[nabs-l] Low vision cane travel question

[Jim Reed]

Hey all, 

I have a low vision cane travel question for you all. I have been wearing a pair of sunglasses at night
when I go out to practice using my cane. These sunglasses have both
positive and negitive consiquences. First, from a positive point, they
make it dark enough that it is a waste of time for me to try and see
whats in front of me, thus I have all but stopped using my vision for
the mobility aspect of cane travel. Additionally, the sunglasses aford
me a little bit of protection from trees and bushes that my thin, wire
framed reading glasses simply can't provide. 

The downside of
wearing sunglasses at night is that I tend to forget to use my vision
for what it's worth; I tend to just stare straight ahead while I am
under my sunglasses. Additionally, I am still using visual landmarks to
navigate, and I have gotten myself lost (either completely or slightly)
everytime I have gone out under sunglasses. The reason I am getting
lost is because I am looking for visual landmarks that I simply can't
see under sunglasses. This suggest two alternatives, lose the
sunglasses or get non-visual O/M training.

 I
have only had one O/M lesson under sleepshades, so I really don't feel
comfortable getting out there on my own to practice under sleepshades.
The inability, or unwillingness to practice by myself undersleepshades
means that I can't develop my own set of non-visual landmarks to
follow, thus I am forced to rely on faulty vision to guide me.
Additionally, I don't want to be limited to set routes. My goal is to
be able to find my way to and from any point in this city, day or
night, visually and/or non-visually, and with or without the aid of a
GPS. I know that I have set high expectations, but I expect nothing
less of myself. Unfourtunatly, when it comes to O/M instruction, I've
been told to expect one lesson per week. I am not sure if I can I
develop the skills needed to realize my goal of safe and unrestricted
non-visual travel and navigation if I am only getting one O/M lesson
per week.  

Clearly,
the once a week non-visual O/M training is going to take a while, so, I
return my focus to eyewear. I am wondering if any of you have any
suggestions for eyewear that may work better for me at night than dark
sunglasses. For example, I am wondering if a pair of orange tinted
sunglasses might work better for me at night than a dark tinted pair.

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