[Blindtlk] Walking Straight Without a Shoreline

[Bob Hachey]

Hi all,
Walking in a straight line without a shoreline or sound cues can be a tricky
proposition.
But here's an old technique learned from my days as a boy scout that helps
me to measure distance. I recall scout jamborees held by east coast schools
for the blind in which part of the time was spent on skills competition,
things like first aid, fire building pitching a tent and pacing.
In pacing, a rope is strung between posts. The object was to estimate the
length of the rope by walking it's distance. After some practice, I got
pretty good at this. You can also use a distance that is known to you such
as the length of a fence or distance across a room. Then figure out about
how much distance you traverse with each step you take. Then, you can have a
good idea of a distance you've walked by counting the steps. Yes, I know
that some might cringe at the idea of counting steps, but it works well when
you're first orienting yourself to a new area. For example, I use this
method to help me to find mid-block bus stops along with locating the
appropriate sign posts.
This method takes practice and there is a definite learning curve, but it
has worked well for me.
Bob Hachey