[nagdu] navigating without your cane

[Julie J.]

Jenine,

I can understand the part about getting used to not having the input 
from the cane.  It is very different from a dog.  It does take some 
getting used to the new information you will get from the dog.  However 
taking a cane away without the input from the dog doesn't make sense to 
me.  You won't be getting used to the information you are getting from 
the dog if you aren't working it yet.  You need some sort of information 
from somewhere.

I also don't think taking a cane away is a good test of orientation and 
mobility skills.  I'll use myself as an example.  I am comfortable with 
either dog or cane.  I travel confidently and easily with either.  Of 
course I feel I get more information from a guide and I can get a dog to 
do a lot the cane can't.  Anyway if I have neither dog or cane outside 
of my home, I move about extremely slowly, cautiously and probably look 
like the proverbial Magoo.  It's rather embarrassing really.

Watching me move about without dog or cane would leave a person 
wondering if I should be let out of my house alone, set aside the whole 
issue of what sort of guide dog would best fit my needs.   Perhaps I'm 
in the minority here and others move about easily and comfortably 
without a cane or dog.  I don't know.  It seems that if this was the 
case, though, that there would be a lot of blind folks traveling about 
without a mobility tool of some variety.  Not many do that I know of.

The short story is I'm not comfortable moving about outside of my home 
without a guide dog, cane or sighted guide. Others may feel differently, 
that's okay.   This will be something for me to keep in mind if I do 
decide to attend a guide dog program someday.

Thanks for the explanation,
Julie