[nabs-l] Cane Travel Training: Report Number 1

[stacy timberlake]

    Hey Jim,

I started using a cane about 4 years ago--but I have been lucky enough to 
have a lot of O&M training so it is one of my strengths.  Here are a few 
tips.

As for orientation--use landmarks whenever possible, and  keep in mind that 
even something like the  slope of the ground is a land mark.

For the hot spots and wrist pain-- This is where you need someone who can 
give direction.  I use an aluminum cane with a rolling tip everywhere I go, 
but  I honestly have never noticed it to be "heavy" in comparison to the NFB 
canes (which I have also tried)  I use constant contact sweeping in an arch 
(sweeping the cane opposite of the foot that I am stepping with) But the way 
that you hold the aluminum canes is TOTALLY different than the way that you 
hold the NFB canes.  If you have the cane that I think that you do there is 
a flat side to the handle you should point your first finger down that and 
wrap your hand around the rest.
Good luck,
Stacy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 11:15 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Cane Travel Training: Report Number 1


> Hi Jim,
> I'm glad you had a positive experience with the cane.
> A folding aluminum cane with a roller tip is a good quality cane.  But its 
> disadvantage is the heaviness.  I used to have a folding aluminum cane.
> I'm not sure its a good idea to teach yourself O&M since you may develop 
> improper habits that will be hard to correct.  Still I understand your 
> desire to learn.
> Its great you felt more confident and safe with it at night when your 
> vision cannot work for you.  I have some vision too.  Acuity is actually 
> good but my field is so limited rendering my vision not sufficient for 
> travel.  I just see straight ahead.  So the cane makes me more confident 
> to detect curbs and side objects out of my field of vision.  Its too bad 
> the O&M instructor didn't teach you how to use it.  Unfortunately that's 
> typical of instructors that visit clients at home.  They first talk to you 
> to evaluate the situation.  They should have discussed your goals for O&M. 
> Because they have high caseloads the lessons are infrequent and I hope you 
> get a lesson before the end of June.
>
> My advice is slightly different than others as I think there's many 
> options out there.  I'm not a strong Federationist.
> I suggest you get a lighter cane that's taller as everyone else said.  The 
> one you have is free, but if you can afford one there's several choices. 
> You might be able to ask your O&M  instructor to bring different canes to 
> sample.
> Ambutech  makes graphite canes I think.  If not other companies do.  I 
> have a folding cane made of graphite inside and its half the weight of the 
> aluminum!
> No wonder your wrist hurts from constantly picking it up!  You can also 
> try the NFB fiber glass canes but there's several cane companies out there 
> that may also meet your needs.  I think your cane should come up to your 
> chin. You need a longer cane for adaquate warning.
> In order not to get blisters or "hot spots"
> maybe you were gripping the cane too tightly.  I also think alternating 
> hands is a good idea to give one hand a rest for long walks like you did.
>
> I have used a cane since I was eight.  Professionals realized my vision 
> wasn't adaquate to travel.
> Mobility instruction in school is inadaquate since they have too many 
> students to see but that's another story.  I haven't had too much 
> opportunity for independent travel and don't have a good sense of 
> direction. Its not a strength.  Still I did the basics of traveling alone 
> around college campus and went some places alone such as the mall to shop 
> and eat during college.  I say this for background.  Still here's my 
> answers for what its worth.  Traveling is an individual thing and what 
> works for one doesn't work for another.
> Here it goes.  I answer after your question.
>
> How do I better detect curbs and keep track of what street i'm on?
> If you slide your cane in an arc it should detect curbs.  Its called 
> constant contact.  Most federationists use the tapping method called two 
> point touch.  Personally I like constant interaction with the ground and 
> find it gives me more info.    To keep track of what street you're on, 
> there's a number of ways.  In your case you can read the names and 
> remember for later on when you can't see.  People without enough vision to 
> see them ask.
> You can ask about street names and remember the layout.  If there's 
> numbered streets they likely will go up or down in number.  You can listen 
> to traffic to tell major streets from side streets.  You can count blocks.
> Mostly its memory.
>
> How do I stay focused on something as dull as cane travel?
> You just think about it, what you're doing and make sure you have good 
> technique. Later on it will be natural and you don't have to think about 
> the mechanics of cane travel.
> If my mind wanders what helps me is I ask myself questions about the 
> environment.  I have to focus since otherwise I easily get lost!  Actually 
> in familiar environments I can drift off a bit since its so ingrained from 
> routine I don't have to think.  But usually not.
>
> Since I still have vision, is it ok to rely on a flashlight to check out 
> street signs? If I know that the main streets are 8th, 13th, and 15th, do 
> I really need to know that I am in between 9th and 10th, or is it ok to 
> find out exactly where I am once I hit one of those main roads?
>
> You could use your vision to check.  But try developing trust and 
> alternative methods of figuring it out.  Maybe there's landmarks by major 
> streets.
> I think its fine to find out where you are when you hit the main road.  As 
> long as you're traveling in the right direction, knowing every little 
> street isn't neccessary.
>
> Is the wrist pain unavoidle until I become conditioned to using a cane?
>
> No.  You won't have wrist pain with a change in cane weight.  Until then 
> maybe shorter walks with the cane is good.  Part of it is conditioning in 
> that your muscles are not used to this work.  Maybe build up to those long 
> walks.  so I think a combo of conditioning and trying lighter canes will 
> help.
>
> What is the absolute strongest cane material for the lightest weight?
> Many cane matterials are strong and
> light weight.  Graphite canes are strong and durable.  Rainshine canes are 
> strong too and looked pretty durable when I saw them.
>
> I was walking at max speed, I was walking as fast as I walk during the 
> day, is it reasonable and safe for me to expect myself to walk that fast 
> or should I take it down a notch?
> You may want to slow down while you learn and get used to the cane.  But 
> in general you can
> walk as fast as you normally do.  I just think as a beginner you can get 
> more feedback and react to the tactile feedback from the cane if you slow 
> down.
>
> Is it a good idea for me to teach myself cane travel, or should I really 
> wait for the O/M instructor?
>
> I'd say either wait or at least ask someone whose used a cane for 
> guidance.
>
> Ashley
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jedi" <loneblindjedi at samobile.net>
> To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:50 AM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Cane Travel Training: Report Number 1
>
>
> Jim,
>
> Here are some suggestions to help you in the future. These may also be
> useful to others, so I post them here.
>
> First, regarding cane length. Yes, you will want a longer cane to fully
> cover the length of your stride. The longer cane will also make it
> easier to detect those down curbs you mentioned at a reasonable clip.
>
> Let's briefly talk about cane composition. Length gives you the
> advantage of stopping distance and maneuverability. What I'm about to
> suggest is controversial for a lot of reasons, but the collective
> experience of many expert cane travelers suggests that you may want to
> consider a lighter cane, especially one that is fiberglass or carbon
> fiber. I would also recommend according to that same collective
> experience, that you don't use a folding cane because the elastic
> places a barrier between you and the sensations you could be getting.
> Folding canes are great, but not if you want maximum sensativity. As an
> option, consider a telescoping cane for collapsability. But for long
> walks on rugged terrain, consider a straight cane (one that doesn't
> collapse) and a collapsing one when you're mostly going to travel by
> plane, car, be indoors, etc. If echolocation is useful to you, you may
> consider a metal tip for maximum sound as an echolocator. But if
> echolocation isn't useful because of your hearing loss, still consider
> the metal tip as it's also quite sensitive and much lighter than the
> roller tip which means that you exert less effort lifting the cane to
> make an arc, thus saving your wrist and preventing blistering. Also, to
> prevent blistering, consider a smooth plastic handle rather than a
> grippy leather one. In short, think about getting an NfB cane as we
> tend to make them long, light, and with a center of gravity that's
> closer to the top of the cane itself rather than the bottom.
>
> Now, as to orientation. That's another matter entirely. your instructor
> may not know how to orient in practice because she is a sighted person
> who doesn't use the knowledge on a regular basis and probably doesn't
> really believe that blind people can really travel anyway. This isn't
> true for all sighted instructors. the best sighted instructors are
> those who spent a lot of time under blindfold in the company of blind
> people, learning what the blind do through practice and guided
> mentoring from good blind travelers. Most sighted instructors get
> limited practice under blindfold and only see blind travelers on their
> lessons, so their knowledge tends to be more theoretical than
> practical. There isn't much you can do about that except to hang around
> blind people who are good at cane travel and who can really offer you
> practical suggestions on how to orient. Your teacher may be able to
> offer some help, but you will have to be the one to provide practical
> experience on your own unless you've actually observed your instructor
> actually get around with a blindfold. Knowing basic orientation skills
> (using non-visual information to discover your location) will negate
> the need for a flashlight. The more practiced you become, the more you
> can daydream on a midnight walk.
>
> Much of what I tell you comes from collective experience and from my
> own educational background both in cane travel and in blindness
> studies. Nonetheless, it's fantastic that the cane skills you have, and
> the cane itself, gave you a measure of confidence even at the beginning
> stages of your cane travel journey. Just imagine how confident and how
> fluid you will become when you get to a level of true experience!
> you'll be movin' and groovin' before you know it!
>
> Respectfully,
> Jedi
> Original message:
>> Hey all,
>
>> I just got through my first cane travel lesson, and I had the worst O/M 
>> instructor ever, me! You see, the VR O/M instructor came to my house 
>> today, we talked for an hour, she gave me the cane and left. She told me 
>> I might be able to get one lesson before the end of June. And she also 
>> told me not to use the cane until I had a training session. I'm sorry, 
>> but you dont give me a new tool or toy and tell me not to uae or play 
>> with it. Of course I took the cane for a spin. It is a 64 inch ambutech 
>> folding aluminum cane, with a roller tip. To test for length, I did the 
>> test suggested by the author of "Care and Feeding of the Long White 
>> Cane": I took my cane, swinging it as I normaly would, walking at a speed 
>> I normally would, and I walked straight towards a wall. The idea is to 
>> stop as soon as your cane hits the walll, and then walk to the wall. 
>> Apparantly, if the cane is the right length, you should be able to take 
>> two full steps after your cane detects
>>  an obstacle, without having your face or shin detect the obastacle. I 
>> was able to manage maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of a step between the cane 
>> recognizing the wall and me running into it. I dont have the time or 
>> patience to half-ass anything, I need a longer cane.
>
>> My first impression of the cane: Ouch! Damn it my wrist hurts. I have 
>> long legs and I walk fast. I tried maintaining the "step left- swing 
>> right, step right-swing lef"t rythm, but fairly quickly my wrist got 
>> tired and my cane swings became less frequent, thus less effective. 
>> Additionally, I developed a "hot spot" on my palm; I know from plenty of 
>> hiking experience that "hot spots" turn to blisters very quickly.
>
>> I walked 11 blocks total, to the gym and back; some blocks had minimal 
>> street light, some blocks had no light (I am totally nigh blind). I felt 
>> confident and I walked fast. In between corners, the cane travel was easy 
>> (althoug I did noit run into any obstacles on the sidewaljk). The travel 
>> may have been a bit too easy, as I allowed my cane to lead the way and my 
>> thoughts to follow and wander (much as thoughts should wander on a 
>> pointless midnight walk). Anyhow, I very shortly lost track of what block 
>> I was on, however I brought a flashlight with me, so I was able to easily 
>> figure out where I was. Additionally, I missed 80% of the downsteps on 
>> curbs that I was not able to first detect visually. That little 4 inch 
>> drop just wasnt enough for me and my cane to regiser that the curb was 
>> there.
>
>> Despite my newness to the cane, I felt myself being able to "stride out", 
>> and it felt good to do so. I am not sure how much time the cane knocked 
>> off my travel time, but what it did do was allow me to feel more safe and 
>> confident traveling at night. Dispite the fact that I dislike walking as 
>> a form of travel, I intend
>> to make regular night walks a part of my routine. Hop[efully, if I walk
>> enough blocks, I will run into situations that will test and expand my
>> skills.
>
>> I did notice that I felt much more comfortable and confident 
>> "shorelining" along the non-curb side of the sidewalk. I lost confidence 
>> when I felt myself nearing the curb, and I also lost confidence when I 
>> was on an angled slope, such as a driveway. Oddlty enough, I instinctivly 
>> found myself following my cane: if my cane dropped off the edge of the 
>> curb and rode along the street for a while, I found myself angling 
>> towards the street, even though I knew I did not want to go that way, and 
>> I knew there was a rolled ankle in my future if I continued that way.
>
>> Oh, byu the way, I've used my cane on only one trip, and I damn near 
>> broke the thing. The tip got caught in what I believe was a chain link 
>> fence, and all of a sudden the cane sounder different. Fortunatly, the 
>> tip of the cane had its own folding joint, and apparantly the fence 
>> provided enough pressure on the joint to remove the tip from its normal 
>> position. The internal cord held, and the tip retuned to its normal 
>> position, but I have the feeling that I may need something as strong as 
>> an aluminum cane.
>
>> Other than the fact that my wrist is sore, it was a positive experience, 
>> and I intend to do it again tomarrow night. It was really nice to be able 
>> to walk at night, even if it was a bit loud. Do they make a quiet cane? 
>> To me, it does not seem to me like the cane provides any auditory 
>> feedback that can't also be detected via touch, and I'd like to be able 
>> to hear myself think.
>
>> A couple of questions:
>> How do I better detect curbs and keep track of what street i'm on? How do 
>> I stay focused on something as dull as cane travel? Since I still have 
>> vision, is it ok to rely on a flashlight to check out street signs? If I 
>> know that the main streets are 8th, 13th, and 15th, do I really need to 
>> know that I am in between 9th and 10th, or is it ok to find out exactly 
>> where I am once I hit one of those main roads? Is the wrist pain 
>> unavoidle until I become conditioned to using a cane? What is the 
>> absolute strongest cane material for the lightest weight? I was walking 
>> at max speed, I was walking as fast as I walk during the day, is it 
>> reasonable and safe for me to expect myself to walk that fast or should I 
>> take it down a notch? Is it a good idea for me to teach myself cane 
>> travel, or should I really wait for the O/M instructor?
>
>> Thanks,
>> Jim
>
>> "From compromise and things half done,
>> Keep me with stern and stubborn pride,
>> And when at last the fight is won,
>> ... Keep me still unsatisfied." --Louis Untermeyer
>
>
>
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