[Blind-rollers] For anyone in the UK

Mon Mar 15 19:13:21 UTC 2010

Sasha, I am an O&M from Canada and was curious which type of ultrasonic travel aid you are using, and any other similar aids you may have trialed to make your choice? Quibit aka le, I am aware of a training program in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada through the Misericordia Hospital. The program is called Easy Street... maybe if you contacted them or had an agency who may be considering developing a program contact them it wouldn't be like reinventing the wheel? Hope this helps!
On another note I would just like to say that I wholeheartedly agree it can be done and is being done. People in wheelchairs that have some or no remaining vision can continue to live and travel independently. I have shared stories from this site to encourage Occupational Therapists as well as consumers that it is attainable and possible! Thank you, please continue to fight the good fight!

Cynthia Barty- OMS

-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 1:00 PM
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Subject: Blind-rollers Digest, Vol 33, Issue 8

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: tips to help blind wheelchair users (Dani Sapiro)
   2. Radio programme on blind rollers (Sasha Ayres)
   3. For anyone in the UK (Sasha Ayres)
   4. Re: For anyone in the UK (qubit)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:25:30 -0500
From: "Dani Sapiro" <DaniSapiro at bellsouth.net>
To: "Blind wheelchair users list" <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] tips to help blind wheelchair users
Message-ID: <E312BCB7A69A41639C95DA2C52418A80 at DaniPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
        reply-type=original

>From Dani,
To Becky,

I realy enjoyed your artail.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Becky Frankeberger" <b.butterfly at comcast.net>
To: "'Blind wheelchair users list'" <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2010 12:31 PM
Subject: [Blind-rollers] tips to help blind wheelchair users

> WHEELS AND WHITE CANES TIPS FOR HELPING
> BLIND WHEELCHAIR USERS
> by Maureen Pranghofer
>>From the Editor: Maureen Pranghofer writes and speaks on many subjects.
>>She
> is a
> fairly recent graduate of BLIND, Inc., the adult rehabilitation center
> established
> and conducted by the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota. For
> several years
> now she has used a wheelchair, so when she began her travel training at
> BLIND, she
> and her instructor began by working out ways for her to move about safely.
> Increasing
> numbers of blind wheelchair users are learning that they too can be
> independent and
> confident travelers. This is what Maureen has to say on the subject:
> Whether I'm traveling through the busy Minneapolis skyway system or
> crossing
> a downtown
> street, I get all kinds of reactions. These range from those people who
> simply ignore
> me as they would any other passing pedestrian to those who have public
> panic
> attacks.
> Daily I encounter people who want to help but don't have the foggiest idea
> what they
> should do. So, for the most part, they simply get in the way. There are
> people who
> outright pity me, those who are terrified that I'm going to run them down,
> and those
> who are simply overwhelmed.
> The reason for this variety of reactions is that, for most people, a blind
> person
> using a motorized wheelchair is something new. And this newness is not
> just
> prevalent
> in the general public. Blind wheelchair users are an enigma among many in
> the rehabilitation
> field, among other blind people, and among other wheelchair users. I was
> told, for
> example, at an AER (Association for Education and Rehabilitation) meeting
> the topic
> of which was "Blind Wheelchair Users" that "Totally blind wheelchair users
> can not
> travel independently." This, despite the fact that the presenters had seen
> me independently
> come into the room; park myself at a table; use the restroom; and go
> through
> a buffet
> line, needing assistance with carrying my plate and cutting food (because
> of
> my physical
> disability); but not needing assistance to travel.
> A blind woman whom I met recently told me that she was checking out
> nursing
> homes
> because she would soon have to use a wheelchair and knew that "you can't
> do
> it if
> you are totally blind." Then there are the disabled people who tell me
> about
> disability-training
> simulations in which they have been blindfolded and "Just don't know how
> you
> do it!"
> So here are some tips which I have found helpful in traveling and which
> you
> may want
> to remember when you are with someone who is a blind wheelchair user.
> 1. Assume that travel is possible. One of the greatest things I have found
> in being
> an NFB member and going through my eleven-month adjustment-to-blindness
> training
> at BLIND, Inc., was that Russell Anderson, my travel instructor, and the
> other staff
> at BLIND, Inc., expected that "Of course you can travel." After becoming
> totally
> blind in an accident and finding that others had virtually no expectation
> that I
> could ever be independent, I had to learn to believe that I could do it.
> Have high
> expectations.
> 2. If you are guiding someone who is a blind wheelchair user, walk behind
> the chair
> and give oral directions. People tend to walk in front of me and have me
> follow.
> But in that position I can not always hear what is said; and if I have to
> stop abruptly,
> I could accidentally bump them. To avoid this, people tend to turn around
> to
> face
> me and walk backward. Of course this makes no sense because the directions
> they give
> must then be reversed, which causes much confusion.
> 3. When opening doors, stay behind the door if possible. Standing in front
> of a door
> one is holding open narrows the pathway for the wheelchair user. No
> wheelchair user
> wants to run over anyone's toes.
> 4. Suggest that the person use a long carbon fiber cane. Finding a cane
> which worked
> for me was probably my biggest challenge initially because the other canes
> I
> tried
> were too heavy for me to handle. I can easily maneuver this cane, and it
> works well.
> A cane slightly longer than one used by an ambulatory person of the same
> height is
> necessary because one needs distance in order to stop one's chair. My
> cane,
> for example,
> is sixty-three inches long, even though if I were standing, I would be
> only
> four
> feet six inches tall.
> 5. Remember that access for one person does not ensure access for all.
> Wheelchair
> users have a variety of disabilities which affect their travel. For
> example,
> I can
> not use my cane independently for more than half a block or so on certain
> road surfaces
> because the resistance of the cane's movement on the pavement causes me
> pain
> and
> fatigue, but this would not be an issue for others who do not have my
> disability.
> Some wheelchair users are able to open doors independently while others
> are
> not.
> In my case opening doors is difficult, so I make use of electronic power
> doors, ask
> passing pedestrians for help, and often use my cellular phone to summon
> assistance
> for getting in and out of places in both indoor and outdoor settings.
> 6. Do not panic if you see the cane encounter an object. This seems
> obvious.
> But
> I can't tell you how many times people seem to feel that, because I am in
> a
> motorized
> chair, I won't stop when I encounter an object with my cane. People often
> seem to
> believe that I will either destroy what I am about to run into or get hurt
> myself.
> Bumping objects with a cane when one is using a wheelchair is no different
> from doing
> so when one is walking.
> 7. Encourage the seated user to hold the cane vertically when approaching
> curbs.
> During the time I was learning to travel at BLIND, Inc., we discovered
> that
> locating
> curb cuts was easier when the cane was held in a more vertical position.
> This technique
> assists one to locate curb cuts and curb drop-offs quite accurately. This
> is
> not
> the case for locating up curbs after crossing streets or for traveling
> parallel to
> curbs.
> 8. Keeping to the perimeter in indoor settings with large open areas or
> along the
> sides of buildings is helpful. While it is not necessary to plaster
> oneself
> against
> a wall or building in order to travel, I have found that staying near
> these
> landmarks
> is useful. It is sometimes difficult to know whether one is traveling in a
> straight
> line when one has no direct contact with the ground. For example, I have
> sometimes
> traveled diagonally, while thinking I was going straight, or have even
> turned without
> realizing it. Sound cues help, of course, and one needs to learn to use
> these just
> as any other blind traveler does, but checking for a wall or building
> occasionally
> helps me to stay on course. It also ensures that one will not
> inadvertently
> get too
> close to the curb running parallel to the direction of travel.
> 9. Be aware of objects which the cane or chair may slide under. Like
> anyone
> else
> traveling with a long white cane, wheelchair users occasionally contact
> objects that
> are not detectable by cane. This is one time when sighted assistance or an
> oral warning
> is helpful to a person in a wheelchair because what might bump a standing
> person
> at waist level will hit the wheelchair user in the face or head.
> 10. Disabilities are not static. If you are helping someone who uses a
> wheelchair,
> the individual's ability to travel distances or on certain surfaces may
> vary
> depending
> on how he or she is feeling that day. Some days, for example, I have
> traveled as
> far as a mile and a half along a busy, pothole-ridden street in my
> neighborhood which
> has no sidewalk. On other days, going the block and a half to the corner
> bus
> stop
> is barely possible.
> 11. Do not push a motorized wheelchair unless it is taken out of gear. In
> their efforts
> to help me, many people dash up to me and want to push my chair. Motorized
> chairs
> are not made to be pushed unless the gears are disengaged, and attempts to
> move them
> will only produce frustration. If a chair must be moved manually, ask its
> user how
> to disengage the gears.
> These tips will enable you to be genuinely helpful to any blind person you
> meet who
> happens to use a wheelchair as well. Good luck, and thanks for the
> constructive assistance.
>
>
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> signature
> database 4921 (20100306) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>
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------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:05:19 +0000 (GMT)
From: Sasha Ayres <sashaallears at yahoo.co.uk>
To: blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Blind-rollers] Radio programme on blind rollers
Message-ID: <231610.83330.qm at web23808.mail.ird.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Hi Laura,

I completely agree with your comments.  I was not suggesting that all blind rollers should get out alone.  I would not have had a problem with the comments on the radio programme if she had said that she didn't feel safe getting around alone.  What I objected to was that she was telling the other person he should not do it because it is never safe for a blind roller to go out alone.  Sorry if I wasn't clear.

Sasha

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:09:34 +0000 (GMT)
From: Sasha Ayres <sashaallears at yahoo.co.uk>
To: blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Blind-rollers] For anyone in the UK
Message-ID: <362864.37303.qm at web23805.mail.ird.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Help protect blind wheelchair users? right to freedom in the UK.

The Department for Transport is currently consulting on proposed changes to the laws covering powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs.  One of the proposed changes is to introduce a fitness to drive test that would include an eyesight test.  Imposing a vision requirement would have appalling consequences for those of us who are blind and need to use a wheelchair; it would rob us of our right to freedom.

With appropriate use of long canes, guide dogs and/or electronic obstacle detectors, blind people can and do safely use powered mobility vehicles.  I support the need to promote the safe use of powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs.  I would support any moves to improve the training available to blind users of powered wheelchairs.  However, the assumption that good eyesight is necessary for the safe use of powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs is prejudice, discriminatory and utterly unacceptable.

I am blind and use a powered wheelchair, a long cane and an ultrasonic obstacle detector.  Most of the time, I detect obstacles (including people) using the ultrasonic obstacle detector and manoeuvre around them without making contact at all.  Sometimes my cane contacts an obstacle (or person) but this is no different than for a blind person who is walking.  Since the initial period of learning to control the chair, which I did entirely on private land, I have never hit an obstacle or person with my wheelchair.

My powered wheelchair is able to go at speeds up to 4mph.  I find that this speed is safe in quiet uncluttered areas.  In more crowded or difficult areas I slow the speed down.  Personally I would not feel very safe going above 4mph but other blind users using other obstacle-detecting or obstacle-avoiding tools may feel safe at higher speeds.  There may be a case for restricting the maximum speed for blind users to be appropriate for the obstacle-detecting/avoiding tools they are using but any such restrictions should reflect genuine distances at which obstacles can be detected and the space needed to manoeuvre and must not be based on prejudice assumptions.

Using my power chair with a long cane and ultrasonic obstacle detector I am able to independently and safely get out and about.  If the use of powered wheelchairs were restricted to those with good eyesight, blind wheelchair users, such as myself, would be trapped in our homes and robbed of our right to freedom.

Don?t let the Department of Transport imprison blind wheelchair users.  Please respond to the consultation on proposed changes to the laws governing powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs (DFT 2010-10) available online at http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2010-10/ and oppose the inclusion of an eyesight test in the fitness to drive test.

The mor of us who respond, the better our chance of preventing this change from being enacted.  I do hope that you will act on this and I would appreciate it if you would please let me know what action you have taken.  If you would like to discuss the issue further, please contact me.

Please note that this is a UK only consultation.

Yours sincerely,

Sasha Ayres

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:42:19 -0500
From: "qubit" <lauraeaves at yahoo.com>
To: "Blind wheelchair users list" <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] For anyone in the UK
Message-ID: <688E0AEFF3FB4554B3C7F6A6AAC4BBD0 at bassclef>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="utf-8"

it's interesting to persons outside the UK as well, even if not directly
impacted.
As a step toward bridging the gap between 2 opposing opinions, perhaps you
can come up with mobility training for visually impaired persons using a
power chair.  I mean, I kind of agree that the walking public is not
altogether safe when someone is driving full speed in a power chair and hits
them from behind.  You have your own method of travel with mobility aids
that prevent collisions.  If they are trying to ban all visually impaired
persons from having and using power chairs, perhaps the alternative is to
require training mobility training, and then have ready a description of
effective cane travel in a power chair and how it is done.
It's just a thought.
Good luck.
--le

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sasha Ayres" <sashaallears at yahoo.co.uk>
To: <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 8:09 AM
Subject: [Blind-rollers] For anyone in the UK

Help protect blind wheelchair users? right to freedom in the UK.

The Department for Transport is currently consulting on proposed changes to
the laws covering powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs.  One of
the proposed changes is to introduce a fitness to drive test that would
include an eyesight test.  Imposing a vision requirement would have
appalling consequences for those of us who are blind and need to use a
wheelchair; it would rob us of our right to freedom.

With appropriate use of long canes, guide dogs and/or electronic obstacle
detectors, blind people can and do safely use powered mobility vehicles.  I
support the need to promote the safe use of powered mobility scooters and
powered wheelchairs.  I would support any moves to improve the training
available to blind users of powered wheelchairs.  However, the assumption
that good eyesight is necessary for the safe use of powered mobility
scooters and powered wheelchairs is prejudice, discriminatory and utterly
unacceptable.

I am blind and use a powered wheelchair, a long cane and an ultrasonic
obstacle detector.  Most of the time, I detect obstacles (including people)
using the ultrasonic obstacle detector and manoeuvre around them without
making contact at all.  Sometimes my cane contacts an obstacle (or person)
but this is no different than for a blind person who is walking.  Since the
initial period of learning to control the chair, which I did entirely on
private land, I have never hit an obstacle or person with my wheelchair.

My powered wheelchair is able to go at speeds up to 4mph.  I find that this
speed is safe in quiet uncluttered areas.  In more crowded or difficult
areas I slow the speed down.  Personally I would not feel very safe going
above 4mph but other blind users using other obstacle-detecting or
obstacle-avoiding tools may feel safe at higher speeds.  There may be a case
for restricting the maximum speed for blind users to be appropriate for the
obstacle-detecting/avoiding tools they are using but any such restrictions
should reflect genuine distances at which obstacles can be detected and the
space needed to manoeuvre and must not be based on prejudice assumptions.

Using my power chair with a long cane and ultrasonic obstacle detector I am
able to independently and safely get out and about.  If the use of powered
wheelchairs were restricted to those with good eyesight, blind wheelchair
users, such as myself, would be trapped in our homes and robbed of our right
to freedom.

Don?t let the Department of Transport imprison blind wheelchair users.
Please respond to the consultation on proposed changes to the laws governing
powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs (DFT 2010-10) available
online at http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2010-10/ and oppose the
inclusion of an eyesight test in the fitness to drive test.

The mor of us who respond, the better our chance of preventing this change
from being enacted.  I do hope that you will act on this and I would
appreciate it if you would please let me know what action you have taken.
If you would like to discuss the issue further, please contact me.

Please note that this is a UK only consultation.

Yours sincerely,

Sasha Ayres

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