[blindlaw] I'm Confused - RE: Canes andBlindnessalongwiththechanging color of the cane

[Mark BurningHawk]

I personally did not work with a mobility instructor when learning to  
navigate streets, except when a very small child, on basic cane  
technique, and a bit in 2008, at which time the person said she had  
nothing she could teach me.  I agree 100$ that the only reason a blind  
person needs to be easy to spot is because of the assumption that said  
blind person is a poor traveler or a liability; this is why I rail  
against the white reflective color; that, and it makes you an easier  
target for those who would mess with you--and yes, people *WILL* mug,  
rob, or try to beat up blind people; no one is untouchable these days,  
don't kid yourself.  This is just one of the stigma that the *WHITE*  
in the white cane carries and that I avoid like the plague.  I can be  
just as competent, and not stand out as much, with a cedar staff or,  
for that matter, a branch cut from a tree, if need be (did that once,  
in an emergency), and no one questions my competence.  Now, though,  
with my hearing loss becoming quite the nuisance, I might choose to  
use a white one, because while I am highly skilled, I'm not stupid or  
too proud to realize that I, with a dual disability, might in fact be  
a liability. So, if you want people to notice you, by all means, wear  
a white vest an carry a white cane and so on.  But, for as long as I  
can, whenever I can, I will reject this and the other stigma...

Okay, sorry Scott; I'm done. again.  Until I'm not. again. :)

Mark BurningHawk
Skype and Twitter:  BurningHawk1969
Home:  Http://MarkBurningHawk.net/
Namaste!