[nagdu] navigating without your cane

[Julie Phillipson]

I've been talking about possible reasons why this has been and is still in 
some cases done.  There are many times that I am not using my dog or cane, 
but I'm not totally blind either.  I'm not agreeing that it is a right or 
wrong practice either.  Historically schools for the blind did not and may 
be still do not teach students cane travel until they are older like in high 
school.  I have never been able to figure out why this is so.  Before world 
war 1 a white cane for the blind wasn't even a thought.  So what did folks 
do, they sat around with nothing to do and know where to go.  Boy have times 
changed since then and we owe it to NFB that things have been forced to 
change.  perhaps the practice of asking one to put away their cane is left 
over from some attitudes that mobility instructors who in their  infinite 
wisdom thought that allowing several blind folks to be allowed to use their 
cane would be harmful because they might polk each others eyes out or 
something.  I don't know if there is really any good reason why it would be 
good to take someone's cane away.  Clearly some are glad to develop the 
skills to be able to navigate without it at times and some are not 
comfortable not having it.  we really are all individuals with different 
skills and abilities, so I'm not sure it should be one way or the other as 
much as it should be based on personel preference.  .  When I was getting my 
dog in April I am not sure if I used my cane the first day or not, but I 
think I did  until I was comfortable with the area,  There has been changes 
in the building since I was there last so I had it for safety reasons.  I 
know know one told me I couldn't use it.  I was happy to put it away once I 
was acclimated though.
Julie Phillipson
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2011 9:51 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] navigating without your cane


> Dear All,
>    I think it borders on cruelty to forbid a blind person to use a cane in 
> an unfamiliar setting or in a place in which the individual does not have 
> absolute control over the environment. This is why NAGDU's  Guide Dog 
> Consumers' Bill of Rights, under the section entitled "Equitable 
> Treatment", states, "
> a.       The consumers freedom of independent travel with a white cane 
> shall not be restricted by the training program, unless doing so would 
> interfere with the training process or adversely impact other consumers."
>
>
>
> Fraternally yours,
>
> Marion
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Julie Phillipson" <jbrew48 at verizon.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2011 2:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] navigating without your cane
>
>
>> ok so I was on the right track, thanks for the more credible explanation. 
>> Is it also used to evaluate what dog might be the best match for the 
>> person like someone might need a dog to take more initiative then someone 
>> else does?
>>
>> Julie Phillipson
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2011 1:42 PM
>> Subject: [nagdu] navigating without your cane
>>
>>
>>> Julie,
>>>
>>> One of the reasons guide dog programs ask that you navigate without your
>>> cane prior to receiving your dog, say during those first few days on 
>>> class,
>>> is to in part observe your skill at orientation and mobility and also 
>>> get
>>> you used to not having that cane input as you move around spaces. Most
>>> schools have you walk with your dog at heel in the building. When you do
>>> progress to harness work indoors, you're used to that form of input, but
>>> initially while heeling the dog, you are in charge of movement, 
>>> orientation,
>>> etc.
>>>
>>> At GDF we have the dogs guide on leash from the beginning and very 
>>> rarely do
>>> we ask you to heel your dog and simply walk around.
>>>
>>> For some people changing the input from the cane to the dog is hard, 
>>> harder
>>> than they thought. When traveling with a dog, we do lose important sound
>>> cues initially, replacing them with others eventually, but we also lose 
>>> cues
>>> about proximity to obstacles that we have to relearn with new inputs.
>>>
>>> Hope that makes sense.
>>>
>>> We do allow people to use their canes in the building prior to receiving
>>> their dogs but there are times when we do ask that canes be put away. 
>>> Once
>>> the dogs are issued, unless someone really needs it, we ask that all 
>>> canes
>>> other than support canes be put away when working the dogs and when 
>>> moving
>>> around the building.
>>>
>>> Jenine Stanley
>>> jeninems at wowway.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
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