Guide Dog Training Update

So just as the title of this post suggests, I'm here to give you a guide dog training update. Things have been a bit nuts with us originally thinking we were going into class on the the 25th of February, but the other student is apparently going on a vacation smack in the middle of the training session. So, the training dates may be moved up until the 11th of February instead. Since we're discussing dates, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this dog and I will be trained together and hopefully turn into a working team. This is all very exciting.
One concern the guide dog organisation had was the number of dogs in our flat. The concerns they expressed were logical, such as us having a space shortage, but it had me worried for a while that getting a guide dog was going to be a problem. There's a lot I could say about the whole thing, but in reality there's no point. I'm going into class and everything should turn out fine. It would just be interesting to know what people with children are told who are attempting to "qualify"(AKA graduate) with a guide dog.
So, I'm sure you'd like details of the new dog, but the problem is I was so wrapped up in the issue of having too many dogs that I forgot to ask if I could talk about HER. That's right: I'm getting a girl. I figure I can tell you at least that much. It's about time too: Hermione and I are outnumbered right now. ;)
Other than our little dilemma, the meeting on Wednesday went well. All of the dogs got along just fine and the trainer and I spent some time going around the routes that I'll be taking. If there is time, he is going to show her the routes in order to make the transition from training in the hotel to our area easier, but if the training dates are moved up to February 11th, there won't be the time to go through that process. Her trainer is also one of the only ones in this area target training his dogs. I really appreciate this skill because it means that she can find light poles and other helpful objects.
So, all in all, despite the one glitch, the meeting on Wednesday went pretty well. I saw her only for a brief few minutes and spent the rest of the time showing the trainer around, but it was good to be able to ask some questions and get to know the trainer a bit more. I don't know when I'll see her again, but I'm supposed to hear from the trainer on Tuesday to confirm the dates that we'll be training.

Inaccessibility of Academia

This post follows closely on the heels of my announcement that I am going back to school. As I write it, part of me wonders what crazy person would subject themselves to this for the next two years, but at the same time, I am very excited to start a new program. But let me start at the beginning so that this might be a bit less confusing.
Tomorrow I am finally writing my licensing exam for massage therapy. It's nearly seven months after I graduated and is a long time coming. That said, I have had to be studying in order to ensure I am prepared for tomorrow. The fun part about the exam, is not its 300 questions, but the fact that it is multiple choice. I hate multiple choice-always have, always will. I tend to over think the answers and end up getting the answer wrong. But it's not the exam itself that is frustrating me; at least not yet. My studying process isn't going so well. It is another example of how learning is so inaccessible.
In order to write the exam, there is a specific handbook and textbook that the supervising organisation suggests we use. That is all fine and dandy, but the book is not offered in an accessible format. I had a few choices-I could order the book and scan it myself and read it on my computer, or I could have contacted the publisher to see if they had an electronic form that I could purchase instead of the hard copy. In anticipation of both avenues being time consuming, I searched online for an electronic learning tool and found one. I perused the home page and found that I could operate everything with my screen reading software. I just assumed the entire site would be as easy to nevagate-mistake number one. The cost of the membership was as much as the hard copy book, so I opted for the website. I figured it was the same price and allowed me to independently study. Boy was I wrong.
Upon being granted entry to the main page that contained the lectures and practice tests, I quickly realised that the page was not accessible at all. I couldn't negotiate any of the menus myself to get the lectures started or stopped. It also turned out that I couldn't even take the practice exams on my own. I wasn't sure what to do next. I thought about canceling the whole thing and asking for my money back and just ordering the book. I could scan it myself-not an entirely appealing option, but doable. But after consulting Mr. K, He said not to worry. He has crafted his own screen reading software and it is mostly mouse driven. He can work a lot of things that most blind people using the marketed screen reading softwares can't. He said he would set me up to listen to each lecture and move me to the next. He also offered to read me the exams and put my answers in for me. I thought it was a good idea and accepted-mistake number two.
I should know, from years of being in school, that if it is a process that cannot be powered by your own personal abilities, you don't do it. I guess I just thought that since Mr. K is blind as well, and only went blind four years ago, he would get it. I was wrong. Don't get me wrong, I love the man, but his insensitivity and lack of support of this whole situation has me spitting mad.
I can't say he's been completely useless, because he hasn't. He does set me up to listen to lectures, but it's his attitude. He gets snarky when I ask for help and then says I'm being cranky. When he reads the exams to me, he gets condescending when I don't know the answer. It's just not an environment conducive to learning. It frustrates me to no end that I can't do it on my own, which I know doesn't help the situation.I just want to study, take the exam and pass. How hard is it?
Besides all of my personal drama, my point is that, knowledge shouldn't be so hard to get a hold of. When did we start deciding who could have access to information and who couldn't? How is that our right?
The ancient Greek philosophers all lectured in open air markets where anyone could attend. Once education was institutionalised, knowledge became pricey and inaccessible. Even on the internet, where you are supposed to be able to get everything your heart desires, as a blind person, I can't. I can't use electronic flash cards; sites that are completely formatted in Flash are impossible to read; and learning materials are nearly impossible to get a hold of. There is a new law that is supposed to change all of this, but we'll see how accountible web owners will acutally be forced to be.
I guess I could have contacted the company as soon as I knew I couldn't access the material on my own, but my point is that I shouldn't have to. We're in 2011 here people! Accessibility issues shouldn't even be a concern anymore. Every building should be built with talking elevators and braille signage and wheelchair ramps that are at a usable/safe angle; ATM's should have braille screens (They have them in Japan! There is no excuse); and textbooks and study materials should be available in all formats so that everyone has access to knowledge. Books are in a digital format before they even hit the shelves in hard copy form-what is the big deal?!

I'm not Broken; Just different

Another post that has been inspired from that Facebook group I was telling you about. This post is a bit of a mess, but it's written more from an emotional place than a thinking place. I thought about deleting the page and not reading it anymore, but it seems to be good material for my blog. :)
The forum question was something along the lines of "if you could tell the public anything, what would you tell them about being disabled and a dog user?" It wasn't worded exactly that way, but that was the gist. Again I was appalled at the answers and then realised it shed some light as to why the able-bodied public thinks that disabled people are useless/rude/whiners. (Not all of the able-bodied public).
A lot of the answers were along the lines of "I'm in pain, my life sucks, but I do the best I can." Great freaking attitude if you ask me. One person wrote "I'm broken." Those were her exact words. Really? That is what you want the general public to know about being a service dog user?
Yes, it gets annoying people pointing, shouting, petting, commenting Etc., but if it's such a big deal, then don't use a stinking dog. A lot of the people commenting have invisible disabilities and so could get away with being in public without people knowing they are disabled. So, if it's such a big deal, get rid of the dog and quit bitching. My disability is visible all of the time. The only time someone doesn't know is if I'm out in public without the dog sitting down-then I just look like a space cadette eating my lunch. My gaze doesn't focus on anything as my eyes are both prosthetic. Plus, my right eye is shaped strangely due to radiation treatment I under went to try to eradicate the cancer that was in my retina. So, basically, I always look disabled. And do you know what I say to that? Who the F*** cares. I am who I am and if the general public is uncomfortable with that, that is their problem. I'm not broken, I'm just different. I do things differently and sometimes certain things are a greater pain in the ass for me than sighted people, but oh well. It's the cards I've been dealt and it has helped shape who I am.
Sure, I've had some horrible experiences because of it, and I'm sure I'll have more. Yes, I get annoyed at the pointing, shouting, staring, petting Etc., but everyone has bad days. How is the able-bodied community going to be able to respect disabled bodies if we ourselves do not respect our differences? We're not broken. I'm not usually all in your face with my disability-if people ask questions, I will answer if I have time. I don't only talk about being blind to my friends, nor do I get all up in arms about someone who looked at me the wrong way. But, what I do get worked up about is when people with disabilities think we're "broken." Things will never change with that kind of attitude, especially coming from people who are experiencing it.
There is this British artist-I can't remember her name-but she is disabled and she sculpted herself nude and pregnant. She depicted her disability and just put it out there. She was, of course, ridiculed by some. They said it was ugly and horrific, but others saw it as beautiful. We need to be like her and embrace our bodies and see the beauty in them, regardless of your abilities, shape, size...whatever people may discriminate for. It's something I struggled with as a teenager. I never thought I was broken, but I was uncomfortable with my difference. It wasn't until I went through university and grew up a bit that I realised that difference is beautiful and definitely not broken.