[nabs-l] navigating in crowds and open spaces

Mon Sep 6 23:01:32 UTC 2010

Hi all,

Sometimes in a large crowd, there will be places where the noise is
particularly intense and other points where it is relatively quiet.
You might be able to use these sound changes as landmarks, as well as
more specific sounds such as music coming from speakers.

I find using the sun for cardinal directions to be very helpful in
open spaces. Typically the sun is coming from the east in the morning,
from the south around midday and from the west in the afternoon. Even
if you don't know which cardinal direction you want to be going, you
can use any changes in the sun's position as a cue that you've
accidentally turned. Unfortunately this only works when the sun is out
and not hidden by clouds.

I have trouble with quads also, but I do find it helpful to identify
tactile landmarks for the particular sidewalk I want. For example, I
know the major east/west sidewalk on my campus that goes from the
psychology building to the west side of campus has a steep uphill
incline at the beginning, so once I find the incline, I know I am
going the right way.

Finally, when exiting a parking lot, you can often listen for traffic
from a busy street bordering the parking lot, and use that as an
object to orient toward. I used to be scared of walking out of a
parking lot toward busy traffic. However, I discovered that there will
be an obvious transition between the parking lot and the busy
street,such as a curb or incline, or at least a significant texture
change.

Arielle

On 9/4/10, Ashley  Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Darian,
> Thanks.  There's many ideas to this.
> Traveling indoors such as a mall or
> airport probably is easier for most of us because there's lots of people to
> ask and some of them may be traveling in the same direction as you.  Also
> its my experience that indoors has more landmarks since its a defined space
> with walls.
>
> But outside you may just have concrete all around you or asfault if its a
> parking lot.  When at George Mason University the quad area where students
> gather for speakers or informally to chat is an example of an open space.
> Branching off it are sidewalks going to various buildings.  On one side is
> the Johnson center which is a kind of student union and multi purpose
> facility.  I'm not a student there now but do remember the layout and how
> frustrating it could be.
> All you could feel with the cane were bricks on the ground.  You could hear
> echos depending on where you were in this space but it wasn't too helpful.
> How do you maintain a straight line of travel without veering?
> Sometimes a crack in the sidewalk can help.  But often its hard to find
> anything to maintain a line of travel.
>
> Lookforward to others responses.
>
> Ashley
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Darian Smith" <dsmithnfb at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, September 04, 2010 9:45 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] navigating in crowds and open spaces
>
>
> Ashley and list
>   I’ll first speak to cane  technique.  If I’m in a crowd, I use
> pencil  grip because it’s  best for insuring that you don’t trip
> people, you don’t get your cane broken, and I find that you only are
> going to  need to know what’s a foot or so ahead of you if even that
> much as you are not traveling very fast anyway.
>  In open  spaces I use  an open palm grip (assuming  that the cane in
> use is a long white cane)I find  that by wrapping my hand around the
> handle of the cane with my palm facing skywardas the technique is
> utilized, will allow me to use the lenth of my cane and pick up
> objects around me and travel at my natural pace.
> As  orientating goes, If I am looking for something I might ask  for
> directions,.  If I am in a mall, or airportor something like that, I
> mayalso ask if there is a landmarknear my desired location (“ is there
> a  restaurantor some other type of land mark near the restroom?” “or
> if I find pete’s  Coffie, have I gone too far past the rest room?”)
> If I’m not sure and I think I’m near the area, I can  ask  another
> personif I am going the right direction by repeting the initial
> question I probably asked at first “excuse me, I am looking for the
> rest room. Might I be going in the right direction?” or “is it this
> way?” and point in the direction that I think it may be.
>  I think you have the right idea as it relates to using echoes and
> tactal landmarks.
>  I think there are probably ten or twenty different ways people may go
> about it and I am interested to hear what folks have to saytoo!
>   Darian
>
>
> On 9/4/10, bookwormahb at earthlink.net <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I have a similar question to Kerri's.
>> I grew up with O&M service since elementary school and got some through
>> the
>> Dept for the blind here.  But still struggle with some areas of O&M.
>>
>> How do you navigate crowds?  For instance a crowd gathering for a picnic
>> or
>> event.  Its noisy and I can't use hearing as usual to navigate.  What
>> about
>> crowded vacinities such as a mall or train station?  Do you just ask for
>> directions and navigate best you can?  In my experience tactile landmarks
>> may or may not be touchable in a crowd because people are all around them.
>> How do you hold your cane in a crowd?
>>
>> Next question concerns open spaces.  I have tunnel vision but cannot
>> always
>> use it depending on lighting.  I also want to give suggestions to my
>> friends
>> who are more blind then me.
>> What tips can you share for open spaces where there may not be something
>> to
>> shoreline with your cane?  I use my vision if available, tactile landmarks
>> and echos.
>> Sometimes where you're walking may be away from or toward a smell which is
>> helpful.  How do you maintain a straight line of travel?  Its so easy to
>> get
>> turned around.
>> Echos only seem to help when I'm near enough to the building.  Open spaces
>> such as the campus quad or some parts of a mall are examples of open
>> spaces
>> like this.  Unfortunately some blind people I've talked to believe open
>> spaces including parking lots are places to avoid.  That stems from low
>> expectations and just not knowing the alternative techniques others use.
>>
>> Look forward to your responses.
>>
>> Ashley
>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> --
> Darian Smith
> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
>
>
> “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are
> spiritual beings having a human experience.” - Teilhard de Chardin
>
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-- 
Arielle Silverman
President, National Association of Blind Students
Phone:  602-502-2255
Email:
nabs.president at gmail.com
Website:
www.nabslink.org