Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability - discrimination

An Ode to the Service Dog: A Talk with Sonja Ohldag

Visitor — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 22:33:07 +0000

Leading up to Superfest 2017, Superfest intern Celina Gomez spoke with Sonja Ohldag about her film Chief. To follow the film on Facebook, visit: https://www.facebook.com/sohldag/posts/355631324847145

Celina Garcia: Chief is comprised of both still imagery and home-video style footage. At what point did you decide you wanted to fashion them into a documentary, and how did this dictate the type of footage you then captured?

Sonja Ohldag: I’ve captured most his training moments on camera. Taping and photographing for me is training diary, progress reports, it gives me feedback on things I could do better in order to improve chief’s progress and mine. The videos help me to determine how well we’re doing in our training schedule. People often times don’t know that legit Owner/Trainers follow individualized task schedules and have a system, which is geared toward their teaching pace and skills, and the dogs’ learning and progressing pace and skill levels. Service dog training for different kinds of disabilities require different types of training. As an Owner/Trainer, we have to discipline ourselves every single day to stay on track. That’s not always easy, but the picture material helps me to stay on track and provide consistency for Chief and myself. I like to have a journal, for mainly me, but also for others to see and experience what goes into service dog training.

Lots of Owner/Trainers have benefitted from the videos and wonderful conversations have come out of it. Those videos and photo material have helped me to resolve access challenges, too. Chief’s movie only shows fragments of it and I wish we could have put every single photo and video into it, but that would be almost 6 years of material. In short - the photos and videos, are for proof of training, self-evaluation and interaction with other Owner/Trainers and of course, for memories. I’ve always wanted to write a book about Jolanda, the dog I worked with before Chief. She was the book kind of dog. But Chief loves the camera and he loves to pose and I knew from day one that he needed to be on screen. People love seeing his photos and videos, which made the final decision easy.

CG: Prior to making Chief, what types of films or stories had you seen where you felt they properly reflected life with a service dog? What sort of influences did you draw inspiration from, or did you feel there was a gap in representation?

SO: Yes, there’s clearly a gap in representation and often times misrepresentation or underrepresentation. Often times people think it’s more than enough to always want to hang out with their dog to turn their pets into service animals, but that’s not how it works. Owner/Trainers are hardly ever mentioned in a positive light, which I find heartbreaking, but somewhat understandable since we have no representative who would promote us in public or share our stories, nor do we have the funds to do it ourselves. Lots of us have social media pages in which we try to help people access our world. Many people with disabilities literally put their lives on hold and spend lots and lots of hours and money on training their own dogs. We meet up for training and exchange tips, we help each other, we travel far for meetups and have to make all the phone calls ourselves. No one finds us “interesting” enough to follow us around… We have to organize those things and it’s really exhausting, but rewarding. We’re all dealing with daily struggles and the amount of effort and team work it takes can’t be put in words.

I want for people to hear the good things about us. I want for people to see and understand that we’re out there, our dogs are incredible, and they’re highly trained and carefully chosen, and how it isn’t easy to train your own dog while you’re the one who needs the dog’s help. I also want them to see this process, and how owning a service dog is a lifelong responsibility and takes continuous training. My inspiration is my life and the dogs I’ve worked with and people who surround me. It’s such a beautiful feeling when someone truly “sees” your dog and immediately says - wow, what a cool dog you have. I can tell it’s a well-trained service dog. Those are the people I’m grateful for every single day. It’s such a good situation when people ask sincere questions about Chief or training. We’re always happy to explain and educate and people even get to say hi to him when they are respectful and interested. Luckily Chief is perceived very well and people naturally feel drawn to him.

CG: What kinds of obstacles did you encounter as a first-time filmmaker?

SO: Oy...nothing major. Amir Jaffer generously donated his time and knowledge to make this film happen. It’s was a really amazing process. He was not familiar with owner training initially, so we spent lots of time talking about service animals and training. Many conversations were personal and of course, some subjects were emotional and challenging. But we took our time and worked our way through it. I think the process was an incredible experience. We had a few logistical challenges in regards to finding days to film and do the interviews since we both travel frequently. Some days we met up with other Owner/Trainers and we had to find dates to get us all together. Sometimes I just simply had a hard time finding the right words or was dealing with personal issues. When you live with a disability, the illness doesn’t necessarily define everything you do, but it does influence your days. But other than that, it was a really awesome experience, and I can’t thank Amir enough for being so reliable and for helping me turn my thoughts into an actual film. I can be challenging to work with at times, but he was steady and kept us on track.

CG: In a short amount of time, your film captures a variety of issues. Why do you think film is an important medium in spreading awareness on not only service dogs but also highlighting living with an invisible disability?

SO: Watching or hearing something is oftentimes easier for people to access. It’s less “time consuming” and people are more willing to watch a short movie rather than hear someone talk or read pamphlets or books, plus I find it more personal. I love all media such as books and film and audio. I’ve shown Chief’s movie many times during educational events and people respond with different emotions. Some people were speechless, others cried, many were happy and sincerely appreciated it. They feel connected to Chief and myself, which immediately offers a great baseline for any kind of conversation and discussions. Invisible disabilities are things people don’t like to talk about. There’s still a lot of stigma attached and people often times are judged. I’m at a point where I’m completely open about my disability and feel comfortable sharing when people ask. Chief is such an amazing little guy, he makes me look special. But it’s all him. Chiefie’s movie helps people connect and understand on a cognitive and emotional level. It touches them. I’m glad it does.

CG: Do you feel there’s been an increased skepticism towards guide/service dogs? What do you hope resonates with audiences after viewing your film?

SO: I could go on and on about politics and schools vs Owner/Trainers, and about people thinking they know it all, and all those “specialists” out there who think they’re totally rad.... I don’t think people are “more” skeptical toward service animals, but due to lots of propaganda and the media reporting all the bad things, people now think they know “all about it,” and they are now confronted with things more than they used to be. Not too many years ago any kind of service animal was rather a rarity. Today, more people do have legit service animals and they’ve become more public.

Unfortunately, most people don’t know how to tell a legit working dog from a pet in a harness or vest. There’s lots of stuff going through the media, but hardly any sincere service animal education. Often times people can’t tell a well-trained dog from a training school or from an Owner/Trainer from a poorly trained one. There are poorly trained legit service animals as much as there are amazingly well-trained ones. They don’t know how to look for behavior, connection between handler and dog, synchronicity, etc… What makes me really unhappy is how businesses often times make no effort to keep people with disabilities and their dogs safe. They are poorly informed about existing laws.

CG: What questions can a covered entity's employees ask to determine if a dog is a service animal?

SO: In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? And (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person's disability. Someone with a legit dog, who has had proper training should, for their own protection, make no fuss and respond accordingly. Businesses need to take responsibility so others can see that the “service dog business” is a serious one and that lives depend on it. Skepticism often times comes from being uninformed or feeling helpless and results in accidental or purposeful discrimination. I like to give people a hand and help them understand. It’s not easy, and it is very exhausting, but it’s worth all the encounters we had.

CG: Finally, what do you look forward to being a part of Superfest?

SO: I’m just so so honored that Chief’s movie was selected for this specific festival - it means the world to me. Can’t wait for the festival to start. My best friend from Germany is flying in to be there for us. It’s just amazing. Looking forward to all the things :)

*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Tags:

chief

disability

disability rights

discrimination

Superfest: International Disability Film Festival

The Meta Maker of the 21st Century: Joshua Miele’s Path to Accessible Design

Visitor — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 22:52:50 +0000

By: Danny Thomas Vang, Students for Access Intern

Whether it be the layout of a room, the words on a sheet of paper, or the comprehension of how to effectively use a piece of technology, information is the basis for success. Without access to this information, a person will not have the ability to complete a task to their fullest potential. This is why Joshua Miele has made it his mission to bridge the gap between access to information and people with disabilities. Growing up in New York in a supportive environment, there was no doubt in Miele’s mind that he would one day become a scientist. “I have been successful to the degree that I have because of all sorts of luck and circumstance. I have a supportive family and I am a middle class white male. I come from a family where college was not a thing that you might do, it was the thing that you did.” Photo by the New York Times

In October 1973, Miele lost his vision at the age of four because of an unpredictable action from his next door neighbor. Miele heard the doorbell ring while playing in the backyard, so he went to identify who the visitor was. After opening the gate for his neighbor, the last item he saw was the wood paneling in the vestibule; the neighbor had poured a jar of sulfuric acid on his head. Rather than succumb to a sense of hopelessness and despair because of a sudden life change for their family member, his family was supportive in his recovery and in his future endeavors as a blind scientist and engineer. His father built him a bed that had a jungle gym, his mother encouraged him to feel the art at museums, and his siblings would advocate with him in public/private settings.

Throughout his life, Miele had to identify methods of how to gain access to necessary information in course textbooks, in the presentations in the classroom, and in the workplace. It is a conventional perception that the process of an action commences with the implementation of the action itself, but Miele sees this process as a multi-layer procedure for a person with a disability. “Before we can do the actual things we want to do, we have to create solutions just to get access to the information or the physical aspects of what we want to do. As a person with a disability, you don’t just go skiing. You have to figure out how you are going to adapt skiing to be what you want to do or something fun that you can do.” To be a “meta maker” is to be an individual who has to bridge a divide between themselves and an action before doing the task that was in mind from the onset. With personal experience as a blind person and a meta maker in the technology industry, Miele knew that the path of an information accessibility researcher was where he would be able to make the most significant and tangible impact for the community he cares for. Miele believes that the lack of awareness of accessibility and the lack in representation of people with disabilities in the technology industry is a result of low societal expectations. “The failure comes way before you go in for an interview; it’s in school early on. I am talking about the failure of the system to provide for people with disabilities.” In order to create a culture of inclusion, family members and educators must reach youth as young as possible. It is his belief that teaching students without disabilities about accessible design at the commencement of their education rather than after a product is found to be inaccessible will ensure that there will not be a need to retrofit products and will promote a greater comprehension of disability from the outset. In conjunction, positive reinforcements and opportunities to explore the realm of technology as a youth will allow people with disabilities to decide for themselves if this industry suits their interests.

This is not to diminish the current enthusiasm and effort put forth by those individuals without disabilities who seek to create innovative inventions that may increase access to crucial information for people with disabilities. The issue lies when imagination and cultural assumptions lead the production of a novel product in lieu of practical knowledge or conversational interactions with the community. “Because there is no cultural connection or experience with what that disability entails, they don’t necessarily develop technology that is going to have any relevant impact or usefulness.” Exposure to the barriers in the built environment as a youth will promote the effective and conscious development of products that are usable and practical. At this moment, Miele works on the creation of tactile maps of streets across the nation and the subway/metro system in the local area, online accessibility of YouTube videos, and much more at Smith-Kettlewell. However, his pride lies with the Blind Arduino Project, where youth and adults have the ability to gain hands-on experience on how to utilize an electronics platform to build computerized devices integrating sensors, motors, displays, wireless communications, and a host of other tools. “It’s not that I want every kid to be a blind tech nerd, but I want every blind kid to have the right to know whether or not they are a tech nerd.” Joshua Miele strives to use his experience as a meta maker to ensure that future generations of youth with disabilities have minimal gaps to bridge with access to information while simultaneously providing these individuals the tools to become meta makers as well, should the need arise.

Not all people with disabilities need to develop an interest in the field of technology, but it is imperative that everyone has the ability to explore this area of study. The Students for Access Project strives to capture the experiences of people with disabilities who work in tech and inspire both employers and future techies to push for equitable workplaces.

Interested in more on disability in tech? On Tuesday, August 22nd, from 2-3:30 pm PST the Students for Access will be hosting a free webinar "Beyond Diversity 101: Learning from the Perspectives of People with Disabilities in Tech." To join us, please RSVP. Captioning will be provided.

Read more from our Disability in Tech series here:

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People with Disabilities in Tech

Closing the Doors of Opportunity: A First-Hand Account of Ableism in Tech

Visitor — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 19:21:28 +0000

The following post is part of a series released by "Students for Access," a summer initiative to capture and share disability experiences from inside Silicon Valley. This account of discrimination, an unfortunate reality for many, is provided anonymously due to the risks of exposing such information.

By: Danny Thomas Vang

"It went from making threats, then I called them out on those threats, then the managers told the company that they never threatened me and here is how much of a horrible worker I am, and then I caught them in the lie. The atmosphere was thick with tension and there was complete silence in the office. After months of dialogue about the discrimination present in my work environment and the inaction of human resources, I rolled into the room and sat across from representatives of the company and their legal counsel. A check was slid across the table and it dawned upon me that it was their intent to purchase my silence…”

Jane Doe, who has a physical, visibly-apparent disability, shared past experiences that illustrate some of the challenges disabled employees can face. While reminiscing about her experiences at her former organization Widgets4U, Doe concluded that there are champions of inclusion in tech companies and there are also people who still adopt the negative stigma of disability.

Before Doe started at Widgets4U, the recruiter helping fill the position Doe was pursuing felt the need to give the manager of the team an advance warning that Doe had a disability, not provided for thinking about access, but rather as a warning to “prepare yourself!” Fortunately, the manager scolded the recruiter and even walked him over to HR to arrange a meeting for more education.

Thanks to this manager who understood that disability should not be a mark against a future employee, Doe went into the interview and was able to display her confidence and talent, getting the job. Doe is grateful to the manager who spoke up and later confided in her about this incident, a true advocate for people with disabilities.

But Doe eventually lost this supportive manager, replaced by a new manager who was aggressive and impatient because they did not know what to expect of an employee with a disability or how to handle accommodations in the workplace. “I said that I cannot do the new schedule he was asking of me because it will throw off my medical needs and that is not going to work.” The manager, distrusting Doe, asked for documentation from a medical professional, but Doe advocated that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protected her right to keep her medical information private. She said, “If this position is changing from what I initially agreed upon and what I could do, I am now informing you that I cannot do it because of the new changes that are being made. The reasonable accommodation is that we make the role work with my needs or put me in an equal level role that I can do.”

With little interest in having an open dialogue about accommodations, the manager would halt the conversation by throwing his hand in Jane's face and would leave the premises. After no progress with the manager and no alternative avenues, Doe went to human resources and was informed that all would be well, but they simply gave the manager a slap on the wrist. Doe found this inadequate and did not feel comfortable working with this manager because she thought that their animosity and unwillingness to converse about accommodations would influence the collaborative nature of the team. She sought to transfer to a different team, but found that the manager was actively working to hurt her reputation with the other department. Eventually, Doe was set on a performance plan because there was “confusion” about her performance as the manager told the company that she was not a competent worker. Doe was able to prove otherwise, having fortunately made her own copies of all her earlier performance metrics and reviews.

In the end, Doe left Widgets4U, exhausted by the hostile work environment she was now forced to work in. She hopes that the progress in inclusion that other tech companies are modeling will prompt Widgets4U to follow suit.

Despite Widgets4U bringing their legal team in and asking Doe to take a check to sign papers saying this never happened, she refused to sign and left Widgets4U's doors for the last time, having already decided she would never file suit. Doe recognizes how a discoverable lawsuit will negatively impact her future career since she is already stereotyped as a liability. Just recovering from what happened has taken some time, including checking into a psych program for PTSD, and she is now on anxiety medications indefinitely.

After reading a draft of this post, Doe asked that we add what she described as her "weird thing":

I still deeply care for the company. I understand their inexperienced team backed themselves into a corner by improperly handling two managers' poor behavior. They took their word over mine and were stuck when I provided proof. I want this organization to be successful. Naïve as it may sound, I dream of peacefully returning to their HQ to organize a workshop & help them be allies for their existing minority employees. I think that's why I did this article. Not just to help other disabled employees but to help employers know we're not a liability if they don't make us one. We're allies, and in many cases, willing to educate.

With a mission of collecting and sharing insightful experiences of people with disabilities in tech, the Longmore Institute on Disability appreciates Doe for sharing her story, which reminds us that there’s more to inclusion than just hiring people with disabilities. Companies need to build a culture of support and educate managers about the rights of people with disabilities to accommodations.

For more stimulating conversations, check out our other featured profiles of disabled people working and thriving in tech, coming to our blog in the coming weeks! Additionally, on Tuesday, August 22nd, from 2-3:30 pm PST, Students for Access will be hosting a free webinar “Beyond Diversity 101: Learning from the Perspectives of People with Disabilities in Tech.” To join us, please RSVP. Captioning will be provided.

Tags:

disability

discrimination

People with Disabilities in Tech

Silicon Valley

Students for Access

technology