[nabs-l] Cane travel

[Dezman Jackson]

Jim,

Also, the feedback and sensitivity you get depends on how the cane is 
engineered.  Based on experience, many cane users have learned that a 
lighter cane made of a material like fiberglass or carbon fiber tend to give 
maximum feedback and also are more flexible, having more give when the cane 
gets caught in cracks and what not.  Also, the metal disc-like tip has 
proven to contribute significantly to the information you get from the cane 
including echolocation.

Best,
Dezman
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sarah Alawami" <marrie12 at gmail.com>
To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Cane travel


The open palm grip  can feel a bit unsecure but  once you get used to it you
will never go back to anything else.

Take care.

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jim Reed
Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 1:12 PM
To: NABS mail list
Subject: [nabs-l] Cane travel

Hey all,

I found out the hard way that good cane travel skills work, and bad cane
travel skills hurt. I began by making a rookiee mistake; I needed to walk an
"L" shaped route, and instead of walking the "L" shape, I decided to zig-zag
my route, and I subsequently got myself lost. Once I got lost, I took off my
glasses, and I stopped trusting/listening to my cane; instead I was relying
on my vision, and not too much later, I tripped over something and took a
header off of something metal (I got a little lump, but otherwise I am
fine.) After I cracked myself in the head, I became gunshy and started using
"baby steps" with my cane. I eventually got over it and resumed full
strides. I guess that is just the first of many cane travel-related injuries
I will sustain in my lifetime, so I better get used to it.

On the positive side, there were several streaches where I got in the
groove; my cane rythm was smooth, like I had been doing it for years. But
just as quickly as I got into those grooves, I fell right back out of rythm.


I think alot of that rythm came from somewhat mastering the open palm
technique/grip. I am right handed, and essentially what I did was make a
grip where my index finger was running down the side of the cane, and most
of the cane's weight was being supported by my middle finger which served as
the pivot point for the cane. Basicly, I would use my index finger to push
the cane to the left, then I would use my palm to push it back to the right.
Since the cane was essentially free to pivot on my middle finger, both my
palm and my index finger served as "springboards" which propelled the cane
in whichever direction I wanted it to go. Because I wasn't exactly gripping
the cane, this grip was more comfortable and somewhat less painful. However,
this grip also felt less secure (like the cane could easily be ripped from
my hand by an obstacle), and I also feel like I got less feedback from the
cane using this grip than I did when I had the cane in a death grio.

Its kinda funny, a while ago, a friend and I were talking about Dr.
Jernigian's speech "The Nature of Independnece", and I basicly made a
comment that essentially said "Big deal, a grown man (Jernigian) can walk to
the barber shop by himself." Now, I am essentially doing the same thing, I
am bragging about being able to walk to and from school on my own. In once
sense, I feel childish for bragging about something as simple as walking to
class, but at the same time I am proud of myself for having done it,

Thats all for now,
peace,
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



_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nabs-l:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/marrie12%40gmail.com

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nabs-l:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/jackson.dezman%40gmail.com