[nabs-l] Extensive Cane Travel During the Summer

[Ashley Bramlett]

Hi Andy,

I also struggle with my travel abilities due to spatial deficits. I have a 
hard time picturing my surroundings once I traveled through them; this 
mental mapping thing is very hard for me. I easily get lost too.

If you have specific questions about environments, I and others may be able 
to help you. I really struggle with reversing routes. but what helped me was 
this; note, I learned this on my own from experience. First as I walk to my 
destination, I notice the landmarks and sounds and in my case colors, since 
I have some vision, near my destination. This landmark and cues will be the 
first thing I will encounter as I reverse a route. if its in a building, it 
is likely a room number. Odds and evens are on separate sides of a hall. So 
if I'm in 113, then room 111 will be the room before it which I'll pass when 
I reverse a route.
Second, I notice where people are walking and often in a building like after 
a class, they are walking to the upstairs like me; so this is a clue to 
orient me. Third, if my route involves walking upstairs to reverse it, I 
listen for the door opening and closing and people going up the steps which 
often makes an echo like sound.

HTH,
Ashley


-----Original Message----- 
From: Andy
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 6:26 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nabs-l] Extensive Cane Travel During the Summer

All,
I'm a college student (freshman) and I've been blind since birth.
Unfortunately throughout the years, my mobility/cane travel
instruction has been sporadic, at best.  I'm finding that I lack a lot
of skills: I have a lot of difficulty crossing streets, for example,
and don't really even know basic traffic patterns.  I find that I get
lost a lot, and in general I just really need a great deal of
instruction for mobility.  To get around now, as much as it pains me
to say it, I get a lot of help.

I'm looking to rectify this situation.  As I'm in college, I really
would prefer to not take a semester off, so some sort of summer
training program would be enormously helpful.  I already know braille,
computers, etc – really all I need is mobility, and if possible, basic
cooking, housekeeping, etc.  I did some research, but all I could find
were camps, college prep programs, etc, which isn't what I'm looking
for.

If anyone has any suggestions on what might be out there during the
summer for training, please let me know.
Thanks.

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