[nagdu] Telescoping canes

Linda Gwizdak linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Sat Dec 5 21:08:31 UTC 2009


Ann,
I forgot to ask - does Panda hang around the classroom with you and the 
kids. Or do you use a cane to go to work and leave the mini horse at home?

Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ann Edie" <annedie at nycap.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 12:19 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Telescoping canes


> Hi, All,
>
> When my first guide dog got ill and then died while still in service (at 
> age 11), I was teaching in a high school and walking to and from school 
> each day.  I began using an NFB telescoping cane full-time at that time. 
> I liked the sleek design and light weight of it.  When collapsed, it 
> looked like a white police night stick or a designer flashlight.  However, 
> I found that it did tend to collapse at inconvenient times, like in the 
> middle of a street crossing if it hit a crack or bump in the pavement, and 
> that this happened even if I had given each segment a twist when opening 
> it.  On the other hand, two of the segments would sometimes fuse together 
> and refuse to collapse at all, which made it difficult to stow away.
>
> But the major disadvantage of the telescoping cane that I found was that 
> it did not stand up well to the weight of 200-pound high school boys who 
> always seemed to either be walking backwards down the high school 
> corridors yelling something to their friends down the hall, oblivious to 
> what was behind them, or who thought it was fun to jump over the white 
> stick instead of walking around the blind teacher.  As a result of these 
> travel conditions, I had several shattered telescoping canes within a 
> short period of time.  And since they do shatter into dangerously sharp 
> shards, rather than simply bending like an aluminum cane usually does, I 
> soon gave up on the telescoping canes and switched to the old reliable 
> aluminum folding models.
>
> I agree with the NFB that the "feel" of the lightweight straight cane is 
> probably the most clear and distinct, and that it is therefore probably 
> the best cane for gaining information about the travel environment. 
> However, I do not think that it is necessary to exclusively use a long, 
> straight, white cane in order to demonstrate one's acceptance of 
> blindness.  There are certainly circumstances in which a telescoping or 
> folding cane is more suitable.  I'm glad to see that the NFB is flexible 
> enough to be selling other types of canes besides the straight canes.
>
> I currently work with a number of preschool and early school age children 
> in classroom and daycare settings where there are many children present, 
> both children with disabilities and those without disabilities, and I 
> spend most of my time either on the floor playing with them or sitting at 
> child-sized tables working with my little students.  There is no corner 
> where I could leave a straight cane where some curious child would not 
> walk off with it to use as a spear or sword in a game of soldiers or 
> knights, putting his classmates at great risk of injury.  Besides, I need 
> the cane for moving about the classrooms with their many toys and children 
> strewn across the floor.  If I used a straight cane and laid it on the 
> floor whenever I sat down, the little ones would be tripping over it and 
> trying to pry it out from under me.  So I use a folding cane, and every 
> time I sit down somewhere, I fold it up and place it under some part of my 
> body because if I don't maintain contact with it, someone will assume it 
> is just one of the toys and walk off with it.  Despite the fact that I 
> fold and unfold my cane many times a day, the elastic seems to hold up 
> pretty well, and I have only had to replace the elastic a couple of times, 
> which is much easier and less expensive than replacing a shattered 
> telescoping cane.
>
> When I worked with my 3 guide dogs, and now when I travel with my 
> miniature horse guide, I still carry a folding cane in my backpack, just 
> in case I might want to use it for any number of reasons.
>
> My canes have definitely become longer over the years that I have been 
> using them, and I definitely prefer a longer cane.  When I was first 
> instructed on the use of the white mobility cane in the early 1980's, the 
> standard was still for a cane which only came up to the user's mid chest. 
> I now use a cane which comes up to my chin at least, if not up to my nose.
>
> It's nice to have options to experiment with--and we haven't even touched 
> on the subject of the many types of cane tips out there!  For myself, the 
> traditional straight cane tip seems to be the most practical and 
> long-lasting.
>
> Thanks for the discussion of this interesting topic.
>
> Best,
> Ann
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 9:05 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] Telescoping canes
>
>
>> The NFB stgore sells telescoping canes in a whole range of lengths.
>> Independent Living Aids sells the little cane Tami was talking about,
>> which is very short, but would suffice in a pinch and is very convenient
>> to carry around as a backup.
>>
>> I carry a telescoping cane in my backpack in case of emergencies or
>> whatever.  I like them for situations where I need the cane to get small,
>> but I find that they sometimes telescope when I don't want them to, like
>> when they hit a crack in the sidewalk.  The trick is to twist the parts a
>> little bit when the cane is extended, which helps the thing not to
>> collapse unexpectedly, though it still can sometimes.
>> For that reason, if I am not concerned about the size of my cane when I'm
>> sitting around, I prefer a straight cane.
>> The telescoping cane is a lot less bulky than the folding cane.  But my
>> husband has a very sturdy folding cane, which he prefers.  He likes it
>> because it's really sturdy, for when people step on it. For me though,
>> it's too heavy.
>> HTH.
>> Tracy
>>
>>> I keep hearing about these telescope canes. I have a solid one I got
>>> through
>>> the nfb and another one which I think you described a thinner one I use
>>> for
>>> formal events and such. Then I have another one which folds up into 4
>>> pieces
>>> and has an elastic cord running through it.  I am curious about the
>>> telescope cane I keep hearing about. Tell me where I might be able to 
>>> find
>>> one please?
>>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>>> CEO/Founder
>>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>>> New York, New York  10004
>>> www.myblindspot.org
>>> PH: 917-553-0347
>>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who 
>>> is
>>> doing it."
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
>>> Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 8:27 PM
>>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>>>
>>> Rebecca,
>>>
>>> You raise really great points.  It's easy to get caught up in the reason
>>> why
>>> to chose a guide dog.  But it gives a good perspective to hear a guide 
>>> dog
>>> user's reasons why she chose *not* to have a guide dog again.
>>>
>>> I can really see how a cane would be more useful in the situations you
>>> describe.  Even without a squirming, stinky toddler, there have been a
>>> couple of times I wished I had a cane to hand to find out what the heck 
>>> is
>>> all around me.  /smile/  My telescoping cane sort of blew up and no 
>>> longer
>>> telescopes, and it was a while before I got a new identity cane -- this 
>>> is
>>> a
>>> tiny, skinny folding cane, very light and fragile, but it does fit in my
>>> pocket or purse.  Only when it's in my current purse, which carries a
>>> bunch
>>> of junk but is totally impractically for someone with her other hand 
>>> full
>>> (I
>>> can't carry on my dog shoulder because it falls off and bonks the poor
>>> dog),
>>> I can't just whip it out to use to investigate!  Usually where I start
>>> feeling a bit lost and confused is public restrooms, where I really 
>>> don't
>>> want to touch anything to find what it is Mitzi is showing me. 
>>> /shudder/
>>>
>>> We will not talk about the porta potty incident.  I am still grossed 
>>> out!
>>> And I made it a point to stop procrastinating getting a "pocket cane."
>>> /grin/
>>>
>>> Thanks for sharing.
>>>
>>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (IS)
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 9:34 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>>>
>>>
>>> Thank you Meghan.
>>> A couple other things which I failed to leave out of my earlier post.
>>> I found that when I was using a dog, people expected the dog to just
>>> know things. For example, I wanted a high chair for my daughter and when
>>> I asked for assistance, the question was "Can't your dog find one"? She
>>> could find chairs, but she couldn't distinguish between a high chair and
>>> a big person chair. So, no, in this case, she couldn't do the task I
>>> asked of her. When I used my cane, people were happy to help. The same
>>> thing was true of diaper changing facilities. Some places have changing
>>> tables in the rest rooms, some places hve tables that come down from the
>>> wall, and some have nothing. Other places have "diaper changing areas".
>>> My dog couldn't find the tables that fold out of the wall, and she
>>> treated the kind that are standing like counters. I find changing a
>>> diaper on the floor extremely painful and prefer to use a surface when
>>> possible, though I also want to use the right surface if one is present.
>>> The general attitude seemed to be "Won't the dog find what you need?" I
>>> even had someone ask me once, when my daughter was having a red-zone
>>> tantrum once "Why won't the dog calm her down"?
>>> With a cane, I get none of this. People are willing to show me things,
>>> sometimes a little too much, but at least they have the right attitude
>>> even if it may be for the wrong reasons. And, wrong reasons don't much
>>> matter when you've got a squirming kid with a poopie diaper stinking up
>>> the joint.
>>> The other thing is that you cannot ever leave a child alone. So if I got
>>> into a situation where I had to decide which one I was going to take, it
>>> was always the kid. I can remember once trying to get ready to go
>>> someplace, my daughter was fussy, it was pouring down rain, and I just
>>> couldn't deal with putting her down, getting my coat on, taking the dog
>>> out to go park, and then getting my daughter ready. I'd already gotten
>>> wet once taking the dog out at her regularly scheduled park break which
>>> was about an hour before we were to head out, I didn't think she would
>>> use the bathroom, and I simply didn't have it in me to take her out
>>> again for an event that was unlikely to happen.  So, I left the dog home
>>> and used my cane. Leaving my daughter home and taking the dog was not an
>>> option legally or morally. We can debate all day if I morally was in the
>>> right with regard to the dog, but I didn't do anything illegal. I left
>>> water for her, I'd be home soon and she'd had a chance to go park.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Finally, it's physically easier to use a cane with my daughter. She
>>> likes to stop and look at random things, flowers, trucks, other kids,
>>> lights, and my dog was getting frustrated. She didn't understand why we
>>> didn't keep on moving. She would also get frustrated when I'd use my
>>> hands to look for the forementioned changing tables. She would either
>>> take me to the sink or the toilet, or she'd shut down and be like "Well,
>>> if you don't want me to guide in here, then I just won't guide when
>>> we're done either".I sympathize with the dog's perspective as nobody
>>> likes to feel useless, but I also couldn't deal with it either. It just
>>> took too much out of me.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf Of Meghan Whalen
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 10:25 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog responsibilities
>>>
>>> Thank you for this post.  I can tell a lot of time/thought went into it.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks for sharing your thoughts Bebecca.
>>>
>>> meghan
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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