[blindkid] cane use and travel in familiar areas

Thu Oct 15 20:51:53 UTC 2009

Hello Sue and others,
I teach O&M and I am blind.  I do encourage students to learn how to use their canes with both hands but this is not something I focus on as a huge issue.  I simply explain to my students that there may be times when they are walking back from a store and have a bag of groceries - rather than stopping along the way to rest one hand or the other, I want them to have the ability to switch hands from time to time as they are walking.  It may be a little awkward and I am not the fastest traveler when I use the other hand but I am able to do it nontheless.

I DO NOT encourage trailing in any way, shape or form UNLESS the student is deafblind but that is another situation.  Trailing is not good because one never knows whats on the halls - especially in a school (student's artwork, for example).  A student can quite easily use their cane to tap the bottom of the wall to find doorways, hallways, etc.  

I've created an O&M handbook for parents.  If anyone wants a copy, email me.

Merry-Noel Chamberlain, NOMCT, TVI

--- On Thu, 10/15/09, Sherman, Becky (DSB) <RebSherman at dsb.wa.gov> wrote:

From: Sherman, Becky (DSB) <RebSherman at dsb.wa.gov>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] cane use and travel in familiar areas
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 8:00 PM

I don't think he should change hands with his cane.  I'm right handed
and I use my cane with my right hand.  My left hand has learn to do
things such as carrying stuff.  It's too awkward to switch.  By the way,
I can carry heavier things in my left arm than right, even though I'm
right handed.  

I don't like to trail the wall and I think it makes one look "abnormal".
If I need to find something, like a doorway, I use my cane to tap along
the wall base, not my hand.  In my opinion, if you're a good cane user,
what's the point of trailing?  

Rebecca Sherman, MA
Transition Specialist, DSB 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Susan Harper
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 11:57 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Cc: Rev. Lou Harper
Subject: [blindkid] cane use and travel in familiar areas

Hi All,

     I know I am probably going to sound uneducated here, but I have a
question for those whose children use canes and mental mapping, okay,
two
questions.  Here goes.

     My son learned to use his cane in his right hand.  He has done a
remarkable job of adapting to cane travel for a 3 year old.  He also
does
extremely well with echo location and mental mapping.  Now the O & M
instructor (I might add that we got a new O & M instructor on the first
day
of school.) wants him to switch cane hands.  He is right handed and the
O &
M want him to use the cane in his left hand, so he can trail with his
right
hand and then cane diagonally.  He is not really happy or cooperative
with
this change.  Is this something others have had experience with?  Is
this
something new?  Every picture I have seen of a child or an adult with a
cane, it has been in their right hand.  I get the reason that he should
be
able to use both hands and walk on the right, but it seems a little bit
like
trying to make a lefty learn right hand stuff, only in this case it is
making a right handed person into a lefty.  I also understand that the
can
is an extension of your hand.

     Second issue.  My son is learning trailing in the classroom.
However,
he was headed straight for his cubby to get his coat and his aid
interrupted
him to go back and trail.  I thought it was quite remarkable that he has
a
mental map and knows where his coat is.  I should say that I am an
advocate
of discovery learning techniques.

     Help, what am I missing?

Blessings,
Sue H.
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