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

Thu May 13 18:54:06 UTC 2010

Hi, Kerri,
  Thanks for the update; I'm glad your outing went well. You bring
many great questions and thoughts to the list, and i look forward to
hearing more about your experiences in the future. Best of luck with
your upcoming cane travel adventures!
   Katie

On 5/13/10, Antonio M. Guimaraes Jr. <freethaught at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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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