[nabs-l] Low vision cane travel question

[clinton waterbury]

Firstly...  I would personally recommend a lesson at least 5 times a  
week.
Second.  I would go ahead and lose the sunglasses, and then just use  
the sleepshades for maybe 10-15 minutes or so, and then increase it  
when you feel more comfortable using nonvisual landmarks.
Also.  Is there a devision of survices for the blind in or near your  
area?
On Jun 17, 2009, at 1:58 PM, Jim Reed wrote:

> 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
>
>
>
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