Monday, April 18, 2011

Simple Survival Tips for the Disabled - Part One - Guide Dogs and Companion Animals



People with disabilities have certain additional problems they need to prepare for in case of an emergency or other crisis. Many disabled people use guide dogs or companion animals and this creates a unique series of problems that can be easily solved with a little advance planning. There will be many times during an emergency where persons using guide or companion dogs may become separated from their animal. This can create additional problems that may be avoided with the proper preparation. It is vitally important to take a few extra precautions ahead of time to prevent further problems.

There is a lot of training that is required for guide or companion animals. In addition, the owners also receive a great deal of training in the care and use of their guide dogs or companion animals. This is training that many people who come to your assistance in a crisis may not have. Even trained emergency personnel may lack sufficient training in this respect.

The first thing you will need is a good picture of your guide dog or companion animal, preferably one which includes you. Should you become separated from your guide dog or companion animal, it will be a lot easier for family, friends or emergency personnel to help you locate your animal if you become separated. Include any other identifying physical characteristics that may be specific to your animal that may not be readily apparent in the picture. Don’t forget to include their name and descriptions of their harness, leash or other items or gear your guide dog or companion animal is equipped with normally.

The second thing you will need is a list of “do’s and don’ts” for the handling and care of your guide dog or companion animal for those persons who may be assisting you. These instructions don’t need to be comprehensive, but they should contain specific information that can be read quickly and easily by any person who may be assisting you. Simple statements like, Don’t grab the harness, etc.

The third thing you will need is a list of food and care items for your guide dog or companion animal and their location. An emergency situation will not only be stressful for the persons involved but will also be stressful for your animal and it is important to have these types of items readily available for them.


If you have or use a guide dog or one that is simply a companion, it is important that you have these simple items handy in case of an emergency. If you have a friend or family member that uses a guide dog or companion animal, you should spend the time to learn the best way to assist them in an emergency.



There is also another very informative article with additional resources for the disabled at the following link:



Staying above the water line!

 Riverwalker

11 comments:

Double Tapper said...

Excellent topic. As hard as we all work on keeping in shape and staying healthy, there comes a time when we all break down. Some people just come that way from the factory. The time to think about taking care of them is now rather than when disaster strikes. I know a disabled person from Katrina that was literally bedridden and had to evacuate the area because it was too hard to care for her. In this case they were lucky it worked out. Next time for another person it may not.

riverwalker said...

To: Double Tapper

Excellent point! I'm getting older myself but I'm still in pretty good shape and manage to get around very effectively on my own...many others aren't so lucky.

In my research on the subject, I was startled to find that almost 1 in 7 persons in the USA have some form of disability or physical impairment...that's a bunch!

This would seem to indicate that many families are dealing with this problem on a daily basis.

Hopefully we can raise the awareness of this issue by devoting a little of our time to this issue.


Thanks Double Tapper!

RW

Anonymous said...

Although this article is necessary, it doesn't even scratch the surface. Rarely does a service animal leave its partner's side and when they do they will move heaven and earth to reconnect, or return to their base.

The average person (normal) thinks that someone who is disabled is just a broken normal person, showing the lack of understanding (not being mean just honest).

You want to help a disabled person (gimp) to prepare? Talk to them and get to know them, know what it takes to get through the day, hell know what it's like to get into the front door of their house (for them). Being a gimp myself I really get tired of seeing "How to prepare disabled persons for ..." knowing that a normal wrote it by the time I get to the end of the first sentence. What does a normal know about being disabled? NOT A DAMN THING!
These articles are well intentioned, but they are dangerous to someone trying to help a Gimp as they think wheelchair help this way, crutches help that way, but you have to be familiar with the disability the gimp has in order to help. I, as mentioned before, am a gimp and there is no way, to my mind, to write a short article on this subject and have it mean anything other than 1) Meds 2) Prosthetics 3) Food/Water ... these things are not put together as a person/animal or a parent/child they have to be prepared as a single person, because they are one single unit. A bit of clarification may be needed, when looking at me you see a man in a wheelchair, what you should be seeing (if you are trying to help) is a man whose legs roll, that chair is my legs. THE ONE MAIN RULE is no touching unless you ask, as each one of us has our own likes and dislikes, for example I hate people touching my chair, but I know they are only trying to help, so I usually let them (my arms get tired sometimes).

If you want to help, get to know those you want to help and make it easy for them to let you help them, let it be their decision, not yours.

Most think I write angry, I don't get it, but there is no anger. I have a very gruff and to the point personality and as you I like to help. I hope this will be taken in that spirit.

Shorty
Learning to stand up on my own

riverwalker said...

To: Shorty

Very well said! Even though I've worked in the field helping handicapped and physically impaired people it is still difficult and even hard at times to understand how this can affect someone.

As you said, there are different tolerance levels among people, both normal and those who deal with a physical impairment on a "day to day" basis.

More meaningful and useful dialogue needs to occur for any real problems to be solved.

Perhaps you might wish to email me an article that deals with the real problems and from the perspective of one who truly knows what it is like to deal with a disability.

Thanks Shorty...your comment was what is needed to bring a true awareness to people everywhere.

Thanks again.

RW

Anonymous said...

@ Riverwalker
I am not a writer, however if there is someone who can help with that I'm in. I would be more than happy, no honored, to assist you in this endeavor. By the way I'm a Texan as well, with the name Riverwalker would you be around S.A.?

Shorty

riverwalker said...

To: Shorty

I'm pretty close to the S.A. area and perhaps we could do an interview of some sort over the phone.

Even though my experience in this area is rather limited, I feel I have a pretty decent forum to reach a great many people through my site.

With your help and perhaps the help of others we raise awareness about this issue and maybe make things a little better along the way.

Please email with any ideas or thoughts you may have about this.

Thanks Shorty.

RW

Anonymous said...

@ riverwalker
Is there a way that we might communicate in a less public domain?

Your proposition is very interesting to me and I would be happy to help in any way that I can. Bringing attention to the prepping abilities in anyone and empowering that person, as I see it, is a great honor.

Shorty

riverwalker said...

To: Shorty

Just send me an email with your suggestions or additional comments.

You can set up a non-personal email to contact me with and we can go from there.

In any case, your privacy is a concern of mine as well. Hopefully, we can get the details worked out to your satisfaction.

If needed, I will send you special contact information so that you can get in touch with me on a more private and less public venue.

Thanks Shorty.

RW

Anonymous said...

@ Riverwalker
That would be great, I will set down in the next couple of days and try to work out some common points of discussion drawing on conversations I've had with some of my gimp buddies.

Prepping is a new topic that we discuss every now and again and some of the comments will surprise you, or at least it did me.

Shorty

riverwalker said...

To: Shorty

That sounds great!

Perhaps some good will come about as a result of your efforts and maybe help to alleviate some of the frustration that a lot of disabled or physical impaired people are feeling in this regard.

I look forward to working with you on this project for the benefit of all concerned.

Thanks Shorty.

RW

Monkey D. Luffy said...

Dogs are Excellent guide for many Disabled person and it have a lot of benefits! I agree! it's very useful to those who are disabled person and physical impairment.. Dogs can give you love, care, joy and security..

It'll be nice if each disabled person and physical impairment have guide dogs and companion animals

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