Catching Sight - by Deni Elliott (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An in-depth account of training and working with a guide dog--and the radically honest story of a visually impaired woman facing her own internalized ableism

For years, renowned ethics scholar Deni Elliott lived with her own moral dilemma: though severely visually impaired since birth, she spent decades attempting to "pass" as sighted, often finding ingenious but problematic workarounds in the process. Everything changed in her 40s when an ophthalmologist diagnosed her as legally blind and she could no longer hide her impairment. To maintain her independence, she would need to use a guide dog and openly present as disabled _x2013_ a label she had rejected for decades.

As Deni begins work with Graham Buck at Guiding Eyes for the Blind, she takes us into the fascinating world of guide dogs: their elite breeding, their training that starts at birth, their exceptional focus, their ability to act as decisionmakers when need be, and more.

Enter Alberta, a two-year-old yellow Labrador retriever. As Deni and Alberta begin their work together, Deni realizes that having a guide dog_x2014_far from being a mark of shame and dependence_x2014_in fact means that she is joining a uniquely empowered community of canines, trainers, and owners. What began as a practical solution soon became something far deeper - a powerful relationship that challenged Deni's internalized ableism and reshaped her understanding of herself and the world.

With warmth, insight, and surprising humor, Catching Sight tells the story of one woman's journey to embrace her full identity, and the guide dog who helped make it possible.

About the Author

Deni Elliott is Co-Director for the National Ethics Project and is professor emerita in the Department of Journalism and Digital Communication at the University of South Florida. She is the author of ten previous books. Deni served on the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Graduate Council and co-chaired the nation's first continuing education seminar for guide dog partners.

Graham Buck trained dogs at Guiding Eyes for the Blind for 31 years. He is the owner of Buck's Best Dogs, a science-based dog training business that builds relationships between people and their pet dogs.