[blindkid] Working on our technique!

[Carol Castellano]

Cane-versary--I love it!
Carol

At 12:41 PM 4/12/2010, you wrote:
>That is the tip I'm talking about, not sure what the official name for it
>is.
>
>Hank does have a one piece carbon fiber NFB cane as well, that was actually
>his first cane.  We started experimenting with folding/collapsible canes
>after spending the first half of HS football season (older son in marching
>band) retrieving said non-folding cane when it kept falling through the
>bleachers LOL!
>
>Right now we let him choose which cane he wants to take when we go out. He's
>still a bit resentful about needing a cane, we've found it helps his
>attitude when he has some control over the matter by picking from his cane
>"wardrobe".  If we are going on really rough terrain, like a walk in the
>woods, I remind him the straight cane won't collapse on him.  If he chooses
>the telescoping anyway and starts to grumble when it does indeed collapse, I
>remind him that it was his choice.
>
>For him, the tactile/sound differences between different canes aren't as
>crucial as it may be to others because he does have enough vision to see the
>big picture around him. He won't run into a wall or furniture, he can see
>where a doorway is.  What trips him up is poor depth perception and the
>inability to see what's going on down by his feet, ie..is that a curb or a
>painted stripe?  Is that an open doorway or a glass door? We've found any of
>the cane types give him the information he needs to be safe so we're happy
>to let him take control when it's appropriate.
>
>It just popped into my mind that we are right around his first year
>"cane-versery" He has yet to receive any formal O&M training but it was just
>about this time last year that we met Carol who gave us a demonstration and
>lent us a cane until we could buy our own.  It's been a lot of trial &
>error, a whole lot of grumbling but the difference in his confidence level
>with a cane vs without one is amazing, even without official training.
>
>I love the NFB (big huge smile)
>
>Holly
>
>
>On Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 9:37 AM, Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org>wrote:
>
> > I think that's the same tip. Many NFB / NOPBC people favor this as it is
> > actually the NFB's own design and it is a very good design as well.
> > Certainly there are cases where roller tips may be useful but 
> they are heavy
> > and as Joe Cutter put it, they tend to "roll over" information that the
> > NFB-style tip would convey to the cane user. Another problem many have with
> > them is that the same thing that makes them roll over helpful information
> > also makes them roll off to one side and some kids tend to leave them there
> > when that happens.
> >
> > As far as auditory feedback and information, you'd be hard pressed to find
> > anything that comes close to the NFB design-- that crisp, clear click can
> > reveal much about the environment. For a short time, our daughter decided
> > she did not like the NFB cane design. We let her use something else because
> > a cane in hand that is being used will always be better than a cane left
> > behind or dragged along behind a child. Pretty soon she came back to an NFB
> > cane. She was probably trying to be like her O&M instructor who was using a
> > heavier golf-grip, roller tip cane as well as I recall. Ultimately, we got
> > the instructor to switch to an NFB cane instead; (we were very pleased with
> > that!)
> >
> > The main complaint I hear about the telescoping canes themselves has
> > already been mentioned-- they can collapse. They are a good travel design
> > though and an excellent choice for an easily stored backup cane. Holly, you
> > might want to try having a one-piece NFB cane on hand for him as 
> well as the
> > "light saber" cane and perhaps he'll gradually want to use the solid one
> > more. One piece canes are lighter and also offer more tactile information
> > that especially folding canes (and even telescoping ones) reduce or omit
> > entirely-- vibrations bend the joints and never make it to the user's hand.
> > Folding canes make this worse because the little bungee-style 
> cord inside of
> > the canes also further dampens resonance (and adds a little more weight
> > too).
> >
> > I don't think my daughter cares yet, but I personally find that carbon
> > fiber feels a lot crisper than fiberglass. Strangely, the NFB 
> canes for kids
> > seem to alternate between fiberglass & carbon fiber in increasing 
> lengths so
> > right now, the size she needs is apparently only offered in fiberglass. I
> > could cut down a carbon fiber cane I suppose but she'll "grow back into"
> > carbon fiber pretty soon anyhow...
> >
> > I do agree entirely that cane choice is ultimately a personal decision
> > though and the more options that are available, the better for each of us.
> > At conventions, I always find it interesting to compare as many cannes as I
> > can side-by-side just so I get a better feel of how they work and the
> > differences between them. After all, we tend to like what we become
> > accustomed to. You never know when something better may have 
> appeared in the
> > marketplace that you may never have run across before!
> >
> > Richard
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Apr 12, 2010, at 9:03 AM, Heather wrote:
> >
> >  A disk tip?  Is it different from the standard tip that comes with a lot
> >> of the canes and is a circle about as big around as a quarter, 
> but as thick
> >> as two or three quarters, with an attached sort of sleeve that 
> the last half
> >> an inch of the cane pushes into?  Or, is it something different entirely?
> >>  They have come out with a lot of new materials and designs since I was
> >> actively cane shopping for myself.
> >>
> >
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Carol Castellano, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nopbc.org