[nabs-l] canes and increasing sensation of blindness

[Mary Fernandez]

Hi Gerardo,
First, i agree with everyone else about cane use  while using sighted
guide. As for the second part of your email. I was born in colombia,
and so I am very aware of how blindness is viewed in Hispanic/Latino
countries. For the most part your own family members will most likely
encourage you to not use your cane, preferring that you use your
sighted cousins, brothers, sisters and other relatives you guide you
around. You have two choices, either you go with the flow, or you
decide to take your independence in your own hands and choose to use
your cane. In America, it is true that the Federation has done quite a
lot of positive work as far as social views are concerned, however, I
know everyone on this list comes across someone 5 out of 7 days in the
week who are simply amazed that they can walked on their own, or who
will grab them terrified that a blind person is actually walking. So,
no matter where you are, you are always goign to come across this
conflict. Using your cane is a loud and clear announcement that you
are blind and that you can't hide it. But think about it, how much
better can you hide it when you don't use it? What will people think
when you just walk around hesitantly, stumbling along, or running into
things? They might not think your blind, but that you have something
seriously wrong with you. It's important for us to be very comfortable
with our blindness, to accept it, and accepting your cane is a very
good step. The more comfortable you feel, the more comfortable others
will feel too. I know the stigma that comes along with it, when i came
to the U.S. I absolutely detested my cane. But back in the 1940s when
the Federation first began, I know that every blind person here felt
the same way, it took someone to accept their blindness, to defy
society's view that blind people cannot do anything more
intellectually stringent than making chairs, for any change to come
along.
Hope this helps.
Mary


On 5/2/10, Briley Pollard <brileyp at gmail.com> wrote:
> It is encouraged to use a cane, even when traveling sighted guide. This way,
> you are still in command of your own travel. You still are interacting with
> your environment, in addition to the information the sighted person may be
> providing you. Traveling at any point with no mobility aid is not safe, and
> leaves you vulnerable.
>
> Briley
> On May 2, 2010, at 5:49 PM, Gerardo Corripio wrote:
>
>> Hi guys: I'm curious as to is it fine to use a cane while going sighted
>> guide with someone? for instance suppose the person whom I'm going with
>> has
>> never done sighted guide with a blind person, thus doesn't know to alert
>> us
>> of steps and the like. So I was thinking that if this technique is fine to
>>
>> use it can serve two purposes:
>> 1.-Be able to go along sighted guide but at the same time being able to
>> oneself find and sort obstacles the sighted person might not have the mind
>>
>> to let us know.
>> 2.-Be able to start mapping in our minds the route following, thus make it
>>
>> easier to get to know the route by ourselves.
>> Also I've got another subject on my mind, thus sending in the same email:
>> Is
>> it normal that when using a cane I have conflict in using it? though I
>> know
>> the cane is how we get around by ourselves thanks to a bad experience
>> while
>> studying for a diploma in Humanistic Therapy some years ago in that when I
>>
>> wanted to use the cane again after some years of having it dusting, I held
>>
>> it in my hand but wasn't able to use it at ease because memories of the
>> experience came flooding back. fortunately I've been able to work them out
>>
>> but am curious as to know if this has happened to you guys? It's a
>> conflict
>> because for one I'm aware that the cane makes us unique as blind people
>> and
>> lets us move around by ourselves but also because here in Mexico the blind
>>
>> aren't viewed as equals in some respects, thus when using the cane gives
>> me
>> the feeling that lets blindness show even more, making the sighted people
>> feel ill at ease; speaking from experience in another country when I know
>> in
>> the US you guys don't have to cope with these things because of how
>> advanced
>> you guys are in the work you've done all these years. some day I hope to
>> be
>> able to be like you guys and really live by your standards, thus hoping
>> these questions bring on a good discussion from which more than one might
>> learn something new and enrich the topic of appreciating our roots brought
>>
>> on recently.
>> Gerardo
>>
>>
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>
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-- 
Mary Fernandez
Emory University 2012
P.O. Box 123056
Atlanta Ga.
30322
Phone: 732-857-7004
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that
greatness is never a given. It must be earned.
President Barack Obama