[nagdu] Leader's Accelerated mobility program

[PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC)]

Brenda, 
I'd suggest you go witha longer cane, you will pick up more that way. Get one as tall as you are. 
Also, try a fat tip like a marshmellow. 
You don't want a shorter cane. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brenda
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:28 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Leader's Accelerated mobility program

Hi Tracy

Yep, I'm the one that went to Leader for the AMP program because of the 
minimal mobility training my State provided.  now is a good time for me 
to get my mobility down solid.  I do feel it is very hard for me as I 
have some remaining vision. It was hard to ask for help because I often 
am treated like I don't need it even though I really do benefit from a 
cane and some day a guide dog.

I learned a lot at leader.  I needed concentrated practice crossing busy 
streets, and I got that.  I still catch my cane a lot, and I felt they 
did not address that well - they just said it takes time.  I was told to 
pay more attention to what my cane was saying but that is hard when it 
catches all the time.  I'm going to purchase a slightly shorter cane and 
experiment with the different tips I have from the 2 canes I currently 
have.  My mobility instructor from my state was good, he just was not 
allotted funds/time to give me much training.  I am now combining all 
the tips from the state-supplied instructor and leader to travel safely 
and efficiently.  Kind of like a 12-step group - take what you want and 
leave the rest.

At Leader we also did a guide dog experience.  it was okay.  I walked 
with a small dog and the trainer said right away the harness handle was 
     too short and the dog walked slower than my pace. I had issues with 
balance and I was trying so hard not to lead the dog which was hard with 
this slow-walking guide. I did not want them to think I had too much 
usuable vision for a dog.   It was a good experience and I will get a 
guide when my pet passes on.  I realize this was just a brief 
introduction to using a guide.  As I was the last person to go out (all 
the totally blind were taken out first) and the miss match, I did wonder 
if I was just an afterthought.
There was a thread recently about letting someone else use your guide.  
If I had the opportunity, I would ask someone to allow me
to have another guiding experience with them present of course.

Besides the badly needed traffic training I got the Kapten.  This device 
would have been helpful for me all my life as a high partial.  I still 
have nightmares of being lost and wondering around trying to find my 
way.  My trips were always longer because i could not read street 
signs.  The main thing is I have the Kapten now.

I sure hope the word about the kapten gets out to high partials who are 
often left out because they are expected to be able to see.  Growing up, 
all the attention, information etc went to blind students/campers, etc., 
leaving high partials in the dark.  Wwe were never given the 
opportunities and struggled to live in the sighted world with very 
limited vision and no adaptive strategies - we could not accept who we 
were as high partials.

I really needed and benefited from leader's Accelerated Mobility 
training (AMP).  I still do have usable vision to walk a straight line, 
but I think somehow it is because I use my cane.  When i was a high 
partial someone said I walked crooked lines but now that I use a cane I 
walk straighter.  I still feel like my vision puts me in limbo.  I know 
a cane and a guide dog will help me, but I don't think the instructors 
think I need the help.  Hopefully the guide dog school I choose will 
agree with me.

I am glad to see the leader AMP program there for those of us that never 
got the chance of having mobility training which of course you need 
before you can get a guide dog.  I think many low partials could benefit 
from leader's AMP program.

Brenda


Brenda



On 5/25/2011 8:26 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
> Hi Brenda.
> Are you the person who was having trouble getting cane training from your
> state, and so decided to go to Leader's cane program?  Did you get what
> you needed from it?  I'd be interested to hear your impressions, and I'm
> sure others would, too.  There are too many people who can't get the
> assistance they should from their states, and it would be good to know
> about other options.
> Sorry if I'm confusing you with someone else.
> Tracy
>> I went to the accelarated mobility program at Leader this early spring
>> and was given the Kapten.  I love it.  I like to put it in free
>> navigation mode and find out all the streets I cross that I never knew
>> the names of before.  They recommend you update it via the internet and
>> the Kapten's website, but I have never done that.  I suppose if I was
>> going somewhere new I would try to figure that out.  There is also an
>> automobile mode which may be nice for bus travel.
>>
>> Brenda
>
>
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