By MIZUHO ITO

In the previous issue of Youth Forum News, I reported about Japan's guide dogs. And this time, I had the good fortune to interview a blind person who actually lives with a guide dog.

The interviewee was Mr. Norio Sasaki, the President of the Hokkaido Guide Dogs' Association. He became totally blind when he was 20 years old, and since then a special cane( which is a white cane used by the visually impaired) has been indispensable to his life. However, he got a guide dog when he was 38 years old, and has lived with the dog for about 20 years.

He said, " My ability to move around is much greater than when I used the cane. This is the best point of being with the guide dog. " When he used the cane, he couldn't walk while talking with other people, because using the cane means that he had to concentrate his attention on walking. Yet he can walk while talking with people at the same time now because he trusts his guide dog. In addition, his ability to move around has increased his opportunities of making acquaintances with other people.

However, it seems that there was a lot of trouble using a guide dog. For example, 20 years ago, the knowledge of guide dogs was not yet established in our society, so Mr. Sasaki was usually refused permission to use taxis. He was also warned to avoid rush hours by the drivers when he board buses. Though the knowledge of guide dogs has spread in our society bit by bit and more people understand what guide dogs are for, still there are many problems.

Guide dogs are often refused entrance into hotels or restaurants. However, guide dogs are trained not to bark and are always managed by their owners in regard to their sanitary conditions. This means that no one needs to worry about guide dogs. So the Minister of Health and Welfare served notices to businesses to admit guide dogs, but the effect seems to be unsatisfactory. Mr. Sasaki is hoping hereafter for a society where guide dogs are accepted naturally without asking restaurants or hotels, " Can I enter together with my guide dog? " However, he also said, " It will take 10 or 20 more years to establish such a society. "

In passing, in America blind people's rights are protected by the laws of citizenship and by laws for the blind. As a result, guide dogs are accepted quite naturally in American society. Yet, at present, there is no law which includes reference to guide dogs in Japan. In my opinion, the existence of stickers which allows guide dog's entrance delays the resolution of problems even more. ( The stickers are put on places like store and restaurant windows and tell people that the places admit guide dogs. ) The government should advance acceptance of guide dogs not by these notices, but by laws that give the users of guide dogs rights to enjoy the outdoors just as those of us who can see. Knowledge and understanding of guide dogs will spread more in our society by the arrangement of such a law.

For this purpose, the government should abolish such stickers and must create a society where blind people with guide dogs can use restaurants and hotels without any constraints. And both the government's policy and our cooperation are indispensable to realize such a society, because the citizenry have direct contact with the blind. So we must learn more about guide dogs and understand that we don't have to worry about guide dogs accompanied by the blind in regard to safety. Then we should appeal to the government to make a society in which blind people can live with ease. And, at present, financial support for guide dogs' training is being appealed, so we need to cooperate actively for donations. Of course, little acts are also needed. For example, when you see a blind person who seems to be in trouble, you should offer him or her your help. Each of us should be conscious of creating a comfortable society in which guide dogs are accepted everywhere as soon as possible.