[nagdu] Leader's Accelerated mobility program

Wed May 25 15:09:33 UTC 2011

Agree with Rebecca. A longer can is probably better. Mine is up to my nose. I'd say at least to your chin. I am a fan of the NFB type canes with the metal glide tips. My wife, on the other hand, prefers the rolling ball tip on a folding Ambutech cane. 
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY

On May 25, 2011, at 10:32 AM, PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC) wrote:

> 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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>> 
> 
> 
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