Suki was the center of attention at a seventh-grade English class in Rehovot where I went to give a presentation about guide dogs and people who are visually impaired. The children sat at rapt attention for two lessons, with a ten-minute break in the middle (spent mostly petting Suki) and asking questions. The kids were sharp in their questions, and quickly understood the essence of the mobility problems that blind people encounter: Here are some of the questions they asked and the gist of my answers:
How to you navigate in a strange town? (I ask people's help. I also described the final task of the course when we were deposited in the middle of the market in Ramla and told to find the district court building. We all got there.)
How do you know when to cross the street if there is no one there to help you or you don't know what the traffic is doing? (I stand at the stoplight for one or two cycles until I understand the sequence, and then cross when I am sure it's safe.)
Can't you drive a car any more? (I never drove a car. But I did ride a tandem bicycle with a sighted person steering!)
If you can still see a bit, how come you don't wear glasses? (Some problems with eyes can't be corrected with glasses.)
How do you find things that you lose in the house? (There are some things a dog can't help you with. I try and keep things in a pace, but sometimes, like everyone else, I lose things sometimes.)
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