[nabs-l] Cane as an ID

Wed Mar 13 10:27:49 UTC 2013

Agreed.  I ma an avid cane user, but if not using it won't be a detriment in
a given situation, then you shouldn't.  Sometimes, you just want both hands
free. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti Shelton
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 1:32 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Cane as an ID

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

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