[Blind-rollers] an idea

Tue Apr 17 16:27:27 UTC 2012

I use my white guide cane and electric mobility when out and about in  
public.  It helps a great deal in new places and I was trained with a  mobility 
specialist hired by the OVR Blind and Visual Services in Texas.  I  have 
been very successful with it and avoided many accidents and rough bumps  
because it also defines change of terrain and obstacles before I get to  them.  I 
use the right hand for joystick and left hand for the swaying of  the guide 
stick in a 45% sweep continually.  My cane has a roller tip  on it.  

In a message dated 4/16/2012 1:58:33 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
wickps at gmail.com writes:

All:

While an interesting idea, an AMD offers little real  likelyhood that
its user will be as independent as the user of a white cane  (in all
its varieties) I think there is litterally no one who if enough  time
is spent in training could not use a long white cane. The  only
exception might be people who use crutches or walkers, however  those
same people could be just as independent if they used a chair and  a
cane (I use mostly a manual chair with my cane and while traveling  can
be slow going especially on inclines it can be done.)

The AMD  also does not have the near universal identification that the
white cane  has in the public mind, (I say near universal because
people basically walk  right into me everyday lol) The only practical
use I might see is for  getting around a nursing home or other
institution-like closed  environment.

Just my two cents, from experience, not through any formal  training in
the subject matter.

My Best,

Paul

On  4/15/12, Becky Frankeberger <b.butterfly at comcast.net>  wrote:
>  with your joy stick attached to an AMD you might just get  more 
flexibility
> in traveling. Certainly less pain in the  wrists.
>
> Alternative Mobility Device
> Photo shows Dona  walking with an AMD.  It has two vertical 4-foot metal
> rods,  each
> with a handle at the top and a wheel at the bottom.  The  rods are 
connected
> and held
> about a foot apart with a  horizontal bars near the top and at the bottom
> (the horizontal
>  bar at the bottom extends a few inches beyond the long vertical rods  and
> curves back
> to the rods).
>  "Alternative  mobility devices" (AMD's) can provide as much protection 
(or
>  more!)
> as a long cane, but without having to use proper cane  technique. They can
> reliably
> detect obstacles, slopes or  drop-offs (such as curbs or stairs) ahead of 
the
> user.
> AMDs  are often used by people (children and adults) who cannot use the 
long
>  cane
> for various reasons, such as being physically unable to move the  cane
> properly or
> being unable to learn to correctly use the  cane reliably. AMDs are also
> useful for
> people who require  advanced warning of slopes because of precarious 
balance.
> And
>  AMDs are sometimes used for jogging, as they don't require coordination  
of
> the cane
> with the feet. However it is important to know  that traditionally 
designed
> AMDs do
> NOT provide any  support.
> The first photos on this page show an AMD that was developed  for research
> purposes
> by the Veterans Administration. It is  not available for sale, but I use 
it
> as a prototype
> to  determine if an AMD will be useful for clients and if so, what length 
 is
> needed.
> Before this prototype was available, I used luggage  carriers and 
2-wheeled
> shopping
> carts to demonstrate to  clients how an AMD might work for them. Actually,
> such carts
>  and carriers have been used by some people as an AMD (if you use such  a
> ready-made
> device as an AMD, be sure the wheels are far  enough apart --
> see below
> ).
> AMD's can detect  drop-offs, as shown in the photos below.
> Two photos show Dona pushing  the AMD along the sidewalk and one of the
> wheels drops
> over  the curb, which tips the AMD sideways, alerting the user.
> Two photos  show Dona pushing the AMD along the sidewalk and one of the
> wheels  drops
> over the curb, which tips the AMD sideways, alerting the  user.
> AMDs are more effective than canes to detect and anticipate  changes in
> slopes, as
> illustrated below.
> Photo shows  Dona pushing the AMD along the sidewalk, approaching a 
driveway
>  with
> a slope going down to the street to her left.
> Photo shows  the wheels of the AMD in the slope of the driveway, which 
tilts
> the  entire
> AMD so the left handle is lower than the right handle.
>  AMDs in Use
> AMDs can be made from PCV pipe, customized for size,  handle and wheel 
design
> as shown
> in the examples  below.
> Thanks to "An Illustrated Guide to Cane Repair and More" by  Lynn Gautreau
x
> for very
> helpful instructions to assemble the  AMD! This book is available from 
AER --
> order
> at
> AER's  online bookstore
>  or phone 877-492-2708 or 703-671-4500.
>  AMD for walking without pain
> A woman holds an AMD made of white  plastic pipe in the shape of a 
rectangle,
> with
> long sides and  short top and bottom (the bottom piece extends a few 
inches
> to  each
> side of the rectangle) with two wheels at the borrom.  She  holds the top
> like a person
> would hold the handle of a  shopping cart, and the bottom bar is about a 
foot
> and
> a half  in front of her forward foot.
>  Using a cane correctly was awkward  and sometimes painful for this woman,
> and she
> decided that an  AMD would be useful. She wanted to be able to push it 
with a
>  bar
> along the top (like pushing a shopping cart) rather than with  handles at 
the
> side
> (like pushing a wheelbarrow). She may add  pipe insulation along the 
handle
> to make
> it larger and softer,  and pegs on the bottom so the AMD can stand on its 
own
> for
>  storage.
> Photo shows the woman's feet and the bottom bar of the AMD,  which is
> horizontal to
> the ground and supported by two  wheels.  The wheels are about 17-18 
inches
> apart,
> and  behind the bar we see that as her feet move forward to where the AMD
>  bottom is
> now, her feet will step within the space between the  wheels.
> Wheel position and AMD dimensions
> It is crucially  important that the distance between the wheels be wider 
than
>  the
> space in which the feet walk, so that there is sufficient warning  of
> drop-offs to
> the side, such as curbs. The distance between  the wheels should be even
> wider for
> people who occasionally  move their foot to the side to correct their
> balance.
> The  front bar should be far enough ahead of the user to allow sufficient
>  warning
> of drop-offs, depending on the person's reaction time and  walking (or
> running!) speed.
> The bottom bar of this AMD is  extended to each side to increase 
detection of
> obstacles.
> AMD  for negotiating obstacles easily
> Two photos show a woman walking along  a hall, approaching the edge of an
> open door.
> Her left hand  trails the wall and her right hand holds a cane with the 
tip
> on  the
> floor straight ahead of her hand.  The cane never touches the  door, and 
she
> is about
> to collide into it.
> Two photos  show a woman walking along a hall, approaching the edge of an
> open  door.
> Her left hand trails the wall and her right hand holds a cane  with the 
tip
> on the
> floor straight ahead of her hand.   The cane never touches the door, and 
she
> is about
> to collide  into it.
> The doors propped open in this building create hazards,  particularly when
> someone
> trails the walls. The cane does not  provide protection and warn about the
> doors when
> it is not  consistently used correctly, as demonstrated here (
> click  here
>  for an explanation of the stages of learning to use a cane,  and the
> importance of
> full mastery of the technique in order  to provide protection).
> Three photos show the woman approaching the  same door but holding an AMD
> instead
> of a cane.  The AMD  is in the shape of a rectangle with wheels on the
> bottom, and
>  she is pushing it like one would push a lawnmower.
> Three photos show  the woman approaching the same door but holding an AMD
> instead
>  of a cane.  The AMD is in the shape of a rectangle with wheels on  the
> bottom, and
> she is pushing it like one would push a  lawnmower.
> Three photos show the woman approaching the same door but  holding an AMD
> instead
> of a cane.  The AMD is in the  shape of a rectangle with wheels on the
> bottom, and
> she is  pushing it like one would push a lawnmower.
> By contrast, the AMD  provides full protection simply by being pushed 
ahead,
> without
>  having to use proper cane technique.
> AMD made by Eldre Boggs,  COMS
> A lightweight AMD is easy to maneuver with one hand while still  providing
> full protection,
> leaving the other hand free to  trail the walls looking for corners and
> doorways.
> Photo shows  the woman with her left hand trailing a wall approaching a
> corner,  and
> pushing the AMD with her right hand.
> Three photos show the  woman approaching the same door edge she 
approached in
> the
>  first photos, trailing the wall with her left hand and pushing the AMD  
ahead
> of her
> with her right hand.  When the AMD reaches  the edge of the door, it stops
> while the
> woman is still a few  feet away from the door.
> Three photos show the woman approaching the  same door edge she 
approached in
> the
> first photos, trailing  the wall with her left hand and pushing the AMD 
ahead
> of her
>  with her right hand.  When the AMD reaches the edge of the door, it  
stops
> while the
> woman is still a few feet away from the  door.
> Three photos show the woman approaching the same door edge she  
approached in
> the
> first photos, trailing the wall with her  left hand and pushing the AMD 
ahead
> of her
> with her right  hand.  When the AMD reaches the edge of the door, it stops
> while  the
> woman is still a few feet away from the door.
> This  foldable AMD is now on the market from
> Ambutech
>  -- the  two photos on the left show the model with the "indoor wheels" 
and
> on  the
> right is a prototype with swivel wheels.
> Photo shows the  woman walking along the sidewalk from her driveway with a
>  rectangular
> AMD that looks like two white canes with crossbars.   The bottom of the 
AMD
> has stopped
> at the bottom of a  step.
> Photo shows the woman smiling and standing on the sidewalk in  front of 
her
> home.
> The AMD has just dropped over the edge of a  step.
> Photo shows a young man walking along a sidewalk pushing another  Ambutech
> AMD.  It
> is rectangular with a swivel wheel at  the bottom corners, and all white
> except for
> about 4 inches of  red at the bottom of the sides.
> Return to
> Teaching the Cane  and Non-Visual Skills
> Return to
> Using an AMD to Safely  Experience Walking Without Vision
>
> Becky Frankeberger
>  Butterfly Knitting
>
> Custom-made knit throws, shawls, and  more!
>
> Phone: 360-426-8389
> E-mail:  becky at ButterflyKnitting.com
> Website:  www.ButterflyKnitting.com
>
>
>
>
>  _______________________________________________
> Blind-rollers mailing  list
> Blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
>  http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-rollers_nfbnet.org
> To  unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>  Blind-rollers:
>  
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blind-rollers_nfbnet.org/wickps%40gmail.com
>

_______________________________________________
Blind-rollers  mailing  list
Blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-rollers_nfbnet.org
To  unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for  
Blind-rollers:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blind-rollers_nfbnet.org/agapedew%40aol.co
m