Blind man denied entry to immersion course because of guide dog
Last Updated Wed, 07 Jul 2004 11:17:35
FREDERICTON - A guide dog is in the middle of a dispute between a man who wants to study English and the University of New Brunswick.

[IMG]http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/photos/french_dog040707.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/photos/tessier_yvan040707.jpg[/IMG]

Pavot

Yvan Tessier was turned away from an English immersion course because his guide dog only understands French.

Pavot is a black Labrador retriever who has guided Tessier for two years. He responds to French commands, and doesn't understand any other spoken language.

Tessier came to Fredericton from Trois-Rivières to study English in an intensive five-week course at the University of New Brunswick.


Yvan Tessier

But university officials wouldn't let him, or his French dog, into the course. "I'm really disappointed and hurt," Tessier says.

The course features lots of out-of-class learning. Students visit restaurants and go into stores to get familiar with the English-speaking community.

The university says it rejected Tessier and Pavot because it needed more time to familiarize them with their surroundings.


Susan Mesheau

Student Recruitment Director Susan Mesheau says that includes English lessons for the dog. "In the past the service has been provided that we do teach their guide dogs commands in English, so the dog learns English as well."

Tessier says he's angry with the decision because he committed time and money to come to Fredericton, and is threatening to file a complaint with the province's Human Rights Commission.

He says he could speak English to Pavot in everyday conversation, but the guiding commands are essential to his independence, and those need to be in French.

"I can speak English [to] my dog [in] the times when I speak normally, but for the commands it was an impossible thing to do, to speak to my guide dog in English, to tell to him the commands to guide me," Tessier says.

Mesheau says Tessier is welcome to apply to the immersion course again, once his dog learns English commands.

Tessier says it would take eight months for his dog to learn English and he wants the university to let him take the course and continue to speak French to his dog and English to everyone else

后续:
UNB reverses guide-dog decision
Last Updated Thu, 08 Jul 2004 5:18:27
FREDERICTON - The University of New Brunswick Wednesday reversed a controversial decision to bar a blind man and his guide dog from an English immersion program.

Yvan Tessier was refused entry to a five-week summer English program because his guide dog Pavot only understands French commands.


Yvan Tessier
The immersion program enforces a strict English-only curriculum.

After receiving a flood of media calls from around the world, the university has announced it will allow Tessier in the course.

"We had to ensure that UNB could adapt the program to maximize Mr. Tessier's learning," said Judith Potter, the director of UNB's College of Extended Learning.

"We also needed to create as safe an environment as possible and respect the promises that have been made to the other students. We now have had time to do that."

The Trois-Rivieres native is expected to join the program, which started July 4, on Thursday.

All information is from [url]www.cbc.ca[/url]