[nabs-l] NFB and canes and travel

Sun Jan 19 23:17:00 UTC 2014

Hi Pat,

Great questions! I was a huge NFB cane critic, and I refused to use
one until I worked at a camp for blind kids and my folding cane tip
broke. I knew it would be a while before a new one would ship in the
mail, so I resorted to our cane bin of peoples’ old canes which were
all straight. By the time I got my new cane tip, I loved my NFB cane
and returned the tip.

I like NFB canes because they are lighter. Often, when walking for
long distances, my wrist would hurt, and I did not like that. I
thought it was just a side effect of using a cane, but I realized it
was a side effect of using a heavier cane.

I like the awesome feedback I get. The metal tip echoes well and picks
up fine differences in types of ground such as bricks vs concrete,
cracks in the sidewalk, etc.

Although I don’t use constant contact as a main technique, I do a
sweeping motion at a corner after I cross a street to survey it, and I
do not have trouble with this. The cane is lightweight, and I have
developed a method of using my cane where my arm stays flexible, so my
sweeping motion is smooth and doesn’t usually catch. I find that using
a 2 point touch technique is easier for me and gives me the
information I need, and I save the constant technique for when I need
to locate something very hard to define like light rail tracks
imbedded in the street. Furthermore, the cane’s lightweight quality
combined with a flexible usage allows the cane to bend a lot if people
trip over it. A lot of people think that NFB canes break more often,
and they might, but I have found that being relaxed while I use my
cane means it is quite bendable and resilient.

I had the same ideas about storing my NFB cane. I admit that in some
small cars full of people, it can be inconvenient. However, you can
store your cane along the side of the car, along the door, and
similarly beside the fuselage on airplanes. When I go to restaurants,
and if I am asked for my preference, I ask for a booth or a table
along a wall. I do find these types of tables easier for storing
canes. However, if I am at a table in the middle of a restaurant, I
lay it on the floor across the table and it rarely is an
inconvenience. If I am at a table in the middle and I notice a post or
some other structure against which my cane can stand, I will store it
there. When I got to theaters or to classroom settings, I lay my cane
on the floor. I might tell my neighbors that it is there just so they
know, but it is rarely an inconvenience to anyone. I have occasionally
had to ask someone to move their foot or bag to pick up my cane, but
it really hasn’t raised an issue for me. Like cirt said, the benefits
outweigh the negatives for me.

The philosophical component of using a straight cane is this. We don’t
like to hide blindness. We believe that it is respectable to be blind
and that we do not need to “fold it up” and “put blindness away.” In
my personal experience, back when I did not respect myself, I often
folded up my cane as soon as I could. Often, new acquaintances did not
know what my cane was and did not know how to ask questions about it
because it disappeared so often. Furthermore, I associated it with
embarrassment. By using a straight cane, I immediately make it clear
that I am blind. I can’t hide it anymore, and from practicing that, I
have gained more respect for myself, and I have become a lot more
comfortable with answering questions and a lot more confident. My
transition contained a lot more components than switching to straight
canes, but it was one of the most public displays that marked a
positive transition in my life.

I would encourage you to order a free NFB cane from our website,
www.nfb.org. You can get a free one and try it for yourself. When you
start to use it, feel free to ask us questions. At first, you will
think that it is too light and that you are going to drop it
constantly. But I promise that if you stick with it for a week, you
will get more of an idea of whether it works better for you.

I also have ordered a folding NFB cane. I always keep this in my
bookbag. Having a backup cane and backup tips is always smart, and
there are rare occasions like Cirt’s amusement park example in which
bringing your folding cane can be advantageous.

Great to meet you. Too bad you spell your last name incorrectly. :)

Cindy

On 1/19/14, Kirt <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com> wrote:
> Pat,
> I've had lots of experience with both styles of cane and I think it boils
> down entirely too personal preference. I like the rigid NFB cane because it
> is light, it is longer and I really rely on the metal tip, both for the
> increased tactile feedback and for the Way that it echoes off of buildings
> and such when I tap it. That echo is particularly valuable for me,
> Especially in new/unfamiliar places. The biggest downside to this cane is,
> of course, it's inability to folder collapse… but I haven't found this to be
> as big of an issue as some people claim it to be. At most, it's slightly
> annoying every once in a while, and the canes redeeming qualities more than
> make up for that in my book. There are also NFB folding (not telescopic)
> canes which I kind of like every once in a while for those rare occasions,
> like some amusement parks where storage really can become more than a slight
> inconvenience. However, if you're happy with the aluminum cane, and if it
> doesn't hinder your ability to travel wherever you want to go whenever you
> want to go there, I won't tell you Myway would be better for you just
> because it works better for me. However, if that's something you can't do
> efficiently most of the time, or if you are relying on unstable vision to do
> it, I would strongly encourage you to find a good center where you can learn
> structure discovery and at least give th Fiberglas straight cane a try it
> certainly works for me.
> Best,
> Kirte
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Jan 19, 2014, at 1:49 PM, Patrick Bennet <patrick.bennet807 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hey everyone,
>>
>> I just joined the list. I have some questions about cane travel and I
>> hope you might be able to help me with this. Before I ask, I should
>> probably explain.
>>
>> For years I received instruction in O&M through my school district. I
>> was given a folding cane with a standard rolling tip, which seems to
>> be pretty commonly ordered by most agencies and districts. I think
>> they come from a place in Canada .... but don't quote me on that. That
>> is what I've always been used to. They seem decent enough.
>>
>> But, I've read some online literature from the NFB about cane travel,
>> including structured discovery (as opposed to routes) and a different
>> kind of cane you use that is lighter an uses a metal tip. I've also
>> heard about something called a rainshine tip. Maybe they are the same
>> things.
>>
>> Anyway, I've always been taught to hold the cane with the palm of the
>> hand over it, with the index finger pointing down the flat side. This
>> allows the cane with a roller tip to stay on the ground, also called
>> constant contact. Is this not correct? From what I've read on the NFB
>> website, your canes have metal tips, which would seem harder to slide
>> over rough or cracked areas but would give more feedback. I also read
>> somewhere that the grip is supposed to be different. In short, I'm
>> wondering what the differences and advantages are. If so, I'd like to
>> learn more. I've already read that they are lighter. Do you use them
>> or hold them differently with another grip? Can NFB canes take roller
>> tips and use constant contact, and if not, why? Is there really that
>> much of an advantage to a cane that doesn't fold? I'm curious to learn
>> about the differences, because I've never heard about them otherwise.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Pat
>>
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-- 
Cindy Bennett
Secretary: National Association of Blind Students

B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
clb5590 at gmail.com