Andrea and Ingalls

Meet Graduate Andrea

Graduate Team: Andrea and Ingalls
About the Team: Ingalls, a male black lab, is Andrea’s 3rd Guiding Eyes dog
Location: Sylvania, Ohio
Training: August 2024 On-Campus

Andrea graduated from the University of Toledo with a Bachelor’s in Special Education with a concentration in Vision Impairments, and a minor in Vocal Music.  Andrea is a Licensed Teacher of the Visually Impaired.  She taught as an Itinerant Teacher for the Visually Impaired for 13 years with Cleveland Sight Center.  She holds a Master of Science in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy and a Certificate of Low Vision Rehabilitation Therapy from Salus University.  Andrea also holds a Certificate in Assistive Technology for Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired from UMass Boston. She is a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist and a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist through ACVREP.  She returned to the Toledo area in 2022 and is employed as a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist for the Sight Center of Northwest Ohio.  Andrea was born with a rare degenerative eye condition, Aniridia, which is an absence of the eye’s iris.  As a result, she has limited vision, and difficulty adjusting to varying levels of light and color.  Her previous guide dog, Lee, almost twelve, is living the retired life at Andrea’s mother’s home. Andrea’s interests include rowing and singing tunes from Broadway musicals, and she recently started a bowling league for the blind in Toledo. The meaning of the name Ingalls in German is angel and Andrea says that name fits perfectly, as he is an angel. 

How would you describe your guide dog? “Ingalls is a very hard worker. He is very serious and continuously looks back to check on me to make certain that I am okay. He is solid muscle, which you can tell by his strength. When he is not in harness, he is very playful and has fun with his toys.”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I had researched schools for at least three years.  I received several incredibly positive recommendations for Guiding Eyes from other guide dog handlers.  Based on the personal reviews of others, Guiding Eyes seemed to be the best choice for me.”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “They have increased my independence.  I do not have to worry about navigating in unfamiliar environments as much.  Having a guide dog helps me to avoid walking into obstacles.  I feel much safer at work now when I go into clients’ homes, apartment buildings, Independent Living Facilities, and Nursing Homes.  I can now more efficiently navigate stairs, elevators, doorways, hallways, and escalators that I encounter.  I have much more peace of mind with a guide dog by my side.” 

Were there any training highlights?  “The instructors were great. There was a change made to accommodate the special training needs of a classmate. I started with Chrissy but then Dan took the lead on my training. I was fine with the change. Dan had a great sense of humor and was very funny. He would make me smile and laugh during all of our rest breaks. There were only five people in my class, including myself. It enabled us to have significant social time with each other. We shared our previous experiences, which made us comfortable with each other. We would meet up in Alumni Hall and play music trivia. Guiding Eyes is set up with Echo Dot devices which made it easy to control our dorm room televisions and those in common areas.”

Meet Guide Dog Ingalls

DOB:  10/4/2022
Litter ID: 1I322
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Male
Brood: Edna
Stud: Ralphie
Littermates: Ives, Ipso, Iman, Iva, Ink, Indra, Isley, Irving
Region:  Erie NY
Regional Puppy Instructor: Cassie Houghton
Puppy Raiser:  Daniel Mark Uhl
Facebook: Erie Puppy Raisers

Photos of the Team…