http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/07/06/527256-cp.html
FREDERICTON (CP) - A blind francophone student at the University of New Brunswick has been barred from English-immersion classes because his guide dog only responds to French commands.
Yvan Tessier of Trois-Rivieres, Que., said Tuesday he has been told he and his dog Pavot can't attend the immersion program at the university's Fredericton campus.
"It would be too confusing to try and retrain him," Tessier said in an interview, struggling to speak in English.
"It would take a lot of time."
Tessier has been studying religion at Saint Paul University in Ottawa. He was awarded a bursary to take the five-week English immersion program at UNB this summer, long recognized as one of the most intensive and successful immersion programs in Canada.
The students, many of them from foreign countries, are not permitted to speak French during the course. They also have to mingle in the community, learning to communicate with people in English.
Tessier said he sent a cheque for the course in the spring and understood he was accepted.
However, he said when he later informed the university that he was visually impaired, the university said it did not have time to properly prepare for Tessier's special needs.
The university also tried to elicit a signed pledge from Tessier declaring that he would communicate with his dog only in English.
"It is imperative that you return this signed statement indicating your understanding that all communication with your guide dog will be exclusively in English," states the declaration sent to Tessier by Debbie Pepin, co-ordinator of the university's English-language program.
The declaration was sent to Tessier on June 28. The immersion program began last Sunday.
"I will make a complaint to the human rights commission," Tessier said, referring to the provincial commission.
"It's obvious that I was discriminated against by the UNB program."
Tessier has come to Fredericton and says he is planning to stay in the city for several days in hopes the university will change its decision and admit him.
University officials were scrambling Tuesday to explain what happened.
"In Mr. Tessier's case, some of the program's academic and administrative requirements were not met, and adequate advance notice of Mr. Tessier's intent to attend this particular session was not given," the university said in a statement.
"The university was, therefore, unable to accommodate Mr. Tessier in this particular five-week session."
Susan Mesheau, a spokesman for UNB, said the university has a good track record with visually impaired students. She said there have been other cases were students attended the English immersion program with guide dogs.
"In the past, with advance preparation, the guide dog has been trained in a few English commands to make sure the person is safe and can be mobile," she said.
The Mira Foundation, based in Quebec, is the only organization in the world that trains guide dogs in French. Pavot was provided to Tessier by the foundation.
Pierre Noiseux, a spokesman for the foundation, said the university's demand that Tessier communicate with Pavot in English is just "a pale excuse" to keep a blind man out of the program.
"It's not the language," Noiseux said. "This is a discrimination case. They accepted him and then when they realized he was blind, they tried to redirect him to another university."
UNB officials did recommend Tessier consider the immersion program offered by Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Noiseux said dogs do not speak any language. He said they associate sounds with the behaviour expected of them.
Guide dogs learn at least 50 commands. Noiseaux said some are very simple like left and right, which are just "g" and "a."
Brian Monast, the scholarships director at Saint Paul University, said Saint Paul never anticipated any problem when it helped Tessier make the application for UNB.
"There's actually no place in this country where a person with a guide dog cannot go," Monast said, adding that universities are normally very accepting of visually impaired students.
He said Tessier's predicament is clearly caused by the fact the university, for whatever reason, did not want a blind person in this summer's immersion program.
"We're flabbergasted," Monast said
FREDERICTON (CP) - A blind francophone student at the University of New Brunswick has been barred from English-immersion classes because his guide dog only responds to French commands.
Yvan Tessier of Trois-Rivieres, Que., said Tuesday he has been told he and his dog Pavot can't attend the immersion program at the university's Fredericton campus.
"It would be too confusing to try and retrain him," Tessier said in an interview, struggling to speak in English.
"It would take a lot of time."
Tessier has been studying religion at Saint Paul University in Ottawa. He was awarded a bursary to take the five-week English immersion program at UNB this summer, long recognized as one of the most intensive and successful immersion programs in Canada.
The students, many of them from foreign countries, are not permitted to speak French during the course. They also have to mingle in the community, learning to communicate with people in English.
Tessier said he sent a cheque for the course in the spring and understood he was accepted.
However, he said when he later informed the university that he was visually impaired, the university said it did not have time to properly prepare for Tessier's special needs.
The university also tried to elicit a signed pledge from Tessier declaring that he would communicate with his dog only in English.
"It is imperative that you return this signed statement indicating your understanding that all communication with your guide dog will be exclusively in English," states the declaration sent to Tessier by Debbie Pepin, co-ordinator of the university's English-language program.
The declaration was sent to Tessier on June 28. The immersion program began last Sunday.
"I will make a complaint to the human rights commission," Tessier said, referring to the provincial commission.
"It's obvious that I was discriminated against by the UNB program."
Tessier has come to Fredericton and says he is planning to stay in the city for several days in hopes the university will change its decision and admit him.
University officials were scrambling Tuesday to explain what happened.
"In Mr. Tessier's case, some of the program's academic and administrative requirements were not met, and adequate advance notice of Mr. Tessier's intent to attend this particular session was not given," the university said in a statement.
"The university was, therefore, unable to accommodate Mr. Tessier in this particular five-week session."
Susan Mesheau, a spokesman for UNB, said the university has a good track record with visually impaired students. She said there have been other cases were students attended the English immersion program with guide dogs.
"In the past, with advance preparation, the guide dog has been trained in a few English commands to make sure the person is safe and can be mobile," she said.
The Mira Foundation, based in Quebec, is the only organization in the world that trains guide dogs in French. Pavot was provided to Tessier by the foundation.
Pierre Noiseux, a spokesman for the foundation, said the university's demand that Tessier communicate with Pavot in English is just "a pale excuse" to keep a blind man out of the program.
"It's not the language," Noiseux said. "This is a discrimination case. They accepted him and then when they realized he was blind, they tried to redirect him to another university."
UNB officials did recommend Tessier consider the immersion program offered by Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Noiseux said dogs do not speak any language. He said they associate sounds with the behaviour expected of them.
Guide dogs learn at least 50 commands. Noiseaux said some are very simple like left and right, which are just "g" and "a."
Brian Monast, the scholarships director at Saint Paul University, said Saint Paul never anticipated any problem when it helped Tessier make the application for UNB.
"There's actually no place in this country where a person with a guide dog cannot go," Monast said, adding that universities are normally very accepting of visually impaired students.
He said Tessier's predicament is clearly caused by the fact the university, for whatever reason, did not want a blind person in this summer's immersion program.
"We're flabbergasted," Monast said
