[nabs-l] questions about cane travel and independent travel

Thu May 13 15:56:05 UTC 2010

Kerri,

I thank you for bringing up this issue, since it is something you are 
pondering and need to find an acceptable answer.

First you should, as a 22-year old, be able to travel to and fro on your 
own. That means you can grab your cane, approach a car, get in, and stow 
your cane, and get to your place of destination. The driver will do their 
magic in getting you driven there.

There is no reason to sight guide from your door to your seat in a car, yet 
you will be amazed how many people think this is such a hard job, and takes 
oh so much courage, and brain power on your part.

This part of the trip is clear to me. You know your way, you can visualize 
every step of the way onto the car, and you don't need, and in my opinion, 
should not accept help. This is where I would be diplomatically independent 
at first, then if someone pushed the issue, would turn stubborn. Heck, your 
15-year old brother, or 20-year old cousin, or basically someone of your age 
and ability does not take an arm to move about from one known place to 
another, do they? I would argue this point whenever you are confident you 
can get from point a to point b with ease, and without help.

Now you get to the movies, and your friend wants to be helpful, or she did 
since I am a few days late. You may choose to take an arm ir you can get 
from the car to the line, and to the theater with more ease, or you may, if 
you want to gain the experience, ask the friend to walk beside you, and 
verbally direct you whenever you need to turn right or left, and the rest 
you can do. That includes up steps, doors, and yes, the sighted public who 
might be wondering why your friend isn't helping you, when in fact she is.

I take more offers of sighted guide as some independent-minded people would 
like, but the key word here is I. I decide what is best for me, not what 
others see fit. I find it better to navigate through a restaurant to a table 
with friends sighted guide, but I am not shy about getting up to find the 
bathroom, or the napkins on my own.

I take the arm of a friend after getting off the car, and when moving 
through Best Buy, but I am also the one asking the sales person the 
questions about the products I am interested in buying.

There are some things people aught to be able to do, like finding and giving 
directions, locating a store, restaurant, bus stop, street, etc. The phrase 
orientation and mobility sums up what one needs to be doing. Be oriented, 
and be mobile. What you do as far as sighted guide will be different from 
others, and will progress with time.

As you put it, one need not be rebellious about it most of the time, but if 
you can do the job, and you want to practice walking parking lots, side 
walks, navigating through doors, people, tables, aisles, and so on, you 
might need to inform  your parents and friends that you need the practice, 
and that they need to help you try.

Best luck with it.

Antonio M. Guimaraes Jr.

Student, Western Governors University
(617) 744-9716
Eastern time zone
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 12:56 AM
Subject: [nabs-l] questions about cane travel and independent travel

> Hi All:
>
> First, I wanted to say thanks for all your help/answers to my other
> posts. I really appreciate it!
>
> I have another independent travel/cane travel question.
>
> Basically, if you have not had training when is it appropriate to be
> guided and when should I be using my cane?
>
> Before I got my nfb cane and really became interested in the NFB, I
> was guided everywhere all the time. I had one of those short heavy
> folding canes and would bring it along but not use it. I have since
> learned that guiding me everywhere (I am totally blind) was definitely
> the wrong approach and was much more damaging than helpful.
>
> I ordered and received an NFB cane a few months ago and really like
> it. However, it is still hard to not use sighted guide...my mother
> wants to guide me all the time, and I feel like I have to fight and
> battle to use my cane which isn't right! Though I don't mind being
> guided in certain situations or if I am in a hurry, I think it is very
> important to use it sparingly. Though guiding is definitely easier, if
> I don't begin to use my cane and resist the guiding I'll never learn
> and become independent.
>
> In the past I have had a lot of trouble making friends and fitting in
> with sighted people. I used to not understand why this is, but now I
> really believe it was because of my lack of independence as a blind
> person. For example, if a person wanted to do something they would
> pick me up and drive me back home no matter how convient or inconvient
> it may be for them; I didn't know how to use cabs. They would of
> course always guide me everywhere, sometimes I believe I brought the
> cane but never used it. If we ate at a restaurant and there was a tray
> they would carry it to and from the table when we got the food or I
> was finished. I would ocationly carry the drink but that was it. When
> I look back at all of it, I think it really took a toll on the person
> because it made it so that hanging out with me was more of a
> responsibility/chore than just going to get coffee with a friend.
>
> I have a chance to hang out with another sighted person tomorrow. I
> have never hung out with this girl before. I don't want to be
> rebelliously independent or be a pain/make it an unpleasant experience
> with my display of independence but I don't want it to be like it used
> to where this girl has to do everything for me, pick me up, take me
> home, guide me...everything.
>
> We are planning to go to out to eat and to a movie.
>
> I have already offered to meet her there, but she says she does not
> mind picking me up at all so if it's truly no inconvience to her I may
> let her.
>
> But, once we get to the restaurant and then later to hte movies do I
> follow her and use my cane or let her guide me?
>
> How do I handle this with my mother?
>
> As I sadid before it's certainly easier to take an arm but if I do it
> all the time I never learn to use my cane.
>
> I want to do what's age-appropriate. I am 22...so do I think of it as
> "Would a sighted 22-year-old follow this person or would they take an
> arm?"
>
> I am not one of those people who just does what the NFB says all the
> time...but cane travel and independent travel is very important to me
> and I want to become as good and efficient with it as possible. While
> I believe guiding is good in some situations I want to be careful and
> use it sparingly!
>
> Thanks!
> Kerri
>
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