[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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