[nabs-l] NFB and canes and travel

Carly Mihalakis via nabs-l nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Wed May 14 20:38:52 UTC 2014


Good afternoon, Kirt,

         I'm no Federationist although i do use 
the NFB stick as well as the NFB tips but, you 
are describing my cane habits pretty completely. 
I too am one who slides from grip to grip and 
from technique to technique according to the 
dictates of the situation. After all, there isn't 
a single style or technique that is universally applicable, 'sfar as I know.
And, open palm technique is great!
for today, Car

:30 PM 1/19/2014, Kirt wrote:
>Pat, While open palm can certainly be a bit 
>awkward at first I think the principle of it 
>would make more sense once you see just how line 
>these straight canes are, in addition to the 
>handles/Grits being completely different. My 
>personal opinion is that, while constant contact 
>might give you A whole bunch of extra 
>information, certainly useful sometimes, The 
>echo I get from tapping my cane is usually more 
>important to me. I typically use a slide touch 
>technique where I will tap my cane on the left 
>side of my arc, then do more or less constant 
>contact until the right side of my arc, then 
>bring it back to my left where I again tap
 I've 
>done it enough where I don't even think  about 
>it anymore and can go to either two-point touch 
>or constant contact exclusively if it ever seems 
>needed
 tthough Cindy's example of finding light 
>rail tracks is the only situation which I 
>regularly deal with where I pretty much use 
>constant contact exclusively. I think that's an 
>accurate statement, anyhow, I usually just do 
>what seems natural to me at the time without 
>thinking about it too much. Best, Kirt Sent from 
>my iPhone > On Jan 19, 2014, at 6:17 PM, Patrick 
>Bennet <patrick.bennet807 at gmail.com> wrote: > > 
>Thank you for all the nice responses, everyone. 
>I find this > fascinating. I've been looking 
>more at the NFB website and reading the > 
>monthly newsletter. I must admit I've never 
>given this any real > thought before. I've never 
>found the cane I use heavy or bothersome, > but 
>then again it's all I've ever really known. 
>Until I started > reading about it I didn't know 
>people had preferences or that there > were 
>different types and styles. The philosophy 
>component is different > than what I'm used to. 
>I've never thought about hiding my blindness 
>or > anything like that, but I've never looked 
>at the cane as anything more > than a useful 
>tool that simply gives me information. > > The 
>light weight of your cane seems like a definite 
>advantage here. I > don't really understand the 
>advantage of the two point touch, though. > I 
>guess logically, it seems that you get more 
>information by sliding > and/or would miss 
>information in front of you if the cane only 
>touches > down at two points instead of 
>constantly keeping contact with the > ground. My 
>gut reaction to some of your thoughts on small 
>cars, > classrooms and restaurants is that a 
>nonfolding cane would indeed be > cumbersome. 
>But maybe that's more of an attitude adjustment 
>than > anything. If it's free, why not try it? I 
>can only learn something > new, right? > > I 
>also don't really understand the palm-up 
>technique. I just tried > gripping my cane with 
>my palm facing the sky and it felt really odd. 
>I > had trouble figuring out how to swing and 
>move it, although again that > might just be 
>because I've never used it before. > > Thanks, > 
>Pat > >> On 1/19/14, Cindy Bennett 
><clb5590 at gmail.com> wrote: >> 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 ffound 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 >> >> 
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