from a teacher by the name of Maggie Doben from the Friend school in Cambridge.
Lillian and her guide dog have been guests to my classroom for the last three years.  They come to help my students learn about life when you’re blind and the role a guide dog plays in a blind person’s life.  Lillian answers a variety of questions posed by the students in an honest and confident way.  The children love meeting and interacting with Lillian and her dog.  Lillian is a role model for children because she lives her life fully, and is proud of who she is.  She explains that while she has a disability, it doesn't’t make her disabled.  Lillian helps children to challenge their stereotypes and to learn how to respect and communicate with people who are unlike themselves.

written by Dr. Libby Bradshaw.
Lillian Johnson is a superb educator.  She is very effective in teaching third and fourth year medical students about blindness and disability-related life issues, and has held an active appointment as an Instructor in the Department of Public Health and Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine since 2003. She is reliable and organized, calm and composed, yet extroverted in her energetic curiosity about other people and their lives. She teaches both directly and through the examples of her active life experiences of travel (Italy) and outdoor recreation (hiking, skiing, biking).  Lillian is serious about her teaching,but her charm and lessons are extended by her quick laugh and gentle sense of humor.               - Libby

written by the director of communications at Fidelco Guide Dog foundation which is the school I received my guide dog from.
When Lillian Johnson speaks about blindness, Braille and guide dogs, people listen. That's because she is blind and she speaks from the heart. In her many presentations over the last 20 years, Johnson has helped educate a generation of New Englanders on the challenges of visual disability and the wonders of guide dogs. Johnson received her first guide dog in 1988 and "Keesha" is her third guide from the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, the New England-based guide dog school.

Johnson speaks to civic clubs, school children and other groups that span the age and demographic spectrum. And in each instance, her guide dog is an interactive teaching tool that children and adults can relate to and learn from.

“Barriers quickly fall when a dog is brought into the equation,” says Johnson. “Any fear or preconceptions that my audiences may have had about me or about dogs are swept away when Keesha and I enter the room. I find that very gratifying and my audiences find it to be a real eye opener.”

These are just a few comments made from students at a school I had visited.
“I learned that people who are blind can find their way around their own homes.” -Andy
“I learned that they make special computers for people who are blind.” - Ilyan
“I learned that dog guides aren’t tough and mean, they’re cute and smart!” - John
“I learned that not all blind people get around with guide dogs.” -Malcolm
“Always ask before petting a dog guide.  Or before petting any working animal!”  - Mika
“Lillian was really good.  She should talk in lots of schools.  We learned all about being blind from her.” - Simon
“Guide dogs do great tricks!” - Veronika
“I learned that dog guides get trained when they’re puppies.”  - Moika

 submitted from Dr. Paula Minihan
In her role as a clinical instructor at Tufts University School of Medicine, Lillian Johnson is one of a select group of Standardized Patient Educators who teach medical students how to communicate effectively with patients with significant physical and sensory disabilities.  Many medical students consider the disability curriculum one of the highlights of their medical school experience. Lillian has received many accolades from students for her warmth, her skills as a teacher, and her gentle humor.  They especially appreciate how open she is to their many questions, and how skillfully she explains the services and supports that enable her to live such a busy life.  Lillian's guide dog accompanies her when she teaches and sometimes steals the show.  Many medical students have never spoken with anyone who is blind, or thought about what patients with visual impairments need in order to feel comfortable and participate effectively in a medical encounter.  Lillian's explanations of what physicians can and should do to assist patients under these circumstances will stay with these students for the rest of their medical careers.