[nfb-db] More Travel Questions...

[Danielle Burton]

Hi, Kerri. My name is Danielle and I'm getting ready to graduate from high school next month. I am totally blind and have a mild to moderate hearing loss. I wear hearing aides in both ears. i also have trouble localizing traffic sounds. I can hear the cars but when there's about 4 or 5 cars I can tell what they are doing because the sounds jumble together and it just sounds like a roar of traffic.  I some of the same fears as you do since I will be going to college in the falittle and will be traveling by myself on campus. I am getting Krientation and Mobility training on my college campus now and will do so this summer as well since the University is 45 minutes away from my home. Have you ever heard of indenting when crossing a street? If your perpendicular street is not too busy you can walk away from the intersection until the sounds of the traffic are quieer and cross when it's all quiet. thenwhen you get across go back toward the intercetion and find the sidewalk. This will not work ona  really busy street but may help. 

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On Apr 11, 2013, at 7:56 AM, Kerri Kosten <kerrik2006 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi:
> 
> Thanks for this message. I probably should have explained this in my
> previous message.
> I basically have hearing in one ear and that is all. My right ear is
> considered a "dead ear."
> In my left ear, I have okay hearing I guess.
> I can hear the traffic, but when trying to cross streets I can't tell
> what the cars are doing at all such as turning, or what direction they
> are going, stuff like that.
> I can listen and tell if there is traffic. I can tell if the
> intersection is lighted or not, but I can't tell which street is
> moving or what the cars are doing.
> Basically, I can't localize to sounds very well though I can hear them.
> The center said that I have to get assistance unless the street is one
> of those which is relateively quiet or has a sufficient quiet gap.
> If it is lighted, or it is busy to where there are no quiet gaps I
> have to get assistance.
> I know this sounds pretty bad but I worked hard to overcome it. My
> instructor and I worked very hard on improving my mental mapping
> (which is why I am so excited that I am finally better at it), and
> using the sun, and I use cardinal directions all the time whereas a
> blind person without hearing loss would use the traffic to orient to.
> I do a very very good job of differentiating between the sidewalk and
> the street by using my cane.
> I can also tell whether something is a driveway or a street or a
> parking lot by using my cane.
> My street crossings are usually very straight.
> I also stay nice and straight on the sidewalks and I have a good pace.
> When I first went to the center, all of this was very scary for me,
> even just using my cane, but I worked hard to get over my fear, trust
> my cane,  and increase my speed when walking.
> Even though I can't localize, I stay straight by using good cane technique.
> I can communicate with people, and can get directions from people.
> I guess it's just orienting/localizing to traffic where my hearing is
> most affected.
> Thanks,
> Kerri
> 
> On 4/11/13, Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net> wrote:
>> Hi I'm wondering if you use hearing aids and how much hearing do you still
>> have because I think those thing are important in trying to answer your
>> questions. I have hearing aides in both ears and struggle not so much with
>> traffic but with windy days and I can't hear people that walk very front of
>> me I can still hear the direction of the cars but the time may come when it
>> becomes more dificult. If tthe center made suggestions on when to get
>> assistance use them when necessary.
>> 
>> Sheila Leigland
>> 
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