Pawsitivity works with veterans and their children with multiple disabilities, including blindness. Many service dog organizations only work with people who have one disability because circumstances can be quite complicated with multiple disabilities. Pawsitiviity's individualized approach, however, allows us to create a win-win situation with veterans, their families, and the service dog.
For instance, one complication with a service dog is when the veteran's child with an intellectual disability and thus unable to be the handler. In this case, the parent is often the handler, which is called a "third-party handler." We've worked with children who have severe intellectual disabilities and also blindness and helped create a partnership with the service dog, the child, and their parents (the third-party handlers).
Another complication arises when the person with blindness can see somewhat, but they need a service dog for another disability. We can train the dog to help with their disability and also work around their low-vision disability. This situation creates a situation where they can succeed in their unique circumstance, allowing the person more independence in their everyday lives as well as reducing the demands on their caregivers. Win-win!
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