[blindkid] cane use and travel in familiar areas

[Barbara Hammel]

But, Merry-Noel, it's so fun to pull the artwork down!
Barbara

Snow is God's way of reminding us that beauty can be found even in the 
coldest hearts.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Merry-Noel Chamberlain" <owinm at yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 3:51 PM
To: " (for parents of blind children)NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] cane use and travel in familiar areas

> 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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