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VIDBE-Q Volume 63 Issue 4
I walked the very short walk from my room to the O&M office to find two sets of four
legs and smiles that seemed to say, "Welcome!" Dogs in the office! Enter instant relief!
LDFB allows employees to bring their dogs to work and the relaxed and playful vibe the
four-legged friends provide seemed to carry on to the staff. Everyone was welcoming,
supportive, and interested. I could tell that the staff cared about their mission, providing
services to people that are blind and visually impaired to lead them toward a life of
confidence and independence. It permeated the entire building from the O&M
Specialists, to the Guide Dog Mobility Instructors, to the kitchen staff, the Residence
Assistants, and everyone in between. I knew instantly that this place would make a
positive impact.
Each week, there are new O&M clients that arrive and each month there are new
Guide Dog clients. Most clients stay in the residence facility, where a room and three
meals a day are provided for them. It's a busy place and the atmosphere is abuzz with
excitement and hope. Upon meeting my clients, I got a taste of who they were, where
they were from, and why they were at Leader Dogs. Many reported feeling nervous and
anxious, just like I felt when I arrived at LDFB, but all were excited to begin a journey
toward independence. For many, receiving O&M services was the first step in their
ultimate mobility goal – getting a guide dog. Having excellent cane and O&M skills is a
requirement for clients before being considered for a guide dog. Canes and dogs are
both mobility devices and clients are told that they will simply be swapping one mobility
tool out for another. That means that the client still must maintain all the orientation and
mobility skills and concepts he or she had when using a cane. Ultimately, dogs are
mobility devices. But, for many, they are so much more than that. They offer a symbol
