[nabs-l] Cane as an ID

Thu Mar 14 05:32:25 UTC 2013

Mike,

I have to disagree here.  As one of those partials who elects when to
use and not use a cane, I have a perspective on the issue that you may
not be considering.  Electing when and when not to use a cane is not
always related to a person being insecure with their blindness; some
of the most secure people I know don't use canes all the time.
Furthermore, I don't think people who choose to walk familiar areas
without a cane some times should give up their right to identify
themself as a visually impaired person.  E.G, I would never do any
type of pedestrian travel without a cane or think about crossing a
street without one, and using one at times when I really can't see
like at night or when it's very bright are no brainers, but under
normal conditions when I'm walking from my dorm to the cafeteria right
across the little street which has no traffic at all and I'm coming
right back I don't always choose to actively use it.  My choice to not
use a cane in this instance does not mean I should forfit my right to
identify myself as a visually impaired person because I am; the use of
the cane does not change my inability to read print or to see great
distances and it does not change the fact that I am legally blind and
am identified that way.  It also doesn't change the level of security
I have with my blindness; if a person refuses to use a cane or fights
against it because they're afraid of the social implications then that
is insecurity, but if they're visually having a good day and want to
run a quick errand that's in a very familiar area with minimal travel
or risk of injury and they're confident in their ability to use audio
cues and the vision they have then that is their choice and doesn't
make them insecure with themself or their blindness.  As long as they
have the confidence and security to not be afraid of using it and to
identify and use it when they need to, to be confident and secure
whether they're using a cane or not,  and  don't pose risk to
themselves in the cases where they don't use it there is nothing that
would suggest insecurity.  We don't know the exact visual situation of
anyone on this list unless they've written about it, so I don't think
it is fair to judge about someone's level of security with their
blindness based on their cane habits when we don't know what their
vision is like.

Identity canes have saved me from many embarrassing social situations.
 Of course when you use it it is a more obvious indicator, but I've
had situations when I've been sitting in a classroom or cafeteria with
my cane on my desk and someone will try to get my attention using
something besides my name.  When they see the cane (or sometimes read
National Federation of the Blind on it if they're close enough to see
it) they understand why I might not recognize that they're referring
to me and they'll get my attention in a more obvious way before
getting my name.  Sometimes they ask about the cane which gives me an
opportunity to casually explain my vision in simple terms and then the
person and I can carry on with the conversation because they're
informed and they see that it's not a big deal.

And, I have to make one small correction.  The main market for the
lighter, more compact canes is the precise group of people who may not
use it all the time, and the NFB is obviously aware of this since they
are the ones who originated the telescopic design.  Although I do know
people who are totally blind or only have light perception that use
the telescopic canes they tend to tear through them pretty quickly
because they use them so much.  For someone who may not use the cane
every single day but still would benefit from having an identifier to
let other people know they're visually impaired these canes are great.
 Think of it this way; it would be impractical for someone with mild
hearing loss to always use a hearing aid even when they didn't need
one.  Similarly, if visually a partial is having a good day and can
see well enough to successfully travel, dodging obstacles and not
tripping over anything, then it isn't always necessary to use a cane.
In fact, the correction I really want to make is that choosing to have
an identity cane on-hand is actually a sign of security in my eyes
because even if that person may not need to use it by having one for
people to see they must be okay with their blindness and comfortable
in explaining their visual impairment to others should the question
arise.

On 3/13/13, christopher nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
> Amen, Mike! Yes, the king can be used as an identification tool to
> alert drivers that you are blind. However, this can be a positive
> thing and not a negative one. This is at least true if you use that
> identification tool of the cane as a symbol of independence and not of
> inferiority.
>
> Just my thoughts
>
> Chris Nusbaum
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 13, 2013, at 8:33 PM, Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com> wrote:
>
>> Hamid:
>>
>> With all due respect, it seems to me you're trying to have your cake and
>> eat
>> it, too. ON the one hand, you want all the advantages of being recognized
>> as
>> blind whereas on the other, you don't want to really appear blind or be
>> judged because you do not believe you need a cane. My friend, you can't
>> have
>> it both ways. Why do you even care whether the public considers you blind
>> or
>> not or whether they consider it weird that you might appear to not need a
>> cane? Moreover, aren't you under the tacit assumption that blind persons
>> who
>> use canes travel sufficiently awkwardly that the public knows them as
>> blind
>> whereas you consider that you do not?
>>
>> Seems to me you have some soul-searching to do.
>>
>> We do not have a "blind" id other than the long white cane and most of us
>> would not *want* such a label. It's a short step from such a label to
>> being
>> prohibited from going places or doing things because of the alleged
>> inability of the blind.
>>
>> Grab that white cane, display and use it proudly!
>>
>> Mike Freeman
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Hamid Hamraz
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 3:40 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: [nabs-l] Cane as an ID
>>
>> Dear Folks,
>>
>> It is a couple of months I have been investigating a way to represent my
>> blindness without making a functional use of cane. To be more precise,
>> the
>> target people benefiting are those whose residual sight lets them to walk
>> without the use of a cane and who want to let the other people around
>> them
>> know about their blindness. Carrying a cane is indeed an option. However,
>> I
>> personally think that holding a long cane in my hand without using it and
>> walking perfectly is weird in public. In Germany, they have a special
>> symbol
>> representing this which can be attached anywhere in any size at one's own
>> discretion (and everybody is indeed aware of that). However, there is no
>> such a thing here in US, and setting that up requires time and educating
>> the
>> society about that.
>>
>>
>> My question here is what type of cane I should look for? I need something
>> much smaller just to serve as an ID rather than a functional tool. I
>> appreciate any suggestion.
>>
>> Hamid
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-- 
Kaiti