Have Paws Will Travel    
 		Guide Dog Puppy Raising Club
 		Arapahoe County, Colorado

Waiter with sun glasses Dinner in the Dark

September 6, 2005

Participants experienced how blind people manage at dinner by enjoying a tasty meal while blindfolded, or wearing vision impairment simulating glasses. After dinner, Ellie, a Orientation and Mobility Specialist discussed the best ways the help a blind person as a "sighted guide."  She brought several styles of white cane, and guests got to experience cane travel under blindfold.
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2003 Dinner in the Dark

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Teresa and Sumner - Colorado raised working guides





Have Paws Will Travel hosted this combined Denver-wide event. Guests of honor were Guide users Lois and her husband Howie, whose dogs Teresa and Sumner were both raised in Colorado. The event was underwritten by the Linda Sumner Memorial Fund. The Guide "Sumner" is also named in Linda's honor.
DINNER
buffet line
The first challenge the faced dinner guests was going through the buffet line blindfolded.
 		cane traveler
Don't forget your soft drink!


  dinner guests
Then everyone had to find a seat.
Our blind, guide-user guests had all of us sighted folks at a disadvantage!

Vision impairment glasses
Eating is a challenge with vision impairment simulating glasses or a blindfold.
It was difficult to make it through the entire meal without "peeking."





Vision impairment glasses  
eating under blindfold
Orientation and Mobility Training
Lizz introduces Ellie
Lizz introduces Ellie, an orientation and mobility professional.
Ellie's job is to teach the newly blind how to navigate and travel,
and to help both cane travelers and guide dog users when they need extra assistance traveling safely.


SIGHTED GUIDE BASICS: How to lead a blind person properly.
  Ellie demonstrates sighted guide techniques
Sighted guide basics:
1. Ask the blind person if they need help.
2. If they want help, touch their hand with the back of your hand
 ellie demonstrates sighted guide technique
3. Let the blind person grasp your elbow (like one would hold a coke can), or take your wrist if their is a substantial height difference between you.  The "coke can" grip allows the blind person to easily disengage his grip if he wishes. Never grab a blind person by the elbow and push them along in front of you!
4. Walk with the person following one step behind. 
CANE TRAVEL
ellie describes the types of canes available
Ellie brought several examples of various types of white canes that are available and explained the differences between them.


 Dinner guests got to see what kind of cane travelers they would be!  
LeKathryn and GIlla try walking with a white cane
LeKathryn and Gilla find out cane travel is harder than it looks.
navigating with a cane
Miranda turned out to be a fearless cane traveler.


  cane travel
Daniel and Alexi take a break.
Being blind is exhausting when you're new to it! 
 
 
Everyone had a great time and gained an appreciation of what it is like to be blind.
We are the lucky ones....
we can take off our blindfolds at the end of the evening.
Blind people can't.
That's why we raise our Guide Puppies, to help make their lives safer, easier, and better!

Until Next Time...
blindfolds on blindfolds off!
SEE YA!