The travel route of the blind Zhou Tong and the guide dog Xiaojie
repeatedly encountered obstacles, and often met with enthusiastic people to help, sending videos to promote guide dogs; experts say that the key to solving the problem of blind people’s travel with dogs lies in legislation
Zhou Tong and the guide dog Xiaojie are on the bus.
Beijing News reporter Xu Meihui photo
Zhou Tong wears a saddle for the guide dog Xiaojie.
Putting on the guide saddle means that Xiaojie is about to start working.
Beijing News reporter Xu Meihui photo
On November 8, 2017, at the South China Guide Dog Demonstration Base, six guide dogs "graduated" after more than two years of training.
Profile picture/IC photo
On September 17, 2020, at the International Science and Technology Expo, two guide dogs on display attracted the audience to stop and take pictures.
Profile picture/Photo by Pu Feng, reporter of Beijing News
"We can't bring dogs here." On the afternoon of May 12, at the security checkpoint at the gate of Tieying Hospital in Fengtai District, Beijing, Zhou Tong and her guide dog Xiaojie were stopped again.
Because of this situation too many times, Zhou Tong took out her disability certificate and the work permit of her guide dog Xiaojie from the backpack behind him, and explained to a male volunteer at the entrance of the hospital, "I am blind. , This is my handicapped ID, this is a guide dog, and public places are allowed to enter. If you are not at ease, you can take a photo of my ID and keep it for you, so as not to hinder you later."
"Guide dog? Can you enter? Does that dog have to wear a mask?" the volunteer asked.
"Guide dogs can't wear masks, and if they are worn, they can't work. But guide dogs are trained to not bite people. We can fly or take the train." Zhou Tong explained.
"Wait a minute, I'll go in and ask." The volunteer turned and went into the hospital to ask.
About two minutes later, the volunteer came back and told Zhou Tong, "The doctor's office said that guide dogs can enter."
At this point, Zhou Tong and her guide dog Xiaojie finally completed the first step of today's hospital "pass through the barriers".
The third Sunday in May is the National Day for the Disabled.
On the eve of the 31st National Day for the Disabled, the reporter walked into the lives of blind Zhou Tong and her guide dog Xiaojie to learn about her travel problems and warm stories.
Bringing a guide dog to seek medical treatment has twists and turns
"Dogs can't enter!"
Zhou Tong and Xiaojie had just walked to the security checkpoint of the hospital, and they were yelled at by volunteers here.
Another volunteer immediately explained, "It's a guide dog. I just asked the doctor at the hospital and said that I can enter."
"Why didn't I know that there is still this regulation?" The volunteer who called Zhou Tong still hesitated.
After "passing through" layers of "questioning", Zhou Tong and Xiaojie finally walked into the outpatient building.
However, the problem reappeared.
Because he didn't understand the structure of the hospital, Zhou Tong couldn't give the guide dog instructions to move forward in a certain direction. Without the help of others, Zhou Tong could not complete the registration, medical treatment and other tasks.
"Especially when going to the kind of public place that we go to for the first time, we can only ask the staff around us or the enthusiastic citizens to help lead the way." Zhou Tong said.
Fortunately, the volunteers at the gate enthusiastically expressed their willingness to accompany Zhou Tong to see the doctor.
Walking around with a dog in the hospital was indeed particularly noticeable, and a doctor who came out of the consulting room was taken aback by Xiaojie.
"I know that guide dogs can enter public places, but it's the first time I encountered it. I was abruptly, really scared."
Registering, seeing a doctor, fetching orders, going back to the clinic... After three or four tossings, the volunteers finally took Zhou Tong through all the procedures and could get the injections.
Just when Zhou Tong was about to enter the clinic for an injection, a security guard walked over and said, "Why is a dog coming in? Dogs can't come in!"
Several doctors came to relieve the siege and explained to the security guard, "This is a guide dog, you can come in."
"Really? Didn't tell me this, I don't know, I really don't understand." The security said.
"Indeed, we don't seem to have done relevant training." A doctor from the hospital said, "Some people may know that guide dogs can come in after seeing relevant news. But there are also people who have not paid attention to it before, and this is the first time they have encountered it. When I arrived, I stopped the guide dog at the door."
Just when Zhou Tong was about to leave, a doctor recognized Xiaojie.
"Are you the'Guide Dog Xiaojie' on Douyin? I have followed you because I watched your video and learned a lot about guide dogs."
Is a work partner and family
He often hears questions or doubts about guide dogs, Zhou Tong opened the account "Guide Dog Xiaojie" on the short video platform, hoping to let more people accept guide dogs through the video.
Zhou Tong, 31 years old this year, is a congenital first-degree visually disabled.
"In fact, it is the total blindness in everyone's mouth, but I have a little sense of light. In a better light environment, I can feel the lights on and off, and can roughly feel the outline of larger objects."
In 2012, after knowing that blind people could apply for a guide dog, she started to apply with the idea of giving it a try.
In July 2015, a male Labrador Xiaojie from the Dalian Training Base of Chinese Guide Dogs came to Zhou Tong.
Unlike the blind stick, the appearance of the guide dog Xiaojie brought a different lifestyle to Zhou Tong.
In Zhou Tong's view, the use of a blind cane to travel is more of a blind person passively avoiding obstacles.
"In other words, I kept tapping with the blind stick until I knocked on something. I didn't know that there was an obstacle in front of me and I needed to go around." But because the blind stick has a limited detection range and is very thin, the blind stick It is easy to stagger certain small obstacles, and blind people can easily run into them.
But guide dogs are different. Guide dogs can avoid most obstacles and will not run into blind people.
At the same time, the guide dog can remember some destinations, elevators, doors and other locations, and can understand the simple instructions given to him by Zhou Tong.
And Zhou Tong said that the most important point is that the guide dog is a kind of company for the blind.
"When I need to go out and walk, we are working partners; when I am not working, it is just like my child."
"Although I can't see Xiaojie, I can touch it. I think Xiaojie is a big-eared puppy." Zhou Tong described Xiaojie in her mind.
"It has a waist and big ears. It is very cute. I hope Xiaojie will always be by my side."
However, Zhou Tong is now called Xiaojie like her own child. When she first came to her, Zhou Tong did not fully trust him.
"At that time, I was accustomed to using blind sticks, and the height of the guide dog was only up to my knees. At that time, I was completely insecure. Then one thing changed my mind." Zhou Tong said.
Once, Zhou Tong was walking on a usual road, but Xiaojie had to take her down the sidewalk.
"At the time, I thought Xiaojie might be more naughty. If I wanted to go and smell it, I thought I couldn't walk down the sidewalk, it was not safe."
Zhou Tong dragged Xiaojie to continue walking, but he tripped over without walking a few steps.
"In the end I found out. I don’t know who threw a big sofa on the sidewalk. Since this incident, I trust Xiaojie more and more, because I know that he is a well-trained guide dog that can carry I walk safely." Zhou Tong said.
Repeatedly encountered obstacles in entering public places
The public has some misunderstandings about guide dogs. Zhou Tong has heard the most about being worried that guide dogs will bite people when they appear in public places.
According to Zhou Tong, trained guide dogs have very strict screening criteria. Only when there is no record of attacking humans for more than three generations can they be used as a candidate for guide dogs. Qualified guide dogs cannot barter teeth during the training process; 'S guide dog has very strong self-control...
"So, the guide dog is very reliable, it will not bite, the public can rest assured." Zhou Tong said.
In Zhou Tong's view, it is precisely because of various ignorance or misunderstanding that it is difficult for guide dogs to enter public places time and time again.
Behind the difficulty of the guide dog to travel, it reflects the travel difficulties of the visually impaired group.
Guide dog work is an integral part of the national barrier-free environment construction.
In recent years, both nationally and locally, many policies have been introduced for guide dogs entering public places.
The "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Disabled Persons (Revised in 2008)" implemented on July 1, 2008 and the "Regulations on the Construction of Barrier-Free Environments" implemented on August 1, 2012 clearly stipulate that blind people can bring guide dogs in and out Public places.
However, despite the relevant policies, it is still difficult for guide dogs to enter public places. Blind singer Zhou Yunpeng and blind piano tuning lawyer Chen Yan have frequently spoken out about this.
Chen Yan and her guide dog Jenny were rejected by the Beijing subway 11 times.
With the gradual implementation of detailed provisions in various regions, such as the "Beijing Municipal Animal Epidemic Prevention Regulations" implemented in 2014, the "Beijing Rail Transit Operation Safety Regulations" implemented in 2015, etc., it is clearly stipulated that qualified guide dogs and other working dogs should be carried. Public transportation is not restricted, and the reality is starting to improve.
But for the blind group with guide dogs, they feel "much worse."
Zhou Tong said that in the past six years or so, she has been refused more than a hundred times because of bringing Xiaojie into public places.
"Many times, I will patiently explain to the other party that I am willing to let the other party take photos to verify my relevant documents. It stands to reason that the other party should not be allowed to take photos. After all, I have my personal privacy, but when the other party’s attitude is friendly, I Willing to sacrifice a part of personal privacy." Zhou Tong said.
"I have also encountered some extremely unfriendly situations." Zhou Tong said that a few years ago, she and her lover (Zhou Tong's lover was also a visually impaired person with a guide dog) planned to travel by train, but the train station was secured. The personnel refused to bring them in with a guide dog, but the explanation could not be made. The security personnel also acted on the two of them, and finally called the police to solve the problem.
On another occasion, Zhou Tong was planning to take a bus with a guide dog, but the security refused to let him get on the bus, and even shoved. In the end, he called the police to resolve.
There were also several times when Zhou Tong took Xiaojie to take a taxi, and the driver immediately refused to ride when he saw a guide dog; even once, Zhou Tong was still holding the door and the driver drove away, and Zhou Tong almost fell.
"It stands to reason that guide dogs should allow us blind people to have a larger living radius and go to more places; but sometimes things go contrary to our wishes. Going to some unfamiliar places may encounter various fancy rejections..." Zhou Tong Said that these encounters will cause her to have negative emotions, "I feel uncomfortable, but I want to live, and I can't spend my energy on such things, so I can only get used to some things."
"I would like to ride a car with a guide dog"
Even so, Zhou Tong still maintains a positive and optimistic attitude towards life, "In fact, our group has the most opportunity to feel the warmth of society."
Zhou Tong said that it is not a problem to get in and out of the places where she and Xiaojie always "have" daily.
Zhou Tong is engaged in brand promotion work for a mobile game company for the blind. During workdays, Zhou Tong takes Xiaojie to the company by bus and subway every day, and the staff on the bus and subway will give Zhou Tong and her guide dog Xiaojie is very familiar.
On the afternoon of May 12, Zhou Tong, as usual, came out of the company and planned to take the 67 bus to the subway station.
After the bus arrived at the station, they saw Zhou Tong and her guide dog waiting for the bus. The security guards on the bus immediately got out of the bus to help and looked for a seat for Zhou Tong in the front row of the bus.
"We know her and her guide dog, and we can always meet them and get on the car." The security guard said on the car. "Our company has also said before that guide dogs can get on the car. We know that."
When asked what to do if there are passengers who are afraid of dogs, the security guard said, “Guide dogs don’t bite people, don’t be afraid of this. If you encounter someone who is really scared, I can coordinate to keep them away.”
Ms. Zheng, a passenger in the car, told reporters that this was the first time she encountered a guide dog in the car.
“I’m not surprised. I’ve seen some news on the Internet before. I know that guide dogs can get in the car and enter public places. I am also willing to ride a car with a guide dog.”
After Zhou Tong got off the train at the station, the passenger who got off the bus together, Ms. Zeng, took the initiative to ask him "Where to go" and "whether he needs help". When she learned that Zhou Tong was going to the subway station to get on the train, Ms. Zeng said that she could Take her there.
"Actually, it was the first time I encountered a guide dog. I was surprised when I got on the bus. Why was there a dog in the bus? Later, when I saw the sign on its body, I realized that it was a guide dog. Get off the car together, I also want to help." Ms. Zeng said.
"Heart-warming moments" like this are not uncommon for Zhou Tong, "It is the enthusiasm and kindness of everyone, which makes me feel particularly touched and warm, and makes me feel worthy in the world."
In fact, blind people still face many problems when travelling with guide dogs.
For example, because the guide dog cannot recognize the traffic lights, if the traffic light has no prompt sound, the blind person may face the risk of running the red light; the guide dog cannot recognize the bus that the blind person wants to take. If the bus stops the stop announcer or the stop announcement sound is too small, the blind person Can only ask out loud...
To share "warming moments", talk about travel problems, and disseminate knowledge about guide dogs, Zhou Tong opened a video account to post related videos, hoping that everyone can see the plight of a wider range of visually impaired groups through guide dogs.
■ Follow up
Guide dogs are part of the nation's barrier-free environment construction
Someone once questioned: At present there are only more than 200 guide dogs in the country, and cities like Beijing also have ten to twenty guide dogs. Is it worth it to formulate many related policies for such a small group?
"This is necessary." Sun Yiping, deputy dean of the Institute of Barrier-Free Development of Tsinghua University and secretary-general of the Barrier-Free Environment Construction Research Committee of the Chinese Society for the Development of the Disabled As a component of the country's barrier-free environment construction, the blind dog is a civilized symbol of a country, a society, and a nation.
"It does not mean that we must promote the number of guide dogs in a society, but we must prove that our country, society, and nation have such a level of civilization and can tolerate the existence of such an environment and phenomenon, which proves that a country There is this awareness in the process of civilization development."
Sun Yiping said that in a society, it takes a long process to promote the construction of barrier-free facilities and let the public accept guide dogs. It must be done bit by bit, “Accessibility is being realized every day, far away on the road.”
"In theory, guide dogs can take blind people to any public place. Guide dogs are an important tool for supporting blind people to participate in social activities. However, in reality, many places have failed to achieve this effect." Sun Yiping pointed out that although there have been relatively complete designs for guide dogs in the top-level design, in actual implementation, due to the unclear understanding, vague understanding, and inaccuracy of many law enforcement and staff, some deviations occurred in the work.
"We can understand that it's not that people are inhumane, but that they don't know; it's not that they don't understand, but that they don't understand."
"If you want to crack, the key lies in legislation." Sun Yiping said that legislation is a particularly important guarantee for barrier-free development.
He introduced that although there are some barrier-free regulations and regulations, including guide dogs, but in reality, it is quite difficult to implement in many places. Under such circumstances, we urgently need to introduce them nationwide. A superior method with higher effectiveness.
At the same time, Sun Yiping pointed out that there should be a clear subject of punishment when the relevant penalties are enforced, so as to make the boundaries of the punishment clearer and solve some problems that may arise during enforcement.
In Zhou Tong's view, it is very important to increase the training of relevant staff. Only when the relevant people know the relevant situation and know what to do when encountering special groups, the travel of the visually impaired and the guide dog will be more convenient.
In this regard, Sun Yiping also held a positive attitude.
He said that relevant publicity and training are the most useful. "Our big problem now is that there is too little publicity."
"If there is no publicity in place, we cannot completely blame the security guards, ticket sellers and other groups for refusing to enter guide dogs. Only there is more publicity, so that more people understand the blind and guide dogs, and the acceptance of guide dogs has formed. With a kind of social atmosphere, the situation will get better and better." Sun Yiping said.
In Sun Yiping's view, the acceptance of guide dogs in the entire society requires a development process. "This is an inevitable stage of our social development. We have to go through such a stage. What is certain is that it will be better in the future. ."
Beijing News reporter Xu Meihui