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Hi Josh! I’d be interested in learning more about the quality of training available for guide horses and their handlers nowadays. When guide horses were first introduced many years ago, there was a LOT of concern about the training of the horses and their blind handlers. Guide dog programs have developed standards addressing the need for safety and reliability of their graduates, based on many decades of experience with training thousands of blind guide dog handlers. They have an international organization that reviews and approves programs (I’m copying Lee Stanway, who is coming to Alabama from the UK to present on this topic at SOMA in October somaconference.org). If I remember correctly, the folks who raised and trained guide horses were not interested in learning much about blind travelers and guiding from the GDMI / O&M community. Has that changed? Are there people in the guide horse world who have developed a curriculum and established standards, and a procedure to review and verify that the guide horse program is meeting those standards? If so, THAT is what I’d be interested in learning more about. I have no interest in leaning more about the advantages of guide horses vs guide dogs in terms of their life span and hips. Thanks! — Dona ————————— Dona Sauerburger, COMS Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the blind www.sauerburger.org On Aug 1, 2024, at 8:38 AM, Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> wrote: ? Holly Fisher gave me permission to share these emails, but I edited this one a bit because some of it pertained to other things... Holly Fisher wrote: Yes mini horses are not prone to the crippling effects caused by hip dysplasia, like many large breed dogs are. This brings me to another interesting thought about a dependable stability partner, pound for pound, a mini horse is stronger than a K9. A mini mule is stronger than a mini horse. A mini donkey's stamina would surpass them all. Donkeys are efficient with their nutrition, making them extremely low maintenance. They require less food & water, so less potty breaks & visits with a Farrier. Donkeys are nimble & can support more weight than any other animal similar in size. I personally know several mini donkeys that, if given the choice, will leave their herd to be next to their human. The only down side I can think of, is if their handler had other small pets like a cat or dog. Donkeys are protective & some have been known to attack smaller animals. You have articulated several interesting reasons why horses are more in alignment with service work than our K9 friends. The list continues to grow... -------------------- I respond: mini donkeys are not covered under the ADA, not yet. Since mini horses are, and if you have at least a 20x20 yard, you can have one. That is what another former guide horse trainer told me.

DeafBlind Leadership NOW Seventh Edition August 1, 2024 201 signatures as of 8 p.m. Including 5 current DeafBlind HKNC employees And the sole DeafBlind member of the HKS Board of Trustees Contents Introduction The Petition The Signatures Appendix: Bryen M Yunashko’s Statement Introduction This is a special kind of petition, signed only by DeafBlind. If you identify as DeafBlind and would like your name added to the petition: Please email jlc@... with: Your name Your credentials, such as degrees and certificates--optional Your current or former jobs or roles—optional Hearing and sighted friends and DeafBlind alike are encouraged to spread our call for signatures and public statements of support. Anyone wishing to speak directly to Helen Keller Services Board of Trustees can write to Larry Kinitsky, Chair, at lkinitsky@... A new, updated, and numbered edition of this petition will be circulated every day for eleven days as it gathers more and more names. Signatures are accepted until August 5, 2024, when the latest version will be sent to HKS Board of Trustees and the U.S. Department of Education. Feel free to forward, post on Facebook and via other social media, discuss our cause across all media, and initiate a variety of other actions. Organizations and agencies, whether DeafBlind-related or -adjacent or in solidarity, are urged to consider making public statements. Thank you for your support! The Petition We, the undersigned members of various DeafBlind communities, are fed up with Helen Keller National Center continuing to be controlled by hearing and sighted people. HKNC’s mission is to serve DeafBlind, yet has always resisted DeafBlind representation and leadership. Helen Keller Services, HKNC’s distant parent entity, recently selected yet another hearing and sighted person to be HKNC’s next executive director. Qualified DeafBlind candidates, including the top finalist, were passed over. HKNC has never had a DeafBlind person hold the position. The current HKS Board of Trustees has only one DeafBlind representative. Qualified DeafBlind leaders had expressed interest in the director position or applied for it since at least 1956, when HKNC was known as the Anne Sullivan Macy Services federal pilot program. There have been protests before. In recent years, HKNC made unspoken but clear promises that a DeafBlind director would be hired “next time.” Enough is enough. It’s time. We make the following four demands: First, a DeafBlind person is appointed executive director of HKNC. Second, HKNC is separated from Helen Keller Services (for the Blind), so that HKNC becomes its own, autonomous entity. Third, HKNC’s newly created Board of Trustees is made up of 70 percent or more DeafBlind members. Fourth, HKS and all of its subsidiaries will not retaliate against any HKS or HKNC employee, family member, or student for any civil action related to the selection process or related issues. With this petition, we are also taking the opportunity to introduce ourselves a little, to demonstrate how diverse and talented we are. HKNC has no excuses. The HKS Board of Trustees has until August 9, 2024, to comply with our first demand and begin legally binding transition processes toward fulfilling the next two demands. Failure to do so will prompt the second stage of our movement. The Signatures Five current DeafBlind HKNC employees Requesting anonymity Lisa Ainscough “Smile!” Carolynsue M. Alflen Founder and former president, Missouri DeafBlind Association Bryan L. Alkire, J.D. Former HKNC student Nicole Alleman Former board member, American Association of the DeafBlind Xayan al-Amin Student, College of the Sequoias, Fashion Design and Merchandising Annie LeJeune Arabie Loving housewife Dan Arabie Founder, National Association of the DeafBlind Jorge H. Aristizabal “I vote for this petition!” Heidi Aulenbach Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Karen Bailey, L.M.S.W., L.C.S.W. Michigan Jennifer Baratta Former job seeker from Helen Keller National Center Denis Bardet France Laurie Barnes President, Alberta Society of the DeafBlind Jeremy Best C

Bryen M Yunashko’s Statement August 1, 2024 Hello, my name is Bryen M Yunashko, and I am a DeafBlind business owner. I have also worked in various roles with the Helen Keller National Center, having done some technology training work and also briefly serving as a policy representative for governmental affairs. In 2014, I was invited to join the Helen Keller National Center Executive Director Search Committee. I was one of two DeafBlind members of the committee, which also included members of HKNC's parent organization, Helen Keller Services; board members, and the CEO of HKS himself. I was part of the committee during its last half of its functions. So, I have limited knowledge of any discussions before my arrival. But by the time I arrived, a plan was forming. I considered it a great hope for all DeafBlind. That hope is once again dashed. In those final meetings, it was decided to create a new position for Chris Woodfill, a talented DeafBlind candidate for the top position. The CEO himself expressed deep fondness for Chris and wanted to see him in the position but was concerned that Chris did not have enough financial management experience. I personally approached Chris to find out how he really felt about this idea, since he apparently already knew of the plan as well. It was clear he wanted the job, but he accepted that he needed more financial experience. I did not press him any further to determine if this was his own words or not, but it was clear he was aware of the path and was willing to take this path. It was during this search that the community held out hope that this time we would finally witness a DeafBlind leader at HKNC. And in my personal opinion, Chris was ready for the job, but I also respected the reservations being expressed and felt that Chris deserves to have a "learning period" before taking over the Center. On the final day of interviews, Sue Ruzenski proved to be a well-prepared interviewee who presented very well. We agreed this would be the great union that not only achieves our goal of eventually having a DeafBlind executive director, but ensuring he would have the tools needed to keep the Center strong. There was a previous conversation that stuck in my mind that day. Sue expressed privately that she wanted the job but understood that now was the time for a DeafBlind to take over. The tide was changing and like everywhere else in America, glass ceilings were being broken everywhere. But she did get the job, with my endorsement of the plan that Chris would eventually fill the position when it became vacant again. And although I had not been keeping tabs on HKNC activities in recent years, the several times I stopped by and had a conversation, I was always told that Chris was absolutely ready for the job. So I had no reason to question it. It is now 2024. HKNC has signed on yet another non-DeafBlind to be executive director of HKNC, this being the third hire since 2014. It is clear that the promise has been broken and a betrayal exists. This, I do not understand. We were very clear during our final deliberations that we wanted this and we wanted to send a clear message of accountability to the community about why we chose this path. To Sue, I regret that it has come to this, because I do believe that, deep down, you do wish good things. But it cannot be ignored that you were a direct beneficiary of this plan. When you were promoted to become CEO of HKS, you did not follow through with the plan. For this I am deeply puzzled. And to the newly apppointed Executive Director, please be aware that your hiring was contingent on breaking a decade-old promise made to the very community you signed on to serve. It is time for change. It is time for priorities to be determined by DeafBlind. It is time that we are the ones who should determine our destiny. HKNC gets a significant amount of funding from the Federal Government via vocational rehabilitation funding. What is the point if that funding is used to tell DeafBlind that we can never lead ourselves? It is time for a change! Sincerely, Bryen M Yunashk

Holly Fisher gave me permission to share these emails, but I edited this one a bit because some of it pertained to other things... Holly Fisher wrote: Yes mini horses are not prone to the crippling effects caused by hip dysplasia, like many large breed dogs are. This brings me to another interesting thought about a dependable stability partner, pound for pound, a mini horse is stronger than a K9. A mini mule is stronger than a mini horse. A mini donkey's stamina would surpass them all. Donkeys are efficient with their nutrition, making them extremely low maintenance. They require less food & water, so less potty breaks & visits with a Farrier. Donkeys are nimble & can support more weight than any other animal similar in size. I personally know several mini donkeys that, if given the choice, will leave their herd to be next to their human. The only down side I can think of, is if their handler had other small pets like a cat or dog. Donkeys are protective & some have been known to attack smaller animals. You have articulated several interesting reasons why horses are more in alignment with service work than our K9 friends. The list continues to grow... -------------------- I respond: mini donkeys are not covered under the ADA, not yet. Since mini horses are, and if you have at least a 20x20 yard, you can have one. That is what another former guide horse trainer told me.

Hi guys! The recording is available for the webinar I did a few weeks ago for the Low Vision Center of Learning in South Africa. It's at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvOej3aALNU Enjoy! -- Dona

Hello everyone! John here: The following is a bookmark I’m making for my French language textbooks! For Braille readers, with displays turned keyed into contracted Braille, the following will appear as only the relevant symbols representing French accented letters and their Anglican equivalent letters. For those reading this in uncontracted Braille or in print, it appears as a kind of poem. Enjoy! and can cedille for every aigu of a grave the every grave with us grave child a circonflexe gh every circonflexe shall i circonflexe this o circonflexe which us circonflexe ed every trema er i trema out us trema ow oe enough question mark

DeafBlind Leadership NOW Fifth Edition July 30, 2024 167 signatures as of 8 p.m. Including: 5 current DeafBlind HKNC employees This is a special kind of petition, signed only by DeafBlind. If you identify as DeafBlind and would like your name added to the petition: Please email jlc@... with: Your name Your credentials, such as degrees and certificates--optional Your current or former jobs or roles—optional Hearing and sighted friends and DeafBlind alike are encouraged to spread our call for signatures and public statements of support. Anyone wishing to speak directly to Helen Keller Services Board of Trustees can write to Larry Kinitsky, Chair, at lkinitsky@... A new, updated, and numbered edition of this petition will be circulated every day for eleven days as it gathers more and more names. Signatures are accepted until August 5, 2024, when the latest version will be sent to HKS Board of Trustees and the U.S. Department of Education. Feel free to forward, post on Facebook and via other social media, discuss our cause across all media, and initiate a variety of other actions. Organizations and agencies, whether DeafBlind-related or -adjacent or in solidarity, are urged to consider making public statements. Thank you for your support! The Petition We, the undersigned members of various DeafBlind communities, are fed up with Helen Keller National Center continuing to be controlled by hearing and sighted people. HKNC’s mission is to serve DeafBlind, yet has always resisted DeafBlind representation and leadership. Helen Keller Services, HKNC’s distant parent entity, recently selected yet another hearing and sighted person to be HKNC’s next executive director. Qualified DeafBlind candidates, including the top finalist, were passed over. HKNC has never had a DeafBlind person hold the position. The current HKS Board of Trustees has only one DeafBlind representative. Qualified DeafBlind leaders had expressed interest in the director position or applied for it since at least 1956, when HKNC was known as the Anne Sullivan Macy Services federal pilot program. There have been protests before. In recent years, HKNC made unspoken but clear promises that a DeafBlind director would be hired “next time.” Enough is enough. It’s time. We make the following four demands: First, a DeafBlind person is appointed executive director of HKNC. Second, HKNC is separated from Helen Keller Services (for the Blind), so that HKNC becomes its own, autonomous entity. Third, HKNC’s newly created Board of Trustees is made up of 70 percent or more DeafBlind members. Fourth, HKS and all of its subsidiaries will not retaliate against any HKS or HKNC employee, family member, or student for any civil action related to the selection process or related issues. With this petition, we are also taking the opportunity to introduce ourselves a little, to demonstrate how diverse and talented we are. HKNC has no excuses. The HKS Board of Trustees has until August 9, 2024, to comply with our first demand and begin legally binding transition processes toward fulfilling the next two demands. Failure to do so will prompt the second stage of our movement. Signed, Five current DeafBlind HKNC employees Requesting anonymity Lisa Ainscough “Smile!” Carolynsue M. Alflen Founder and former president, Missouri DeafBlind Association Bryan L. Alkire, J.D. Former HKNC student Nicole Alleman Former board member, American Association of the DeafBlind Xayan al-Amin Student, College of the Sequoias, Fashion Design and Merchandising Annie LeJeune Arabie Loving housewife Dan Arabie Founder, National Association of the DeafBlind Jorge H. Aristizabal “I vote for this petition!” Heidi Aulenbach Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Karen Bailey, L.M.S.W., L.C.S.W. Michigan Jennifer Baratta Former job seeker from Helen Keller National Center Denis Bardet France Laurie Barnes President, Alberta Society of the DeafBlind Jeremy Best Co-founder, DeafBlind Social of Central Florida Nandani Bhowan “Keep in touch!” Ed Borrone Master woodworker Erin Bradford Librarian “DeafBlind Can!” Tashi Bradford, Ph.D.

Hello everyone! My name is Aaron McCool. I am currently in the graduate program at Portland State University in TVI and O&M. I wanted to start getting involved in the group early though and start putting together some best practices and a support group. I have a Masters of Education, but I am getting certified in SPED/TVI/O&M. I live in the Portland, Oregon area in the United States (Northwest US). Also, if anyone is looking for a TVI, I am not licensed yet, but am working toward it. Feel free to contact me with any advice or leads. Thank you!

DeafBlind Leadership NOW Fourth Edition July 29, 2024 137 signatures as of 8 p.m. Including: 5 current DeafBlind HKNC employees This is a special kind of petition, signed only by DeafBlind. If you identify as DeafBlind and would like your name added to the petition, please email jlc@... Hearing and sighted friends and DeafBlind alike are encouraged to spread our call for signatures and public statements of support. Anyone wishing to speak directly to Helen Keller Services Board of Trustees can write to Larry Kinitsky, Chair, at lkinitsky@... A new, updated, and numbered edition of this petition will be circulated every day for eleven days as it gathers more and more names. Signatures are accepted until August 5, 2024, when the latest version will be sent to HKS Board of Trustees and the U.S. Department of Education. Feel free to forward, post on Facebook and via other social media, discuss our cause across all media, and initiate a variety of other actions. Organizations and agencies, whether DeafBlind-related or -adjacent or in solidarity, are urged to consider making public statements. Thank you for your support! The Petition We, the undersigned members of various DeafBlind communities, are fed up with Helen Keller National Center continuing to be controlled by hearing and sighted people. HKNC’s mission is to serve DeafBlind, yet has always resisted DeafBlind representation and leadership. Helen Keller Services, HKNC’s distant parent entity, recently selected yet another hearing and sighted person to be HKNC’s next executive director. Qualified DeafBlind candidates, including the top finalist, were passed over. HKNC has never had a DeafBlind person hold the position. The current HKS Board of Trustees has only one DeafBlind representative. Qualified DeafBlind leaders had expressed interest in the director position or applied for it since at least 1956, when HKNC was known as the Anne Sullivan Macy Services federal pilot program. There have been protests before. In recent years, HKNC made unspoken but clear promises that a DeafBlind director would be hired “next time.” Enough is enough. It’s time. We make the following four demands: First, a DeafBlind person is appointed executive director of HKNC. Second, HKNC is separated from Helen Keller Services (for the Blind), so that HKNC becomes its own, autonomous entity. Third, HKNC’s newly created Board of Trustees is made up of 70 percent or more DeafBlind members. Fourth, HKS and all of its subsidiaries will not retaliate against any HKS or HKNC employee, family member, or student for any civil action related to the selection process or related issues. With this petition, we are also taking the opportunity to introduce ourselves a little, to demonstrate how diverse and talented we are. HKNC has no excuses. The HKS Board of Trustees has until August 9, 2024, to comply with our first demand and begin legally binding transition processes toward fulfilling the next two demands. Failure to do so will prompt the second stage of our movement. Signed, Five current DeafBlind HKNC employees Requesting anonymity Lisa Ainscough “Smile!” Carolynsue M. Alflen Founder and former president, Missouri DeafBlind Association Xayan al-Amin Student, College of the Sequoias, Fashion Design and Merchandising Annie LeJeune Arabie Louisana Acadiana DeafBlind Citizens Jorge H. Aristizabal “I vote for this petition!” Heidi Aulenbach Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Jennifer Baratta Former job seeker from Helen Keller National Center Denis Bardet France Jeremy Best Co-founder, DeafBlind Social of Central Florida Nandani Bhowan “Keep in touch!” Ed Borrone Master woodworker Erin Bradford Librarian “DeafBlind Can!” Tashi Bradford, Ph.D. candidate Linguistics, Radboud University; owner, Totaal Languaging Morgan Breese, M.A. Manager, DeafBlind Program, Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind "No thanks to benevolent ableism" Becca Brenowitz Community member Esty Brenowitz Community member Hayley Broadway, M.Ed. Co-principal investigator, Protactike Kids grant, National Institutes of Health; owner, Touch Seeds Mari

DeafBlind Leadership NOW Second Edition July 27, 2024 68 signatures as of 8 p.m. This is a special kind of petition, signed only by DeafBlind. If you identify as DeafBlind and would like your name added to the petition, please email jlc@... Hearing and sighted friends are encouraged to spread our call for signatures and public statements of support. Anyone wishing to speak directly to Helen Keller Services Board of Trustees can write to Larry Kinitsky, Chair, at lkinitsky@... A new, updated, and numbered edition of this petition will be circulated every day for eleven days as it gathers more and more names. Signatures are accepted until August 5, 2024, when the latest version will be sent to HKS Board of Trustees and the U.S. Department of Education. Feel free to forward, post on Facebook and via other social media, discuss our cause across all media, and initiate a variety of other actions. Thank you for your support! The Petition We, the undersigned members of various DeafBlind communities, are fed up with Helen Keller National Center continuing to be controlled by hearing and sighted people. HKNC’s mission is to serve DeafBlind, yet has always resisted DeafBlind representation and leadership. Helen Keller Services, HKNC’s distant parent entity, recently selected yet another hearing and sighted person to be HKNC’s next executive director. Qualified DeafBlind candidates, including the top finalist, were passed over. HKNC has never had a DeafBlind person hold the position. The current HKS Board of Trustees has only one DeafBlind representative. Qualified DeafBlind leaders had expressed interest in the director position or applied for it since at least 1956, when HKNC was known as the Anne Sullivan Macy Services federal pilot program. There have been protests before. In recent years, HKNC made unspoken but clear promises that a DeafBlind director would be hired “next time.” Enough is enough. It’s time. We make the following four demands: First, a DeafBlind person is appointed executive director of HKNC. Second, HKNC is separated from Helen Keller Services (for the Blind), so that HKNC becomes its own, autonomous entity. Third, HKNC’s newly created Board of Trustees is made up of 70 percent or more DeafBlind members. Fourth, HKS and all of its subsidiaries will not retaliate against any HKS or HKNC employee, family member, or student for any civil action related to the selection process or related issues. With this petition, we are also taking the opportunity to introduce ourselves a little, to demonstrate how diverse and talented we are. HKNC has no excuses. The HKS Board of Trustees has until August 9, 2024, to comply with our first demand and begin legally binding transition processes toward fulfilling the next two demands. Failure to do so will prompt the second stage of our movement. Signed, Carolynsue M. Alflen Founder and former president, Missouri DeafBlind Association Jeremy Best Co-founder, DeafBlind Social of Central Florida Tashi Bradford, Ph.D. candidate Linguistics, Radboud University; owner, Total Languaging Nandani Bhowan “Keep in touch!” Roberto Cabrera, M.S. Former Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Fanny Chopot Product Owner Cybersecurity, France John Lee Clark, Ph.D. candidate Author of “Touch the Future: A Manifesto in Essays” Keith Clark, M.A., C.P.A.C.C Marketing manager; former director, DeafBlind Program, Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Vincent Clark, M.A. Retired DeafBlind Specialist, Minnesota Department of Human Services John Cunniff Retired employee, Perkins School for the Blind; former president, DeafBlind Contact Center Mindy Dill, M.A. Retired school counselor; former vice president, American Association of the DeafBlind Marsha Drenth, C.V.R.T., C.A.T.I.S. and T.V.I. in process Access Technology Instructor; Social Worker; student, Salus-Drexel University Jackie Engler-Morris Interpreting and Professional Services Manager, DeafBlind Service Center David Ernest Ennis, B.S. Artist Cheri M. Fields, B.A. Former Licensed Massage Therapist Divya Goel “This is my voice” Alberto Gonzales Pro

Hi All- I have the opportunity to review some draft plans for street improvements in an urban area and there are dedicated bike lanes proposed for the space between the sidewalk and the street. These are not a shared ped/bike path, but a separate bike lane and my understanding is that these bike lanes WILL be installed so there's no point in suggesting otherwise. My question is about best practice for navigating the bike lanes to access ped buttons, street crossings, and curbside pick ups/drop offs; what should I be recommending to the engineers to include in the plans? TIA

DeafBlind Leadership NOW First Edition July 26, 2024 24 signatures as of 5 p.m. This is a special kind of petition, signed only by DeafBlind. If you identify as DeafBlind and would like your name added to the petition, please email jlc@... Hearing and sighted friends are encouraged to spread our call for signatures and public statements of support. Anyone wishing to speak directly to Helen Keller Services Board of Trustees can write to Larry Kinitsky, Chair, at lkinitsky@... A new, updated, and numbered edition of this petition will be circulated every day for eleven days as it gathers more and more names. Signatures are accepted until August 5, 2024, when the latest version will be sent to HKS Board of Trustees and the U.S. Department of Education. Feel free to forward, post on Facebook and via other social media, discuss our cause across all media, and initiate a variety of other actions. Thank you for your support! The Petition We, the undersigned members of various DeafBlind communities, are fed up with Helen Keller National Center continuing to be controlled by hearing and sighted people. HKNC’s mission is to serve DeafBlind, yet has always resisted DeafBlind representation and leadership. Helen Keller Services, HKNC’s distant parent entity, recently selected yet another hearing and sighted person to be HKNC’s next executive director. Qualified DeafBlind candidates, including the top finalist, were passed over. HKNC has never had a DeafBlind person hold the position. The current HKS Board of Trustees has only one DeafBlind representative. Qualified DeafBlind leaders had expressed interest in the director position or applied for it since at least 1956, when HKNC was known as the Anne Sullivan Macy Services federal pilot program. There have been protests before. In recent years, HKNC made unspoken but clear promises that a DeafBlind director would be hired “next time.” Enough is enough. It’s time. We make the following four demands: First, a DeafBlind person is appointed executive director of HKNC. Second, HKNC is separated from Helen Keller Services (for the Blind), so that HKNC becomes its own, autonomous entity. Third, HKNC’s newly created Board of Trustees is made up of 70 percent or more DeafBlind members. Fourth, HKS and all of its subsidiaries will not retaliate against any HKS or HKNC employee, family member, or student for any civil action related to the selection process or related issues. With this petition, we are also taking the opportunity to introduce ourselves a little, to demonstrate how diverse and talented we are. HKNC has no excuses. The HKS Board of Trustees has until August 9, 2024, to comply with our first demand and begin legally binding transition processes toward fulfilling the next two demands. Failure to do so will prompt the second stage of our movement. Signed, Tashi Bradford, Ph.D. candidate Radboud University Roberto Cabrera, M.S. Former Senior Vocational Rehabilation Counselor Fanny Chopot Product Owner Cybersecurity, France John Lee Clark, Ph.D. candidate Author of “Touch the Future: A Manifesto in Essays” Mindy Dill, M.A. Retired school counselor; former vice president, American Association of the DeafBlind Marsha Drenth, C.V.R.T., C.A.T.I.S. and T.V.I. in process Access Technology Instructor; Social Worker; student, Salus-Drexel University Jackie Engler-Morris Interpreting and Professional Services Manager, DeafBlind Service Center Sarah Goodwin, M.S. Adjunct Instructor; board member, DeafBlind Community of Texas; former treasurer, American Association of the DeafBlind Suzanne “Suzi” Guimond, M.A. Former HKNC Regional Representative, Region 5; owner, Embrace Within LLC Antonia Venesse Guy Owner, Astro Woke Cristina Hartmann, J.D., M.F.A. Writer Tara L. Invidiato, M.Ed. Former vice president, American Association of the DeafBlind; owner, Tactifying Language Integrations Riss Leitzke, M.B.A. candidate Accessibility Coordinator, Wilderness Inquiry Sarah K. McMillen, M.A. Educator Kelly Monahan Founder, DeafBlind Escape Cruises Morrison, M.Ed. Accessibility Consultant and Trainer Angela

Hi everyone: The below post seemed to have advertently been forward to the group, which should have stayed private. Please do not initiate conversations through out this post. I’ve locked the subsequent posts; however, the initial approved first message Josh sent is acceptable. Guide Horses is an acceptable o & m conversation; albeit is extremely rare as there is only one in existence (Anne Edie and Panda) but the knowledge O & M professionals have in this area is going to be extremely minimal. Thanks everyone—sorry for the delay—had a few emergencies to attend to today—life comes first! ? Jen From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Josh Kennedy via groups.io Sent: Friday, July 26, 2024 12:08 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [OandM] miniature guide horse ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Holly Fisher <chromedcamo@...> Date: Fri, Jul 26, 2024 at 3:04 PM Subject: Re: miniature guide horse To: Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> I can't tell you how excited I am for you to be our 1st person to receive our trained mini. Teagan messaged me yesterday expressing her & Mona's concerns about training a donkey. I thanked her for the info. I didn't realize a donkey would be excluded from being a recognized service animal. I'm going to double check the size of his parents & if he's going to stay small enough, I'm going to go ahead & train him anyways. We can get the laws changed later on. We'll still have several horses in training for you to choose from. When you are matched with your mini, you'll have everyone watching you. There will be no shortage of critics that will be waiting to exploit any little thing they can twist to make appear as a mistake. You & your horse will need to work perfectly in tune to each other & perform to the highest standard. I know you're the right person for job. Just keep in mind that your horse is your friend & vise versa... But in a herd someone has to be the leader & It has to be you. So you have to be the leader 1st & friend 2nd. But when you come here to meet your horse in person, we will work on the ways to established leadership. As long as you are consistent with your actions & act fairly, everything will come together as it should. I'm going to send you a few links to this horse trainer I want you to check out. I think the guy is Russian but he does a very good job describing what I'm incoherently blabbering about. His name is Radek Libal. https://youtu.be/oNbFDmhyI-s?si=WZK7eyJOxnPE-p9L On Fri, Jul 26, 2024, 1:30 PM Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> wrote: yes, some people say "you're a lot braver than I am." Some say they would never do that. Others say it is a common practice for people to feed their horses like that, and for people to kiss their horses as well. I get a range of critical responses and very positive responses depending on the person. On Fri, Jul 26, 2024 at 2:11 PM Holly Fisher <chromedcamo@...> wrote: When you tell people that you let Moon take apple slices from your mouth, does anyone express their opinion about what they think? On Thu, Jul 25, 2024, 9:07 PM Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> wrote: I sent the following to the blind equestrian community email list: I got a bloody lip from Moon the pony I use for lessons, about two weeks ago. That will teach me to back up a bit right after he takes the apple slice from my mouth. After all, his focus is now on eating the apple he just took from me. I knew that he bit down on my lip, I stayed calm, I did not panic. I did not pull away at all. I waited for him to let go, and he did. Now if I would have gotten scared and pulled away, then I would have ripped part of my lip off and had a much worse injury. I'm sure if people take the time to really know their horses, they will become quote "man's new best friend," quote... Even when I got kicked last November, I kept my hand on Jazzy and stayed in close. It could have been worse. And if I knew now what I did not know last November I would have not even been kicked by Jazzy, the small mini horse. You spend all that time in k-12 public schools... You sit there learni

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Holly Fisher <chromedcamo@...> Date: Sun, Jul 14, 2024 at 3:25 PM Subject: Re: miniature guide horse To: Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> Oh my gosh Josh! I had a horseshoeing appointment early this morning and it was over a 1 hour drive one way. I put on my earbuds listened to the cutest horse movie ever (in my opinion). You can watch it for free too... Google search "Apple of my eye". It's a story about a girl & her guide horse mini. The mini is a Falabella purchased from my friend Laureen. On Sun, Jul 14, 2024, 9:04 AM Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> wrote: yes, and I have to remember that I now have various AI tools, like google gemini and chatgpt, to help me write it. On Sun, Jul 14, 2024 at 9:30 AM Holly Fisher <chromedcamo@...> wrote: I think that your book has a lot of potential to bring awareness about guide horses. I can't think of a better person to tell the story than your 1st hand testimony. Also Amazon will publish your book for free, kind of. You just agree to give them a small percentage of your sales. On Sun, Jul 14, 2024, 6:44 AM Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> wrote: I have not considered writing a book. But maybe I should think about doing so, especially after I have my mini guide horse. Then I will be able to complete it. On Sat, Jul 13, 2024 at 10:10 PM Holly Fisher <chromedcamo@...> wrote: Have you ever considered writing a book about the journey you are on? The way you describe the world is so genuine & makes my feel like I'm there to have the experience with you. On Sat, Jul 13, 2024, 8:20 PM Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> wrote: I remember last Fall... I was in Jazzy's stall. I was just petting and hugging her. And suddenly she leaned against me, pressed me against the side of the stall against the wall, she was only a 32 to 34 or so inch tall mini horse. But she was a fat mini. So she stepped on my foot, pressed me against the side of the stall and just leaned against me as I bent down to her. So as she did that, I put both arms gently around her and hugged her and massaged her. She was getting her winter coat. She was so nice and fluffy and warm!! Like a cuddly stuffed animal that can "love you back". She just would stand there, letting me hug her. And she even let me hug her while she ate hay or drank water. She was such a good little (probably class B) mini horse! She was the little black one I spent so much time with last year. I still miss Jazzy. On Sat, Jul 13, 2024 at 8:52 PM Holly Fisher <chromedcamo@...> wrote: This is an odd question... You certainly don't have to answer. Have you ever tripped on psychedelic mushrooms or LSD? My boyfriend is near by listening to some random podcast. I overheard the podcast guy ask the question "what would the experience be like for a blind person if they ate a hallucinogenic drug, such as mushrooms or LSD ?" I hope me asking is not insulting, I don't mean to be. Do you know anyone who is blind that has experimented with hallucinogenic drugs. Maybe this is a better question to ask on Reddit? On Fri, Jul 12, 2024, 10:02 AM Josh Kennedy <joshknnd1982@...> wrote: I spent time with Moon today. No lessons, just at his stall. I learned a lot!! First, for some reason, Moon changed his strategy and made my life easier. So now when I hold an apple slice in my teeth, I do not have to bend down and tilt my head up to let him take it from my mouth from between my teeth. Now, Moon lifts his face right up to my mouth and gently takes the apple slice. No more bending down for me! next: someone had the fan in his stall hanging down pretty low, supported by straps. So he would turn his head and he would pull, play with, and put the strap in his mouth and chew on it. I thought he was going to maybe pull the fan down, so I taught myself how to get him to open his mouth for me. I gently put my fingers between his lips, and pressed and rubbed gently on his lips and gums. Then he let go of the strap. Then I could put both my hands and part of my forearm under his chin where a halter would go. When I gently applied pressure, lifte

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Holly Fisher <chromedcamo@...> Date: Tue, Jul 9, 2024 at 12:52 AM Subject: Fwd: Question about Equine-Eye To: <joshknnd1982@...> I got a reply from Lumiere, the company who has the branch Equine Eyes horse surveillance cameras. I forwarded the email to you ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Equine Eye <hello@...> Date: Mon, Jul 8, 2024, 5:42 PM Subject: Re: Question about Equine-Eye To: <chromedcamo@...> Hi Holly, Thanks for getting in touch and nice to meet you. What a great cause! That's fine by us, however you may struggle to get the URL & Facebook / instagram pages as Chinese copycats who have immitated our product have snapped up all similar names online. Very frustrating. When choosing a name for any business, the availability of domain / web address and social media handles should be one of your first points of investigation. Kind regards, Jessica On Sun, 7 Jul at 7:24 AM , Holly Fisher <chromedcamo@...> wrote: Hello, My name is Holly Fisher & I live in central Illinois, in the U. S. My email inquiry is a little different than one from a normal customer. I have not yet purchased a camera from Equine-Eye. I am starting a new non profit organization specializing in training miniature horses to be seeing eyes for people who are blind, similar the the work of a guide dog. I created 6 potential names for our non profit organization. Then I asked the Facebook community to vote for their favorite name for our organization . The winner was the name- Equine Eyes (Equines for Quality, Understanding, Independence, Navigation & Empowerment). Before proceeding with the 501(c)3 filing process, I searched the internet to double check the names availability. This is how I came to find your Equine-Eye surveillance cameras. I had no intention of buying a product when I started viewing your website. Now after reading, I'm very impressed with your camera products. In the near future, I will return to purchase your camera system to use in my barn for surveillance protection for our organizations mini horses in training. The reason for my email is this... Is it possible or do you mind if we name our non profit organization Equine Eyes? If you feel the similarity is inappropriate, we could maybe add a few words to our name so that it is more distinguishable. Maybe it would be better suited for us to use the name- Equine Eyes Guide in Stride? I would love to hear your thoughts. The last thing we want to do is step on anyone's toes. I appreciate your time invested in reading this email. Thank you, Holly Fisher 18161:2561961

I also have an announcement to make... After several months of searching and searching I finally found someone who has always been interested in training guide horses for people who are blind. Her name is Holly Fisher of Fisher's Farrier Service, She is from Decatur Illinois, and she has always wanted to train guide horses for people who are blind. You can find her on facebook also. I also have recorded a podcast interview with ann Edie whose guide horse is named Panda. all about what it is like to work with a small, 100 pound mini housebroken falabella or similarly housebroken mini horse as a guide horse. the interview starts around 13 minutes into the podcast. https://soundcloud.com/josh-kennedy-997023397/guidehorseenhanced?si=604213ffa71146cc8ef46c2b68a8821e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing also, here is part of me and Holly Fisher's conversation along with her email. We have already set up the new equineEye guide horse training organization. so please share this far and wide. We need sponsors, trainers, and future breeders. I prefer to have a housebroken guide animal that will live far longer than any dog ever will. from: Holly Fisher chromedcamo@... I will spell that out in case it does not go through. her email is: chromedcamo (at sign) gmail dot com Holly Fisher wrote: Hello Josh, I appreciate you reaching out to me, expressing your interest in miniature guide horses. I've had a life long infatuation with all animals, especially horses. I started taking riding lessons at the age of 7. The more I learned about horses, the more I wanted to be with them. In my teenage years I trained my young horse & started competing in horse shows. Then I began training horses locally. In 2006 I graduated from horseshoeing school & currently I am still working as a Farrier. I love my job. I still feel like I need to be more involved. But in what ways? I have a deep desire to share my love of horses with like minded individuals. Around 2018 I stumbled upon the Guide Horse Foundation's website. I was blown away at the idea of using mini horses as guides. I instantly knew I wanted to follow the guide horse foundations lead and I would train guide horses too. I researched different types of miniature horses. It didn't take long to realize bet best choice is Falabella horses. They originated in Argentina. Falabellas are perfect in every way for guide work. I started looking online in hope of purchasing a few of these Falabella's to begin clicker training for service work. I was shocked to find that the price range to buy a 1 year old, untrained Falabella is between $5,000-$12,000. Yikes! I was a bit discouraged about buying these mini horses, but I continued practicing clicker training with my full sized horses. Fast forward a few years, in March 2024 I was checking out the new foals for sale on a website named 'Toyland's Falabella International'. Since 2018, I have visited this website many times. During this visit I decided to sign the websites guestbook. I wrote a few sentences expressing my wishes to buy a few Falabella horses & clicker train them for guide work. This is the only time I wrote about my dream online, outside of my small circle of friends. So imagine my astonishment & excitement when you reached out to me about a guide horse. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like this is a sign, from a higher power, encouraging me to get the ball rolling pursuing my dream to train miniature guide horses. I thought it was a long shot... but I emailed the women who owns Toylands Falabella horses. She is one of the largest breeders in the United States & just happens to live in the same state as me, Illinois. It's only a 3.5 hour drive away. In my email I explained my dream & described my qualifications. She sent me back an enthusiastic email. Long story short, she wants me to come to her place & meet me. She wants to discuss ideas & start training her Falabellas for service work. I'm going to visit her in about 1 week. I'll let you know exactly what day I go visit & how our meeting goes. Thank

hi, I am Josh Kennedy. I'm from Pennsylvania I'm from Williamstown PA which is in Dauphin county near Harrisburg. I am new to this group. I was looking for a place to discuss o and m topics, including canes, guide dogs and so on. I will have to get a new ambuTech cane next month, just as an extra cane, because my old cane finally fell apart three days ago. So now I only have one and I would always like to have two canes around just in case one decides to break. Josh Josh

The New York Institute for Special Education has an opening for an Orientation and Mobility Instructor. It is a great place to work and you will be working with a supportive and collaborative Orientation and Mobility team. Here is the information: https://4.files.edl.io/808d/05/16/24/170418-3a91965e-08ea-4e49-8435-0fc9fa5bc5ac.pdf Thank you, Cheri Aumueller, COMS The New York Institute for Special Education 999 Pelham Parkway N Bronx, NY 10469 Confidentiality Notice: This email, including attachments is for the sole use of the recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use or disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and destroy all copies of the original message.

Hi everyone! Jolene and I are planning to record a webinar on uncontrolled crossings with 15-20 O&Ms starting at 6 o'clock (eastern) August 15, and invite you to participate if you are: willing to actively participate with camera on and be recorded (this will be edited and anything that you don't want recorded will be removed) You do NOT need to know anything about how to deal with uncontrolled crossings. Just like the Cane Workshop that Rebecca Sheffield and I did which some of you participated in, we plan to edit and post this webinar with a quiz for O&Ms to get ACVREP credit. We plan for this to be a FUN webinar where the participants are engaged so we can create a recording to help folks get a better understanding of the concepts O&Ms need to know to prepare their students for uncontrolled crossings. The live webinar may take 2-3 hours to give us all the raw footage that we need, BUT you can take a break whenever you need it and even leave early if necessary. The recording will be edited and we will remove any video of you that you don't want included. So if you'd like to have some fun with Jolene and me and maybe learn a BUNCH while sharing your insights and wisdom and raise questions like the O&Ms did at the Cane Webinar to help your fellow O&Ms learn, please contact me. Thanks! - Dona -------------------------------- Dona Sauerburger, COMS dona@... sauerburger.org