[blindkid] Joli and her cane

[Richard Holloway]

Albert makes a number of good points. Unfortunately, the collapsible  
cane introduces some potentially undesirable features. A telescoping  
cane can telescope in without warning, especially if not properly and  
fully extended (hard for some younger kids to master). The ones with  
the shock cord inside that work like folding tent poles have their  
vibro-tactile feedback dampened quite a bit. (The last thing I want to  
do is reduce the amount of information my daughter gets from her  
cane.) Further, all non-rigid canes have the added issue of both being  
heavier and adding extra fumbling to get the canes out and to put them  
away.

Some adults who travel a lot seem to prefer being able to stow a cane  
in an overhead bin or to drop it into a bag or briefcase, but full  
length canes are generally not that hard to accommodate. I'm pretty  
certain we'll be keeping our daughter with the standard NFB cane  
unless and until she herself requests otherwise at a later time. The  
exceptions to that guideline strike me as being things like keeping a  
backup cane in luggage for a trip or maybe using one to carry on a  
bike or something like that where suddenly it does become impractical  
to transport a full length cane and get where you're going with the  
cane still in one piece.

I think it may have been Joe Cutter who first made me realize that  
there is a message sent to a blind child with a folding cane-- (or an  
adult for that matter). It says they need to make every effort to get  
the cane out of others way. I come back to the wheel chair  
discussion-- It might be handy for teachers, etc. if we put kids from  
wheelchairs into a regular chair and got that big chair out of the way  
at times, but it would hardly be appropriate.

I don't want my daughter to feel like she needs to apologize for  
having or using a cane. All of her classrooms have made a point of  
having a space for her to park her cane by the door, sometimes  
sticking a small plastic hook up for her where she puts the loop as  
NFB canes with the slick metal tip do love to slide down when you  
stand them up on a smooth floor. A cane by a door takes up maybe one  
or two square inches of floor space and plastic stick-up hook costs  
less than a dollar so we are talking about some really simple and  
inexpensive solutions here.

One other cane comment-- Kendra generally parks her cane when she  
comes into a classroom because that works well for her. Once she knows  
the room, it is easier for her to move about and do things without a  
cane in hand. That doesn't mean she doesn't explore a new room without  
a cane and it doesn't mean that I think all blind kids should always  
park canes at the door. It is case by case, whatever works for the  
cane traveler.

Richard



On Oct 17, 2009, at 12:55 PM, Albert J Rizzi wrote:

> I agree with Richard, the sighted guide technique does nothing for  
> promoting
> independence  in our students or in our adults transitioning into a  
> blind
> life.  It is an important quick learn for Joli to take with her if  
> and when
> she travels  alone  she would then be able to advise and teach  
> others on how
> best to guide her in an empowering and independent manner.  I do not  
> agree
> with any one persons position that academics or technologies opening  
> the
> door to cognitive development should take a back seat to a cane.i do  
> agree
> that it is an odd goal to have in an iep and would suggest you  
> immediately
> insist that Joli be aloud to independently determine if and when she
> considers setting the cane aside and let her choose to take an arm  
> if and
> when she feels the need. If her mode of mobility were a wheel chair  
> Do you
> think the  the teachers or administration expect her to get up out  
> of awheel
> chair and be carried from one class to another? I think not. Perhaps  
> if Joli
> had a collapsible cane that would alleviate any concern about how  
> clumsey
> carrying it might appear to teachers. Or perhaps, we could invite the
> teachers and administrators at your aschool to tracel with a cane and
> without a cane, and oh yeah perhaps they should try doing so with a
> simulation of vision similar to that with which Joli travels on a  
> daily
> basis. I have found that simple empathy and "walking a mile in my  
> shoes"
> goes a long way to change perspectives on mobility for the sighted.
>
> Albert J. Rizzi
> CEO/Founder
> My Blind Spot, Inc.
> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
> New York, New York  10004
> www.myblindspot.org <http://www.myblindspot/>
> PH: 917-553-0347
> Fax: 212-858-5759
> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one  
> who is
> doing it."
>
>
>
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