[nabs-l] canes and increasing sensation of blindness

[Jewel S.]

Sometimes tough love is the besst kind...~Jewel

On 5/3/10, Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com> wrote:
> For whatever it is worth, I will use my cane but also take the arm of
> another totally blind person, or have him or her take my arm depending upon
> preference.  In that
> case, the point isn't for anyone to necessarily lead or follow.  Rather, I
> find it easier to carry on a conversation if we are following the same path.
>  If I take a sighted
> persons arm, I also always use my cane so they are not having to worry about
> steps and curbs on my behalf.  Since I don't depend upon them for that
> information, I
> also tend to walk next to them rather than slightly behind them, which also
> makes conversation easier.  I really don't know why it is advocated that one
> either go
> sighted guide completely or use a cane.  I find the two to complement each
> other well.
>
> I also have observed that I do not learn a new route as well if I am hanging
> on to someone's arm even if I use my cane.  It is an interesting thing, but
> walking
> completely alone apparently heightens my awareness even beyond what I might
> expect.  Particularly when I am trying to learn where something is, I will
> ask for
> directions or follow, without hanging on although I'll usually explain that
> it makes it easier for me to learn.
>
> On Mon, 3 May 2010 13:42:26 -0400, Jewel S. wrote:
>
>>Hi,
>
>>I use my cane while holding someone's arm all the time. However, I do
>>not consider it "sighted guide" so much as keeping with my friend who
>>knows the way...especially since the person who usually does this with
>>me is my legally blind boyfriend. I hold his arm for balance
>>primarily, and to keep track of where he is, as I have no peripheral
>>vision. As we walk, he might point things out to me that I would miss
>>with my cane no matter what (the mailboxes that stick out at
>>head-height, the wet branches in front of my face, etcetra). I use my
>>cane so he can concentrate on where we are going and things in front
>>of us. I find the curbs and steps on my own, and sometimes if the
>>light is too low, I find curbs and such for the both of us, as he is
>>not as good with the cane (lack of practice!).
>
>>I find that if I take someone's arm, I am far less likely to learn the
>>route. I have done entire routes on someone's arm that, looking back,
>>I couldn't tell you the first thing. This is partly because of my poor
>>memory, but also because when I hold someone's arm, unless I'm in
>>charge of navigation (which does occur sometimes), I let that work go,
>>and concentrate more on balance, what my cane is finding, and sounds.
>>I can enjoy myself a bit better this way.
>
>>Personally, I think holding someone's arm and using a cane at the same
>>time is perfectly fine. That's just my opinion, so feel free to shoot
>>me down, but that won't stop me from doing it myself! I don't like to
>>put all the responsibility on the other person, no matter how good a
>>guide they are...though there is one exception. My O&M instructor
>>would do sighted guide with me to get quickly to a location, and my
>>cane just got in his way, and he was very good at guiding (he better
>>be, since he teaches other people how to be sighted guides, too!), so
>>I allow my cane to remain at my side, ready to pull out if I should
>>need it, but I put my trust in him.
>
>>~Jewel
>
>>On 5/3/10, clinton waterbury <clinton.waterbury at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> As far as the cane issue goes, when I was about three years of age, I
>>> started learning how to use the cane.
>>>
>>> The only problem was that I would flat out refuse to use it until the
>>> time I
>>> was about five.
>>>
>>> The travel instructor finally said "Ok, you don't want to use it?  I'll
>>> take
>>> it from you."
>>>
>>> At that point, I tried and faled miserably to walk around without it!
>>>
>>> At the day's end, I did get the cane back, and have been using it ever
>>> since.
>>> On May 2, 2010, at 4:49 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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