[blindlaw] Not Just Your Average Cane

[Robert Munro]

The best name for a cane I ever heard came from a guy named Paul in Colorado.  He called his cane Edith, an acronym for Extended Device for Identification by Touch of Hazards.
On Mar 28, 2010, at 8:33 PM, Joe Orozco wrote:

> Hi Mark,
> 
> Having started the thread, I feel compelled to respond to your thoughtful
> post.  It goes without say that people's opinions here do not reflect any
> official NFB positions, and I honestly doubt the NFB would genuinely care if
> all its members suddenly decided to sport a wide range of colorfully
> decorated canes.  I think Dr. Maurer would probably find the concept
> amusing, and doesn't Whozit sport a black cane in our logo?  That fellow was
> far ahead of the curve.
> 
> For my own part, I'm headed to Michael's sometime soon to embark upon a
> project to transform my own cane into the walking wonder I know it can be.
> I think that in doing so I would do well to use a measure of practical
> sense.  Security checkpoints at airports and federal buildings would
> probably not look kindly on a cane that is different from what is popularly
> accepted.  We can't expect the world to automatically get that blind people
> have their own sense of pizzazz, and by the same token, we can't expect
> people to pick up on the fact we're blind at night if using something as
> obscure as a black cane, even though I agree with the previous subscriber
> that motorists should respect pedestrians with or without this new breed of
> eye candy.
> 
> I'm glad people pointed out the jurisdictions that specifically call for the
> cane to be white.  In asking my question, sarcasm notwithstanding, I was not
> really setting out to violate laws that are meant to preserve my safety, but
> I do not want these laws to tuck me away into a label that can be every bit
> as condescending as terms like "handicapped."  If senior citizens can sport
> all manner of creatively designed walking canes, by golly, I want my own
> mode of transportation to broadcast my own sense of humor.  It's not as if I
> can smack a bumper sticker on my German shepherd's butt and call it good,
> although, can you imagine the wide range of clever slogans one could produce
> with that kind of strategic angle?
> 
> All of this having been said, I spent nearly a year working on behalf of
> victims of human trafficking.  I learned all about the negative connotations
> associated with words like "pimping," and for using that term to catch your
> attention, I am truly sorry.
> 
> In summation, I think the responses on both lists to which the question went
> out has been mostly positive.  It's no scientific survey, but I think it is
> at least slightly indicative of the membership's willingness to explore the
> idea or at least humor my nonsense.  People who have given more
> straight-laced responses are no doubt secretly glad they're not the only
> ones who thought of this, because original this idea is most certainly not.
> Let's leave out the references to accessible currency and other
> controversial topics out of it this time around.  We debate those serious
> issues all the time and should enjoy the all too infrequent light banter.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Joe Orozco and the Soon to Be Improved Sir Tap-A-Lot
> 
> What, as if you haven't ever thought of giving your cane a name???
> 
> "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves,
> some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org 
> [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mark BurningHawk
> Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 5:51 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Pimp My Cane
> 
> I'm following this thread, and I know a large percentage of the folks  
> here are NFB members; I personally a not, nor any organization, for  
> that matter.  I find a bit of hypocrisy in this discussion:  First the  
> NFB rails against things like audible cross walk signals and so on,  
> claiming that the blind don't need them, that it's not what the blind  
> "want," whatever.  Same with identifiable currency.  Now, however, I  
> hear a bunch of the same people saying, in effect, "I want to carry a  
> symbol of blindness! I want to proclaim my blindness to everyone so  
> that they can alter their behaviors appropriately in recognition of  
> the fact that I'm blind!"  I should think the true spirit of the NFB  
> might be to use a black cane and give no indication whatsoever of  
> blindness, except on a purely voluntary basis.  I just don't  
> understand this.
> 
> Mark BurningHawk
> Skype and Twitter:  BurningHawk1969
> Home:  Http://MarkBurningHawk.net/
> Namaste!
> 
> 
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> 
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