[nagdu] beginning to use a cane

Lyn Gwizdak linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Wed Dec 21 18:14:05 UTC 2011 

Buddy,
I think this is very true in that some folks would rather have people think 
they are drunk rtather than someone seeing that they are actually visually 
impaired or blind.  That is the stigma of blindness talking!

I remember back in the early 1970s when I moved to Boston and had to travel 
in an urban envirnment on my own.  Previously to that, I was always with 
someone because there was no public transportation at all and I rode 
everywhere in a car.  If I did walk, it was on quiet residential streets 
going to or coming home from school.  There was a shopping center nearby but 
on my side of a very busy street so I never had to cross that.

In Boston, my friends introduced me to a white cane - I had never seen one 
before!  The blind people I grew up with never used canes.  They went 
sighted guide with family members.  At that time I could see quite well 
although I was still legally blind.  I could get around pretty well without 
any travel aids.  But at night, I had NO vision and needed a cane. 
Previously, I NEVER went out at night except for Halloween where I knew the 
neighborhood very well and next to no car traffic.

When I started to use a cane, I did feel very self concious and that I stuck 
out rather than blending in as I did in the past.  I did lose enough vision 
to force the issue when a car almost ran me and my roommate over - her dog 
did a great traffic check!  I felt that I was now in more danger without the 
cane than with it.  With the cane, drivers can see that I had a vision 
problem.  So, I realized that it was time to use the cane and it was good.

AS far as being a bigger target for crime, yeah, this can happen because the 
perp woould know the blind person could never identify them in court or to a 
police officer.  I think we just have to be more cautious and aware of our 
surroundings than most sighted people do.

Prior to cane use, people would think I was an idiot if I made a crossing 
error because I couldn't see the signal - days before audible signals, 
folks!  With the cane, people didn't think this way anymore outright.  They 
most likely thought I was now an idiot BECAUSE I was blind! LOL!

I think that the time someone needs to start using a cane and their 
resistance to it isn't too unlike when a person has to give up their drivers 
license.  The driver gives up freedom and mobility.  the new cane user gives 
up being able to melt into the rest of the crowd without something to make 
him stick out like a sore thumb.

Using a cane is a decision that needs to be made by the person and sometimes 
a person needs a wake up call when they almost get killed.  But I hope that 
most people don't wait to get killed before using a cane!

I did finally do cane travel lessons under blindfold and found it very 
beneficial to allowing my other senses to give me feedback that my eyes 
couldn't give me.  Although I prefer using a dog, I still do use my cane 
regularly - especialy when grocery shopping when I have to wrestle a cart on 
and off the bus and the dog gets in the way.

Merry Christmas and Happy Honakka every one!

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 6:34 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Some one stole my cane !


>I can. There are some people out there, believe it or not, who think it's 
>much preferable to be thought drunk, stoned, rude, slow-witted, or any 
>number of other things, so long as no one thinks that they are blind. After 
>all, if you're blind, you are necessarily less capable, less self-reliant, 
>less independent, less able, and (mostly) less of a human being than if you 
>are not. Better to be thought sighted and [insert any impairing condition] 
>than to be thought of as blind. Much better.
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Dec 20, 2011, at 8:30 AM, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) wrote:
>
>> Can you guys explain?
>> I wa talking to a guy who has RP. He said people think he's drunk. I told 
>> him a cane would solve that problem. He told me he doesn't "need a cane", 
>> which I took to mean he's okay with people thinking he's wasted.
>> Can somebody explain. I don't get it.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf Of Tami Kinney
>> Sent: Monday, December 19, 2011 9:02 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Some one stole my cane !
>>
>> Yeah, I did things kinda that way, too. So long as no one realized I was
>> using it to compensate for tunnel vision and night blindness. Which of
>> course, I did not have because I did *not* have Retinitis Pigmentosa.
>> Denial, much, folks? /lol/
>>
>> Tami
>>
>> On 12/19/2011 04:22 PM, Brenda wrote:
>>> Interesting about using a tree branch. Growing up, we went camping with
>>> my Dad. The first thing I would do would be find a hiking stick. I did
>>> not use it like you would a white cane, but it was still very helpful.
>>> We would hike a lot and my stick would tell me the terrain. Thing is, I
>>> would never have been allowed to use it at home since I had 20/200
>>> vision. Too bad. Brenda
>>>
>>> On 12/19/2011 7:02 PM, Lea williams wrote:
>>>> the thing about using a branch is that the branch is heavier. I did
>>>> this once for a couple of weeks when I left my cane over at a family
>>>> house and they took that long to get it back to me. My arm hurt a lot
>>>> cause a branch is heavier.
>>>> It will work, but I would rather use a broom stick or something. LOL,
>>>> the sight for that one. If you could, you could request a free one
>>>> from the NFB, it is strait, so if this is possible, get one of those
>>>> to use as a back up. I rather have a folding one though. I have a
>>>> small ID one that I use. I love it better than the heavy ones.
>>>>
>>>> On 12/19/11, Dan Weiner<dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net> wrote:
>>>>> Just cut a limb from a tree, it will be just as useful as the average
>>>>> cane,
>>>>> a cane being a stick after all.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dan
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>>> Behalf
>>>>> Of Doug Parisian
>>>>> Sent: Monday, December 19, 2011 5:18 PM
>>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Some one stole my cane !
>>>>>
>>>>> Perhaps a little better choice of friends and/or acquaintances would
>>>>> alleviate the problem?
>>>>>
>>>>> I've had canes run over by cars, tripped over by some mental midget or
>>>>> other, and even attempted leadings by some unfortunate grabbing my
>>>>> stick by
>>>>> it's end but never stolen. Must be the company I keep.
>>>>>
>>>>> Doug: Raising Cain when Able.
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)"<REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
>>>>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
>>>>> Users'"
>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Monday, December 19, 2011 1:53 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Some one stole my cane !
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Maybe the person needed it? I met a family that was new to this
>>>>>> country, had a member that was blind and wanted to know where to get 
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> cane. I'm not sure they knew what a cane was until they saw me using
>>>>>> mine,
>>>>>> thought "What a cool idea" and came over to talk to me. If I'd had
>>>>>> another one on me, I'd have probably given them the one I was using.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> They were hoping/expecting you could just buy one at any store.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And, why not buy a few backup canes that meet your needs? I treat 
>>>>>> canes
>>>>>> like shoes, I have one I use but I also have a few backups that meet 
>>>>>> my
>>>>>> needs, a broken cane serves me no purpose so I don't hang onto them,
>>>>>> just
>>>>>> as I wouldn't hang onto shoes I couldn't wear. Ditto for a cane that 
>>>>>> is
>>>>>> too long, it'd be like hanging onto shoes that were too small.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Since this seems to happen a fair bit to you, can you keep the cane
>>>>>> say in
>>>>>> something you hang onto like apurse? Or just keep the strap around 
>>>>>> your
>>>>>> wrist so you are in contact with it when it isn't in use?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What happened was wrong, I'm just not feeling the outrage the list
>>>>>> seems
>>>>>> to be feeling here.
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>>>> Behalf
>>>>>> Of Brittney N. Mejico
>>>>>> Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2011 6:27 AM
>>>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Some one stole my cane !
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That is really awful who would do such a thing. Hope you get a new 
>>>>>> cain
>>>>>> soon
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Mardi Hadfield
>>>>>> Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 12:59 AM
>>>>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Some one stole my cane !
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi every one, Mardi here. I went Christmas shopping the other day
>>>>>> and some
>>>>>> one stole my white cane.I keep it in a leather holster type of pouch
>>>>>> attached to my wheelchair when I am not using it. It is quite snug
>>>>>> fitting
>>>>>> so it is impossible for it to have fallen out.When I left the store 
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> headed to the bus station,I reached for it so I could get into the
>>>>>> wheelchair bay when I got on the bus. It was not their! I had it when 
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> got
>>>>>> off the bus so it disappeared somewhere between the bus station and 
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> store.The only time I use it when I have my dog with me is getting
>>>>>> on or
>>>>>> off the bus.This is the second time someone has stolen a cane from 
>>>>>> me.
>>>>>> This
>>>>>> is extremely annoying as I can not afford to buy another one until 
>>>>>> next
>>>>>> month.I have an old broken one and a very long NFB cane as a back up.
>>>>>> Today
>>>>>> when I went out to pay a bill,I had to use the very Long NFB cane as
>>>>>> I did
>>>>>> not take the dog with me in Carla's car.This cane would be fine if I
>>>>>> were
>>>>>> walking but is way to long for use with a wheelchair.It also has a
>>>>>> mettle
>>>>>> tip which gets caught in every crevice and pokes me in the face.I 
>>>>>> don't
>>>>>> know why someone would want to steal a blind person's cane??????? 
>>>>>> Fake
>>>>>> service dogs, now fake blind people? What is happening to this world.
>>>>>> Mardi and Shaman
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
>>>>>> http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com
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>>>>> om
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