If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to train a dog guide or what life is like for the person on the other end of the harness, Tuesday’s event at the Shawnee Library in Louisville offered some incredible insight.Jessica and Joyce have been a team for eight years. Through The Dot Experience, a program by the American Printing House for the Blind, kids at Shawnee Public Library got a hands-on lesson in inclusion thanks to one very special four-legged instructor, Joyce. Through games, role-playing, and interactive activities, these young learners got a crash course in ADA laws, what they mean, and why they matter.They also discovered how guide dogs help people who are blind or have low vision navigate the world and how much independence that support brings.“Before I got Joyce, I had a long white cane, and that was not as smooth. When you use a cane, you sweep it back and forth in front of you, and it hits things. Joyce goes around everything,” said Jessica. The event also covered the dos and don’ts of interacting with a working guide dog in public.“So the dot experience is really wanting to hone in on welcoming everyone, making sure everybody has equal opportunity,” said Meg Outland Stewart.When the harness is off of Joyce, she’s ready for playtime and a whole bunch of belly rubs, but when the harness is put back on, it’s all business. “When she’s a regular pet, she can play. She can run. She can play with other dogs, but when she’s on harness, she knows she’s working,” said Jessica. Organizers say the goal is simple: teach empathy, understanding, and inclusion starting young.“I’m just really passionate about it because I think everybody deserves equal opportunity to exist,” said Outland Stewart. The Dot Experience Museum will officially open at the American Printing House for the Blind next year.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to train a dog guide or what life is like for the person on the other end of the harness, Tuesday’s event at the Shawnee Library in Louisville offered some incredible insight.
Jessica and Joyce have been a team for eight years.
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Through The Dot Experience, a program by the American Printing House for the Blind, kids at Shawnee Public Library got a hands-on lesson in inclusion thanks to one very special four-legged instructor, Joyce.
Through games, role-playing, and interactive activities, these young learners got a crash course in ADA laws, what they mean, and why they matter.
They also discovered how guide dogs help people who are blind or have low vision navigate the world and how much independence that support brings.
“Before I got Joyce, I had a long white cane, and that was not as smooth. When you use a cane, you sweep it back and forth in front of you, and it hits things. Joyce goes around everything,” said Jessica.
The event also covered the dos and don’ts of interacting with a working guide dog in public.
“So the dot experience is really wanting to hone in on welcoming everyone, making sure everybody has equal opportunity,” said Meg Outland Stewart.
When the harness is off of Joyce, she’s ready for playtime and a whole bunch of belly rubs, but when the harness is put back on, it’s all business.
“When she’s a regular pet, she can play. She can run. She can play with other dogs, but when she’s on harness, she knows she’s working,” said Jessica.
Organizers say the goal is simple: teach empathy, understanding, and inclusion starting young.
“I’m just really passionate about it because I think everybody deserves equal opportunity to exist,” said Outland Stewart.
The Dot Experience Museum will officially open at the American Printing House for the Blind next year.
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