Christina: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Taking the Lead podcast where we empower people to be unstoppable. I'm Christina Hapner with my co-host Leslie Haskins and Timothy Kyo. So Timothy, I was just thinking about this, uh, you came to visit, what, three months ago now? Over the summer and. You were telling Leslie about your travel, but you never told me and you said you were gonna keep it a
Leslie: secret.
Timothy: Oh, yeah. I didn't want, I want
Leslie: you to be shocked that
Christina: too, so, yeah. But I just realized we haven't talked about it. Well,
Timothy: I remember last year we told everybody on the podcast to, you know, prepare for the worst just in case something happens. And it happened in August, uh, when I came up for the summer visits.
I, Detroit that day was slammed with a severe weather and I, it was flooded. The, the airport
Leslie: was flooded. Yeah. Oh my
Timothy: gosh. It was so bad. And, uh, I arrived at the airport that morning and they said, your flight's been canceled. And they said, well, we got you on another flight at 2:45 PM I said, okay, no problem.
Um, [00:01:00] so I got assistance to my gate and about two 20 that day, I was noticing that they're not calling this up to get on the plane. Come to find out the assistant took me to the wrong gate. Oh no. And I missed my flight to Detroit. I was 10 gates away.
Leslie: So you've already been sitting there for how many hours?
I've been sitting there for two hours, two and a
Timothy: half hours. Oh goodness. And the, the gate I was going was going to Fort Lauderdale. Oh. And so the guy told me, you go get, so when I got to the gate, they had moved that flight to a different terminal here in Atlanta. Me and Glacier had to go find the escalator.
We went down the escalator, got on a tra here in in Atlanta, the big subway down there. Found the right terminal, got up there and. I ran into a, an employee of Delta, and he looked on the computer and said, they just pushed away. You've lost your flight. We're not gonna be able to get you in Detroit today.
Oh no,
Leslie: my
Timothy: God. So, uh, I, uh, I [00:02:00] told him I was upset about being taken to the wrong gate, but the most important thing is that they, uh, left that gate and a blind man's supposed to be on that flight, and they did not look for me. Uh, so, um, they found me a flight to Washington DC and I landed in DC and the storms are still hanging around in Detroit.
I guess you guys didn't really want me there.
Leslie: And so, uh, it was a bad weather day for
Timothy: us. Yeah. So my flight got pushed to nine 20, so we finally took off at nine 20 and we were, we got to Detroit around 11, but we were circling around Detroit. And, uh, about 11 o'clock a tornado had hit Detroit area. Yeah, I remember that.
And said there people died. I, I, I, I feel for the family that there, I think five people died that night. And, um, this doesn't compare to what they're going through or did go through. And so we ended up, we were running, had a fuel, so we had to fly to, uh oh, uh, Columbus, Ohio. And we landed at 1:00 AM and we sat there [00:03:00] for an hour and a half.
So we eventually ended up in Detroit at about 3:00 AM in the morning. So it ended up being a 15 hour travel day.
Leslie: Oh my gosh. Bless you. So when you got to Columbus, did you get off the airplane or you just said, no
Timothy: ma'am. No ma'am. They told us we got off the plane and the captain said, you, you're leaving and you're not, you, you'll miss your flight.
Yeah. So I main Glacier just stood right, uh, sat right there
Leslie: and did not move. How did Glacier handle that? Full day She
Timothy: went. 13 hours without parking. Oh my goodness. And, uh, she was my inspiration when I got upset. She was set up and, and just look up at me and, and I would pet her. And I'm thinking she's got it worse than I do.
And so we were both helping each other get through those moments. And she held on until we got to the, uh, To the hotel and Kathleen bring Poor Kathleen. She picked me up at 3:00 AM Oh my goodness. And uh, it was a day and it, it was an unexpected day. But you know what? We had a great weekend and it was worth every bit of that [00:04:00] because the lines was there.
It was a great weekend as. It was great. So it was
Leslie: worth it. Yeah. Timothy, I can't believe you kept that from me. I remember running into, well, 'cause I went into work that day just to see Timothy, which I didn't know then, like the whole A team was there. It seemed like they were a bunch of people to say hi to that day.
Yeah, you, and then you pushed through a whole Lion's weekend, so Yeah. That's incredible. I
Timothy: arrived like, uh, 14 hours late and it was a rush. The whole weekend's a blur because I lost those 13, 14 hours and oh my gosh, I think I got like 14 hours sleep. Totaled for those three nights I was there. Oh man. So I was, I was wore out.
Everybody is worth it.
Leslie: So what advice, I guess, really quickly would you give to somebody who's in that situation or anything you wish you would've done differently? 'cause that's quite the travel day and that could have really derailed a lot of people. Just
Timothy: stay calm and make sure you have backup food.
'cause I thought I was gonna spend the night in Washington DC Yeah. I really believed I was going to. And Kathleen just said, how, how are you getting through this? 'cause [00:05:00] I, and I was laughing and, and I said, Kathleen, it's the only thing I can do. I'm in no control of what's going on. Just go with the flow and just be happy that if your dog gets through it, and if she, if they don't, it's a long day and they're a dog.
And, um, most likely they're gonna make it through. She surprised me. She's my superhero. And if she can get it through, it's a good test. Now I know what her limits are. Yeah. But we never wanna
Leslie: try that again. No, no, no. You don't wanna push those limits. Well, we are so glad that you made it safely, and thank you for sharing that story.
I mean, yeah. I feel like it's like a big brother tagline. Expect the unexpected. Right, right. And prepare for everything. And
Christina: this is a good time to actually talk about it again because. People are gonna be traveling for the holidays coming up in the next couple months and all of that, so, yeah. Yeah,
Timothy: no, I imagine it's gonna be rough during the holidays with all the cancellations, so, you know, just prepare for it.
It can happen to you. I thought it never happened to me, but it did. An hour and 15 minute flight. Ended up being a 15. 10 hour day. So [00:06:00]
Leslie: it was pretty bad. I'm so glad you made it safely and you definitely had an impact that weekend. And thank you for sharing that story and hopefully everybody can take away a little something about, you know, what to do next time.
Yes. Uh, or to prepare for such a situation. So thank you for sharing Timothy. Uh, no problem. Uh, I'm glad I can share it. All right, well, we've gotta get started already because we don't wanna run out of time. But our guest today, we are super excited, is a leader dog client who is so active in the community.
Educating the public on guide dogs? Yes.
Christina: Liz Freis lives in Wisconsin with her husband, three children and three dogs. While her vision failed due to retinopathy of prematurity, she continued to persevere. She's a local advocate, youth mentor, and pursuing a career within the death care industry. In her free time, she likes getting outdoors, camping, gardening, knitting, and enjoying life as much as possible with friends and family.
Timothy: Liz, it's awesome that you're here on the podcast today, and there's a lot of questions we have for you. So let's ask the first [00:07:00] one. How did you get involved with Leader Dog?
Liz: Sure. Well, thank you for allowing me to be on today. So in 2015, I lost a giant part of my vision. And due to the lack of funding, um, for orientational mobility or weight cane training, I contacted my local Lions club and they assisted me and introduced me to Leader Dog.
For first, for or orientation mobility or white cane training and or guide dogs one and two? Well, at Leader Dog I became a part of an extended family and made new friends. So when I moved in 2017, I friend and a fellow leader dog client. He assisted me to navigate the city a different way. And little did I know about approximately a year later I would be returning the favor in some small [00:08:00] way because life happens.
And that's what started my journey in advocacy and education.
Leslie: I love hearing stories like that. Or, you know, one thing leads to another and you never know exactly where you're gonna end up. So you came to Leader Dog, met some people. It sounds like that had a huge impact. I also really appreciate you saying about the family.
I think that's such an important takeaway. I was just speaking with a, actually a volunteer, uh, the other day and they were talking about, you know, once you're with. In Leader Dog, you're really part of this family. And we mean that. And it goes across the board to everybody, uh, clients, team members, volunteers, donors, um, and it's a wonderful family to be a part.
But tell us a little bit more kind of about your advocacy and kinda community education. What are some things that you've done?
Liz: Sure. So I go into classrooms, I teach them about blindness guide dogs, the do's and don'ts, and then I also piloted a program with a special needs classroom about doing a [00:09:00] meditation mentor program.
And then on top of that, I also do a book buddy program within the school where I sit down and have children read to me. I also have started a Braille bird district with another school. I. And then outside of the school, I do a lot of transit advocacy work as far as accommodations that they can make for B V I individuals and just all around other organizations.
So I'm on a lot of boards and committees as well. That is
Christina: amazing. Liz. Um, just for anyone who doesn't know, what is B v i,
Liz: blind and visually impaired?
Christina: Yeah, sometimes with the acronyms we like to just explain
Leslie: what those are a little bit. Um,
Christina: uh, because we have a lot here at Leader Dog and we're always, I'm always asking Lessie, so what does that mean?
But, so that is amazing. All of the work you do a lot of community outreach, which is. [00:10:00] Awesome. So tell us a little bit more, I know you've done some stuff, so you said the transit. What are some things you know people should know in the blind, visually impaired community who might be traveling on these transit with some of the work you've done?
Liz: Sure. Not to be afraid to ask questions. A lot of times people don't know how to approach someone, and you just have to be out there, be the spark, be the positive light that says, Hey, I need help and list X, Y, Z, a, B, C. But with the transit advocacy that I've been doing is transit equity, so making sure there's usable and affordable transit as well as accessible formats, so either maps or time points or things like
Leslie: that.
I think that's such a good point, and it really came into play. You know, Timothy, when he was just sharing his story about his transit issues, he couldn't used you that day, I guarantee you that. But right, like Timothy, you're able to advocate for yourself and ask [00:11:00] questions and figure out what the next step is.
And that's not easy to do, honestly. When we're working, you know, with clients for o m sometimes asking questions or asking for assistance is the hardest task for people and it can be really challenging. So I think getting out there and advocating and letting people know what questions are good questions to ask and what information you specifically need is absolutely wonderful.
'cause on the flip side, Liz, what you're also doing is educating those people who are working in the community. So you're, you're not obviously only helping people who are blind or visually impaired, but you're helping others learn how to best assist in what they can do. Yes.
Liz: So with that, I also have partnered with the police and emergency responders and firefighters, having open, clear communication about your plans, whether it's an accident, an illness, or an emergency.
Those types of people should have an idea or suggested plan for someone that they may come in contact with, whether it's me or [00:12:00] someone within our community.
Timothy: I've noticed in my area, I can call my police station. You know my not the 9 1 1 number, but you know, you call the police station and you can put on your file at your home that there's a blind individual in that house.
So if there's ever a call to that house, they know that I'm in this house and I'm visually impaired. So if there's a fire or a emergency or whatever, they know when they come to my home that, hey, there's supposed to be somebody here who's disabled. And blind. So they already have that information. So I encourage everybody to kind of see if they offer that in your area and that way it, they'll be prepared when they get to your home.
Christina: Yeah, that's a great point. Timothy and Liz, so you know, you're working with these emergency responders. What type of information do you share with them or teach them on, you know, especially you have a guide dog. Correct. Especially with having a guide dog
Liz: in your home. Yes. So I am no professional. I just use my own personal experience.
[00:13:00] Yeah. So I can take it a few different levels with the police. I want them to know I'm a V I P or very important person. Yeah. Um, within my community. Giving them like a baseball card they have already in place in our community and they write down all the pertinent information and every officer is issued one.
So that way there's information right at hand. If they come upon me, if I'm heard, if I'm injured, if I'm lost, they can make that point of contact and how to address me, not, hey, you or that girl over there, or, or whatever the case may be. I. So as far as the baseball card goes, it gives all of the information, phone numbers, contacts, and my information if you take it to the next step as far as emergency Respondle Hospital.
I have it listed in my emergency medical record that I have a guide dog with me and then a separate person [00:14:00] for a phone number, so that way my dog is taken care of and I don't need to worry about that as well as my husband's information. And as far as the fire department, how I'd want my dog to be handled.
Obviously if there's a, an emergency that requires them to take off the harness. I'm okay with that. They even made a suggestion having a separate tag with your dog's vet information on it.
Timothy: Wow. You've given me a lot of things I needed to consider for my dog. I thank you for sharing all
Leslie: that. Yeah, those are some really good points.
I hadn't really thought about that. You know, I love the idea of, um, like Timothy, I hadn't known or thought about contacting your local police department or whatever and letting him know that somebody who is blind or visually impaired lives there so that they are already are alerted, you know, as. They have to go to your home for whatever reason they have an idea.
Um, and then on the flip side too, Liz, what you're saying is being really proactive as well and [00:15:00] educating others with this kind of, this card of information. So what are some things that you, um, when you, you're training first responders, what do you tell them to do? So let's say they come to your house, there's an emergency, um, and you're injured and they need to do something or care for your guide dog.
What do you tell them to do?
Liz: Well, that's a very open-ended question. I mean, it depends on the situation. If I was hit by a car mm-hmm. Obviously I want you to talk to me first and then address if the dog is physically injured, do what is necessary. So that pertains for the dog. Obviously, I gave full permission to the police and fire department if there is an issue.
Mm-hmm. And then have someone else take care of me, but come together as a whole and keep everyone involved if it's in my home environment. Making sure that emergency dog [00:16:00] contact, because my husband's responsible for me and my decisions. Mm-hmm. I don't want him to worry about my dog, so I have a backup person for that.
Leslie: That's a good idea. Yeah,
Christina: that is great because think about it, if you're in an emergency situation, You're not in the place to be like, oh, I want this with my dog, or I want this to happen, or this to happen. Kind of, you know, having those conversations beforehand is such a great idea for any situation that you may be in.
Was there anything that surprised you, um, that maybe emergency responders weren't aware of? With guide
Leslie: dogs?
Liz: Yeah. They think that they're more, you know, as, as a much of a professional, they still are a dog at the end of the day, and I think on some level they miss that. And showing them, yes, they'll love you and lick you and.
They just thought maybe they're kind of like a robot. Yeah. Which they're not. That's what kind of surprised them. You know? As [00:17:00] far as education wise, they don't have any information to go off of. This is new territory for them as well. So they're like sponges. They're asking great questions, they're making ideas and recommendations, tag, um, you know, and they go, how do you take off the harness?
They had no idea. So
Leslie: how would you recommend somebody getting involved, kind of, you know, providing this education in their community?
Liz: What I would recommend is reaching out to your local police, first responders and fire department and asking, do you have half an hour, one hour to sit down and have a conversation that we can maybe do a training that can be recorded for the whole department or sections, and just having that bridge and opportunity to have an open and frank conversation about your needs to make it great.
Well,
Timothy: Liz, it sounds like you're a very busy [00:18:00] person, so what is, what are some of your future goals you got right now going on? I. What do you plan on doing?
Liz: Well, I'm hopefully going to be entering the workforce again. It's been a while, so I'm pursuing my career in the death care industry. It's nothing new to me in my previous work life.
I for 15 years. And so this is just a natural progression, I guess you could say, and bringing help to those, you know. With life's unfortunate mishaps,
Leslie: that is such an important industry to be in. And so thank you for doing that and getting in there. It's so important and it's so helpful, so to so many people who are going through and experiencing loss.
So thank you for that. And any other words of advice for anyone who's thinking about educating or advocating about guide dogs in their community or, um, things that you're hoping to continue to do [00:19:00] in this area as well?
Liz: Sure, just be you. Be the spark. Use your personal experience to guide you and be truthful.
You know, no one is perfect and we don't know everything, and I didn't have all of the answers when I had an open conversation. I'm furthering by doing more advocacy work within the Disability Action Network, independent living resources, and working toward a common goal of just education and information.
Leslie: That's perfect. Thank you. I like that. Be you. That's wonderful and really right. Just share in your experiences and what you already know. There are so many myths and unknowns out there that people just do not understand about service animals and guide dogs specifically. So any opportunity to get out there and share your experience, what you're doing and what they could do in certain situations is incredibly helpful.
So thank you for all the advocacy and work that you're doing, and thank you for coming on the [00:20:00] podcast today and sharing your experiences. We certainly appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me. Of course. And thank you to our listeners for listening to the Taking the Lead podcast. I'm Leslie Hoskins with host Christina Hepner and Timothy Kyo.
We hope you enjoyed hearing about Liz and the work she's doing to educate the community. Please join us next time as we continue to dive into the world of blindness. Yes, and if you'd like to learn
Christina: more about applying to wear Free services at Leader Dog or being a volunteer, you can head to leader dog.org or call us at (888) 777-5332.
And don't forget, you can reach us at taking the lead@leaderdog.org with any questions or ideas. If you like today's podcast, make sure to hit subscribe and check us out wherever podcasts straight.