[Blind-rollers] sighted guide?

[AgapeDEW at aol.com]

My hubby and son were taught to be guides.  They put their hand on the  
back of the chair..which has some give.  I can feel them pull back and know  
something is in front of me they are stalling me for.  They also know  certain 
directions like...veer to the left a bit, then go straight...clear shot  
ahead...bit of an incline....stairway ahead....ramp is to the left about 8  
feet....etc.  Both are very good at it...and don't leave me in a strange  
place unless I have my guide cane out. They both know how to steer the chair  
from the side too using the controllers.  But I am an independent  thing....so 
I like the guidecane and few commands but at times...there are  tricky 
areas..such as the one court house...we couldn't find the sidewalk ramp  to get 
across the street.  But many people are very glad to help you.   What oftens 
happens is children will blurt out...Why you in that chair...what is  that 
you are carrying...so I get to be an educator on being differently  abled.  
I say...."My legs stopped working cuz I was hurt so the  wheelchair is my 
"legs" now.  This chair gets me everywhere as fast as  your feet can go." 
(then they want to race me lol) "and the cane is called a  guide cane...it tells 
me when there is a curb or where there is a step my  wheelchair will not 
go.  I use it to feel my way because I am blind...I  can't see so it helps me 
get places."  Then they are no longer  scared.  I did several talks at the 
elementary school and when I went to  football games for my high school son, 
I heard little voices yelling..."Hi, Miss  Debbie.  Mommy, Miss Debbie came 
to our school.  She is blind and uses  the wheelchair to speed on the 
street". LOL what a spin lol.   This  also helps the mystery behind my illness of 
MS and parents talk to me when they  find out I volunteer at the school.  I 
was actually there, too, because  there is a blind student there and I help 
him.  
Someone truly needs to train your family....my son had to be told not to be 
 silly when guiding me because its serious if I would go down a stairwell 
etc and  I am trusting him to help me.  Blindfolding him was how mobility 
specialist  did this..and he got a real reality check on what I deal with every 
day.   good luck.  
 
 
In a message dated 7/21/2009 6:05:12 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
mommaholly at gmail.com writes:

Hi  all.  Tired of my questions yet?  ;) lol.  Well, I am wondering  can
you do sighted guide while in a wheelchair?  Obviously the chair  can be
guided, because there are guide dog schools with dogs that do this,  but
how is it guided?  How does sighted guide work, if at all.   Thanks.


Holly Alonzo

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