[nabs-l] Need Some Encouragement/Some Travel Questions...

Tue Nov 26 20:53:22 UTC 2013

Kerri,

Calm down. I have fine hearing, but  I can identify with the mental mapping 
issue.
I'm hoping to work on skills at  some center, but I think I might be a route 
traveler for the most part. What happens with me is that when I turn around, 
for instance 3/4 turn, I have trouble relating where one thing is to 
another. My mental mapping skills are terrible too!
I also have a tough time reversing directions, and I cannot describe how 
frustrating that can be.
I got good service from the department for the blind for mobility; my 
teacher as I grew up was so so traditional and just went through routes; no 
transferable skills such as intersection analysis or how to read a map were 
covered.
She did not encourage exploration either; just walk the route she told me 
and find a location was all we did.
As an adult, my O&M teacher was more progressive  and she believed in blind 
people. She encouraged discovery learning and exploration; she was not 
structured discovery though, just that she used elements of discovery 
learning and guided learning.
She encouraged me to ask directions from the public and taught me how to 
plan routes; she taught me general skills about using the metro system.
Well, I got confident from this style of training. Well, here is my point. I 
also got frustrated about not using my new skills outside  of training.
I live and still do live with protective parents.
Like you, I go travel indoors like the mall, but not outside on city blocks.

Do you live with family? if so, its very understandable that you cannot use 
your skills enough.
All I can say is just have people show you routes and then you can go 
through that yourself.
How is the public transit? Why not take the bus to  a  strip mall area if 
possible? Then you're working on finding stores from the outside.
Can you walk to any neighborhoods where friends live? If so, try this.

I think if people show you routes you'll be okay as long as they're 
descriptive enough.
For the parking lot, why not just get help crossing it as you would a 
street?
I sure hope they taught you how to communicate with  the public. One way is 
with cards that inform people what you need.
Just practice with friends and then go on your own; also get a home based 
O&M instructor from your rehab agency.

Make the most of what you have.

Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: Kerri Kosten
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 3:26 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: [nabs-l] Need Some Encouragement/Some Travel Questions...

Hi Everyone:

I hope it's okay for me to post this. I have debated for a long time
whether to post about this but I feel like everyone else is allowed to
post on topics such as family issues and other things so I figured I'd
post my frustrations.
I really just want some encouragement, and to know whether I am the
only one going through this.
I am totally blind, and in addition to my blindness I have severe
hearing loss. I can hear sounds and can communicate with people and
such, but I can't tell which direction sounds are coming from.
Basically, my hearing really affects my travel.
Last year, I graduated from the Louisiana Center for The Blind. I
really enjoyed it, and I really enjoyed cane travel class. I enjoy
using my cane and traveling.
Anyway, because of my hearing loss, and the fact I am not that great
at mental mapping, I did a lot of routes in training. My instructor
told me when I returned home if someone (anyone) showed me where to go
around my area I'd be okay.
To make a long story short, I returned home and things didn't happen
as they were supposed to.
I guess I just feel frustrated because I don't feel like I get to use
my cane that much. Sure, I can go to the mall, or a game or somewhere
indoors and to get directions from people but where I am not getting
much practice is outdoors like walking from city block to block and
crossing streets.
Another thing that frustrates me is when I do finally get someone to
show me something I love it because I get to really use my cane and
then I have to wait a week or more to be able to go out there again.
For example, there is a Dollar General store located across the street
from me. The problem is first though that this particular street is
extremely busy. I am unable to cross busy streets or lighted
intersections without assistance because of my hearing loss. I
arranged for someone to help me cross the street. However, I forgot
one thing. This dollar general has a huge parking lot that is open and
has no landmarks and I can't hear the echos from the building.
I had a friend on Saturday walk with me to the dollar General just to
try to map it out and see how big the parking lot was. With this
friend, I was able to use my braille compass, and work on mental
mapping and such just like I was taught in training. Well, my friend
can't help me again for another week or so.
I just wish I got to work on the things such as using my braille
compass, and mental mapping, and really using my cane like I was in
training more often. It really brings me down when I get to do this
type of thing for a day, and then I can't do it for another week or
more.
I guess I just wondered am I the only one in this situation?
I know on this list nobody else likely has hearing loss but is there
anyone else who doesn't get to go out and travel much?
Have any of you been to training and then afterwords not really been
able to do as much afterwords?
Is anybody else on this list also a route traveler or who has to stick
primarily to someone showing them where something is first?
Does anyone on here have to use a local mobility instructor to show
them where things are? If so, what was your experience?
As I said, I hope it's okay for me to post this. I usually try not to
post rants, or negative threads, but I just feel
frustrated/discouraged sometimes because I feel like I am the only
one. It seems like everyone else who graduates from NFB centers are
able to get right out there and travel completely independently
without having to depend on anyone to show them anything. Everyone
around here is sighted, and so drives, and I guess sometimes I just
feel like I am the only one who struggles with travel. I feel like
with sighted people they don't have to be shown anything, or are
limited in where they can drive. It seems like everyone else who
graduates from NFB centers are able to just use their hearing to
travel everywhere. I guess sometimes I just feel
frustrated/discouraged because I feel like I am the only one and so
wondered if others were also in a similar situation where you struggle
with travel or don't get to get out there and use your cane that much.
Thanks, and this is the only negative post from me I promise!,
Kerri

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