[Blindtlk] sense of the world

[Mike Sivill]

You said "before braille and the long cane." I read an article about Holman
linked through www.accessworldfortheblind.com stating that he did use a long
cane and echolocation techniques including tapping the cane. Blind people
did use canes before organizations started making up rules about how to use
them. 
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Kathleen Millhoff
Sent: Saturday, May 02, 2009 6:34 AM
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Blindtlk] sense of the world

Hi,
This is me, Kat, and I used to write to this list from another
address; since resubscribing a few months ago with my newer address,
I've read much but written little. However, something occurred that I
wanted to share.
I've just read, via NLS recording, "A Sense of the World", about a
19th century blind man named James Holman (guessing at spelling) whose
preoccupation was traveling alone all over the world. He wrote
numerous books about his travels, and wa famous in his day.  His
fortunes diminished as he grew older, but later explorers were
inspired by his descriptions of things, including his involvement and
actions. He went on elephant hunts and any number of amazing things.
The book doesn't clarify how he managed many things. I know readers
wouldn't have wanted an O&M manual, but each time we read that he did
something, I found myself wondering how - I, who take long periods of
time just to navigate the grocery store, and one I'm familiar with, at
that, would have managed things like finding the ship to get on,
cashing in tickets, locating lodging and much more.
At the end of the book, the author returns to a consideration of how
little in the way of schooling and work there was for the early 19th
century blind person.  Then he goes on to say that Dr. Jernigan talked
about "the blind traveler" as he was known at the NFB convention in
1970, suggesting that  this was one of the blind heroes of history (my
words and phrasing). I believe Dr. Jernigan acknowledged the
difficulties Holman would have faced before braille and the long cane.
I lost track then of what the book was saying because I found myself
wondering how in the world Dr. Jernigan knew about this person, long
before the biography "A Sense of the World" was written.
Truly, wonders will never cease.
best,
kat
-- 
kathy millhoff - "Let each morn be better than its eve, and each
morrow richer than its yesterday."

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