[nabs-l] Could someone lend me a hand, please? (Question about juggling multiple items)

[Serena]

I really don't see why the DSS office can't find a volunteer to carry your 
backpack for you.  After all, they don't have to spend anymore money to do 
that.  Since you have a mobility impairment, having someone carry your 
backpack is similar to using a reader, except maybe, the person won't get 
paid.  Other than that, I don't have any creative ideas myself.  However, I 
have a good friend with a mobility impairment who might have some ideas. 
I'll ask her ...

Serena


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jewel S." <herekittykat2 at gmail.com>
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 4:47 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] Could someone lend me a hand,please? (Question about 
juggling multiple items)


> Hi everyone,
>
> As the title suggests, I need a bit of help...some advice, really. But
> I sure wish someone could literally lend me a hand. I need that third
> hand something fierce!
>
> Here's my dilemma. I will be starting school at the local community
> college in two weeks. I have a very nice High Sierra rolling backpack.
> It has a retractable handle with a T-grip which makes it easy to pull.
> However, I also have a long white cane and a T-grip support cane. One
> hand for the white cane, one hand for the support cane (I have tried
> carrying things in my right hand while using the support cane and I
> simply can't put enough weight on the cane to use it properly if I'm
> holding something...if it can hang on my wrist, and is not too heavy,
> I can do that, but it must be very light, such as a bag of light
> groceries {a bag of papertwoels, a bag with shampoo and conditiner,
> some small grocery items, etc.}, and one hand for the rolling
> backpack. That just doesn't add up to two!
>
> My primary doctor and my chiropractor have warned me several times not
> to put anything more than a few pounds on my shoulders or back, and
> definitely not a backpack full of books, so carrying the bag on my
> back when I use my support cane is out of the question. I have several
> slipped discs in my neck and severe misalignment in my back and hips,
> so I have to be careful not to carry too much. I also have problems
> with my arms and wrists; if I carry something heavy on my wrist or
> forearm, it will start tingling and sending lightning bolts of pain up
> and down my arm. Further, with my bad hips and knees, using a waist
> harness of some sort to pull the backpack seems out of the question as
> well.
>
> I brought this concern up to the Disability office at the college and
> they and I together could not think of anything to solve my problem. I
> suggested a volunteer pulling my bag from class to class, but they
> said they do not have the means to find someone or schedule such a
> volunteer's time. I am going to ask my VR counselor and my O&M
> instructor about it tomorrow, but I wanted to ask here. Surely I'm not
> the only one who has had this dilemma? Are there any of you out there
> who use both a white cane and a support cane with no hands for rolling
> backpack or other items?
>
> Any advice, suggestions, or ideas would be invaluable to me, as I'm
> truly at a loss. I didn't even think of it until yesterday when I was
> at the college and tried to do it and couldn't, and was in no
> condition to walk without my support cane without stumbling and/or
> falling often.
>
> ~Jewel
> Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
> Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com
>
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