[nabs-l] Questions regarding transition to cane use

[Ashley Bramlett]

Ashley,
Welcome to the list. What's your major? I'm Ashley as well and I graduated a 
few years ago from Marymount university with a BA degree in liberal studies; 
I also went back to school for a writing certificate through the community 
college because I wanted more education as the economy wasn't right for jobs 
and I could use more education about writing for business.

I also grew up visually impaired with nystagmus as one of my problems but my 
vision is stable. In childhood I used a cane although I was in elementary 
school before it was introduced to me. My restricted field of vision made it 
unsafe for me to just rely on vision only and fortunately professionals 
realized this all be it a little late though. I was glad to learn blindness 
skills  because it was helpful and many low vision students don't get these 
services.

Anyway, I hope you can use  audio books in college because reading all that 
small print, even magnified, will take forever, and it will be fatiguing 
especially if the nystagmus kicks in. If you do not already have it, I 
suggest signing up for Learning ally, a source of audio texts and novels, 
that you can get many of your books through. They are readable on your 
computer or  a portable player through Humanware if you buy that or even 
readable on some smart phones

Anyway to your question.
Yes, I'd suggest using a cane. You don't have to tell the school disability 
office til you start using it if you tell them at all. This decision
has no baring on class accomodations and how you perform in school. So 
really, disability services has no say in your choice to use a mobility aid.
You probably want to walk familiar areas with it first such as your 
neighborhood if it has sidewalks.
You should also get training from an orientation and mobility, O&M, 
specialist too.
State services should be able to help with that. However, budgets are being 
cut back, so you might be on a waiting list for services.
If this is the case, you might see if there is a blindness nonprofit in the 
area. There are many lighthouses for the blind providing services.
Some examples of nonprofits are these.  In MA, there is the carroll center. 
In Ohio, there's cleveland sight center. In NC, there is the Metrolina 
association for the blind and in GA there is a handful of places such as the 
GA center for the visually impaired and the savanna association for the 
blind.

As you use the cane, or even without it, try and pay more attention to other 
senses. You can get clues about the environment by the scents in the air.
You can use textures as well. Slopes may also be clues. Tactile landmarks 
might be things like utility poles, driveways or the absence or presence of 
a grassline by the sidewalk.
I sure hope you can get O&M because a good instructor will help you learn 
cane skills and travel safely.
NFB believes in training students nonvisually with sleepshades at their 
centers; they think that removing the distraction of vision may aid in 
training the other senses.
Most O&M instructors will train you using your residual vision. I think 
there's benefits to both approaches.
It depends on what you are ready for. Your O&M instructor will combine all 
clues and landmarks to help you get around using all senses. You will use 
the feedback from the cane to find drop offs and texture changes. You can 
use your vision to spot large landmarks. If you need to stay oriented, 
having a mental map in your head of the layout should help. You can 
associate places with locations; for instance, if you come to a Mcdonalds, 
you are at a certain intersection.
You could probably benefit from using something to magnify signs such as a 
monocular.
A low vision specialist, which is an optometrist specializing in low vision, 
may be able to recommend such devices.
BTW, my vision was so restricted that magnification to travel did not help 
me, but you have much more vision, so it may help you.
You might also try having a map to help with orientation. You can enlarge 
them on copy machines or print them in larger font from a pc.

Good luck.

Ashley

-----Original Message----- 
From: Ashley Allen
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2013 9:36 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nabs-l] Questions regarding transition to cane use

Hi all!

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Ashley. I am new to this
group and am a  university student this year after transferring from
community college. I have nystagmus and have severe strabismic amblyopia. I
still have a decent amount of usable vision, but it is steadily getting
worse. I am legally blind in my left, and nearing so in my right. My
opthamologist has brought up the possibility of cane usage recently as I am
steadily losing my usable vision. I am currently still able to drive, with
restrictions, and commute to campus. He's suggested this so that I may
familiarize myself with cane use and to identify myself while on campus...I
tend to get very lost as I have trouble seeing the tiny signs...

Does anyone have any thoughts? Is this appropriate as I can still drive?
What are peoples thoughts on transitioning to cane use mid semester?

I havent brought it up with my disability services on campus yet, as I want
to visit the state resources first, but any thoughts would be appreciated.

Ashley
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