques you’ve learned to get around and turn them over to a dog.”
Commands, hand signals, listening to traffic. Tatel engaged in two weeks of around-the-clock, painstaking work with a trainer and Vixen.
The communication slowly began to feel more instinctive as they practiced walking city streets. But it would take six months to click and they are still learning from each other.
There were minor mishaps. When Vixen took a wrong turn during an early visit to the courthouse, the U.S. marshals had to steer the judge in the right direction.
During a recent trip to the courthouse, Tatel stood with Vixen on the Metro platform in Friendship Heights and waited. The double doors of the rail car slid open and Vixen guided the judge inside.
“What a good dog,” Tatel said, patting her head as she sat at his feet for the ride.
In his letter to Biden in February, Tatel characterized his tenure on the bench as “the highest honor of my professional life. But he said after 27 years, it was time to “make room for a new generation.”
After their Metro ride to Judiciary Square, Vixen took Tatel past a homeless encampment and then slowed down to signal caution as she expertly navigated between two cylindrical jersey barriers to arrive at the courthouse doors.
Even after more than a year away, Vixen needed no prompting from the judge.
She took him into the elevator and then trotted through the warren of private hallways until they reached Tatel’s light-filled chambers with a view of the Mall.
The judge exuberantly greeted his legal assistant, Amanda Grace, and with his hand on Vixen’s head, said: “Guess who knew the way?”
Article: Fabulous weekly e-newsletter full of great stuff!
Top Tech Tidbits. The world’s #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology.
https://www.toptechtidbits.com
(Excerpted from https://www.toptechtidbits.com/tidbits2021/07292021/.)
Here are examples of the range of content found each week:
Two New NVDA Add-ons
A.) Advanced Phonetic Reading:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q75mnyttr34zjpm/EnhancedPhoneticReading_0.5a2_Gen.nvda-addon?dl=1
B.) Clock:
https://github.com/hkatic/clock/releases/download/v21.07/clock-21.07.nvda-addon
Exploring Tech Webinar with David Woodbridge
All about Smart Speakers with and without screens, and some 3rd party devices, on YouTube:
Intro to Grade 3 Braille, Braille with JAWS, and Braille in iOS
These are some of the recorded masterclasses available from the Braillists Foundation:
https://www.braillists.org/media/
Case For Not Using Accessibility Overlays, With Added Privacy Concerns
A.) A lot of accessibility professionals have endorsed or contributed to this document explaining why AccessiBe and similar products harm accessibility efforts:
B.) This post from respected authority L’onie Watson is clear about the unwelcome privacy consequences of AccessiBe:
https://tink.uk/accessibe-and-data-protection/
Using Picture Smart in JAWS and Fusion to Describe Image Files or Pictures on Web Pages
This is a short TikTok video:
Game On | 1 New Endorsement | Top Tech Tidbits BVI Technology Game Directory | 10 Games Listed
If you are a blind or visually impaired gamer and you play a game that you would like to tell other blind or visually impaired gamers about, please submit your game to the Top Tech Tidbits BVI Technology Game Directory today. And remember, if you come across a game in the Directory that you agree is awesome, please be sure to endorse it by submitting it yourself so that it moves up the list where more people will notice it:
https://www.toptechtidbits.com/blind-and-visually-impaired-technology-game-directory.html
Paid Research Project | Exploring the Experiences and Needs of People with Visual Impairments in a Kitchen | Closes: August 3rd 2021
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is conducting a research project to explore how blind and low-vision people cook in the kitchen so that we can understand their challenges, and design technologies to support cooking activities. In a study session, we will be observing participants cooking, and interviewing them about their cooking experiences. You may qualify if you are: 18+ years old AND blind or low vision for at least one year AND a US resident. (We can only offer research compensation to US residents for now due to tax requirements. Sorry for that!). We will provide a $15 Amazon gift card per hour as compensation. The study will last about 2 hours, so the total compensation will be $30. If you are interested in our study, please fill in the questionnaire in the link to sign up:
https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_81FUiBOLXrZe8Yu
Game-Changing iPhone Features That Make Life with a Disability Easier
The accessibility mode may just be the greatest ally in maintaining your autonomy:
A Controversial Tool Calls Out Thousands of Hackable Websites
Say Yes To The Dress: Who is Shaela Warkentin? Meet TLC’s blind bride on Instagram
“Say Yes to The Dress” featured the second episode of its brand-new season on Saturday, July 24th 2021. The episode took many viewers by surprise as it featured the blind bride, Shaela Warkentin, whom Randy Fenoli and the other store managers assisted to find a bridal gown:
https://www.realitytitbit.com/celebrity-gossip-and-news/shaela-warkentin-say-yes-to-the-dress
New Award-Winning App Helps the Visually Impaired Manage Their Wardrobe
Two Industrial Design students from Carleton University have won an Innovative Designs for Accessibility (IDeA) student competition award from Universities Canada for their concept Closet, a label system that enables people with visual disabilities to independently manage their clothes:
New Award-Winning App Helps the Visually Impaired Manage Their Wardrobe
H&M Tops List of Accessible Websites, As Most Retailers Fail to Cater for The Visually Impaired
Clothing retailer H&M’s homepage topped the table for accessible websites, registering a perfect score of 100 on Google Lighthouse — the only site to cater for all types of visual impairments:
Deaf-Blind Swimmer Withdraws From Paralympics After Being Denied Access To Personal Care Assistant
Becca Meyers, a six-time medallist, has been forced to withdraw from the competition after officials denied her access to have her Personal Care Assistant with her in Japan:
Blind YouTube Star Molly Burke Wants To Help Young Disabled People Navigate Wellness
Molly Burke has been on YouTube for six years, sharing her life as a young blind woman to nearly two million people on a regular basis — including daily routines, unique challenge videos and anecdotes about losing her sight as a result of an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. With her recent partnership with Schick, however, the 27-year-old aims to do more than to share her life experiences on her platform, but also to use it to make wellness more accessible:
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/blind-youtube-molly-burke-wellness-192223773.html
Introduction to Audio Description from 3Play Media
August 12th 2021 | 11AM PT, 12PM MT, 1PM CT, 2PM ET, 6PM GMT | This webinar will cover the basics of how to add audio description to online video, legal requirements for audio description, video player compatibility, examples and demos, how to create audio description, and benefits of audio description outside of accessibility:
https://go.3playmedia.com/wbnr-08-12-2021-ad
Technology User Group Helps You Prepare for the Changes Coming to Your iDevice and Computer
August 14th 2021 | 7AM PT, 8AM MT, 9AM CT, 10AM ET, 2PM GMT | On Saturday, August 14th 2021 the Technology User Group helps you prepare for the changes coming to your iDevice and computer. This September, iOS 15 will be released. Is your phone eligible for the upgrade? What new features can you expect? Is Siri going to have added skills and abilities? Also, we will look at the expected changes to Jaws and Zoomtext as they move toward a new Beta version debuting in October. You do not have to RSVP for this event. The presentation will last about 90 minutes. We look forward to meeting with you virtually and hope that you will join us for other exciting events we have planned for 2021. This presentation will be virtual and may be joined by calling:
319-527-4994
Editor’s note:
Material for GDUI- News You Can Use, is culled from a variety of sources; Hence inclusion herein does not imply GDUI endorses, supports or verifies its contents. Information, ideas, or expressed opinions are not advice, therefore should not be treated as such. Factual errors are the responsibility of the listed source.
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Guide Dog Users, Inc.
Andrea Giudice, Editor
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