[nagdu] First cane walk!

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Sun Jun 20 04:15:19 UTC 2010


I like roller ball tips for rough country sidewalks, especially for
learning, because you keep constant contact...  Now I prefer my lighter NFB
cane, although I still have a bunch of roller ball tips of varying sizes for
different terrains.  They're still a bit too heavy to use without setting
off the tendinitis, though, so I use a slightly shorter straight NFB cane.
Well, mostly I use the 4-legged curly black cane and just cary a fold up
cane or telescoping cane for when she's running at the dog park.  /smiel/
Then I mostly use the cane to keep from running into trees and picknic
tables and just maintain balance and pay attention to what's happening under
my feet so I don't get hurt when I step in a hole.  Exhausting, but the
poodle's gotta fun.  /grin/

If the sidewalks are really, really lousy, a larger roller ball does work.
It's big an awkward and adds a bit of weight, but it does save on tummy
jabs.  As I recall, it gave a bit more sound feedback for when I was
learning to use that.  Hm...  

Gail, you might want to consider a sturdier white cane -- I still have some
of my old Ambutechs that I started on.  If you're having balance issues, a
cane you can also use for balance is a real help...  I haven't tried
catching myself with the straight carbon fiber NFB cane, but I don't intend
to.  /smile/  The graphite ambutechs are relatively light and seem to hold
up pretty well.  Then again, it was one of those that I tripped over and
broke myself.  Cause I am just that graceful.  /grin/

Congratulations and keep up the good work.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie J
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 1:33 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] First cane walk!

Gail,

*big smiles*  I'm so proud of you!  You are the awesome!

No clue about the roller tips.  I use the metal sort, but I usually only 
touch the cane to either side of me using the two point touch technique. 
The cane will get stuck on cracks sometimes, that's just the way of things. 
Lowering the angle of the cane can help and getting it up off the ground an 
inch or so can too.

Knowing I'm at a curb is a combination of things for me, the slant of the 
ground, sometimes there is a textured thingy, sometimes the sidewalk flares 
out, sometimes I'll check one side to see if there's a curb, listening to 
the traffic, or listening for a more open space.  I always listen for 
traffic as I'm going and honestly sometimes I do miss that I was at a curb 
and don't catch on until I notice the incline change.  Streets are higher in

the middle so that water runs to the edges at least on flat streets.  If 
your on a hill it will be a bit different.  Keep practicing your on the 
right track!

Julie



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gail" <deerskin at oct.net>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 2:14 PM
Subject: [nagdu] First cane walk!


> Hello all!
>
> I did it- sort of! Just went out with my long cane for the first time, for

> a
> walk up to the corner and back. I was wearing my Cocoon sunglasses, but 
> they
> are just good sunglasses, not blocking like sleepshades. And I have to say

> I
> felt a lot safer, reaching out ahead of me like that, rather than creeping
> along with both crutches, using the left to check out things as I have had
> to do. The only thing I didnt like was that the cane has a flat metal tip
> that scrapes, rattles and catches on everything, even the small line dents
> they put on side walks for each square of concrete. So I would have 
> several
> free steps then *BONK*, dead stop on one of those nothing cracks! Of 
> course
> it showed me well the important cracks, dead bushes sticking out-took me a
> few moments to figure out what had caught and tangled it, never had that
> kind of thing stop me on a walk before with my dogs!- but once untangled, 
> I
> was trundling merrily along again. Went up to the corner, and was trying 
> to
> figure out what would show me I was AT the corner. It has a curb cut, and 
> is
> straight in line with the line of travel, so I have to think of how to 
> know
> its there, with other corners in town.
>
> But that was SO cool- instead of creeping, I was able to walk much faster
> than I have been in a couple years!
> Have a question- should I change to a rollerball tip? Does it give as much
> information, without catching on things like normal sidewalk lines? And 
> what
> size would fit the free canes that the NFB gives out? I've found good 
> prices
> on tips on Amazon, but dont know what size to choose.
>
> Gail
>
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