[blindkid] Wii Device Teaches Visually Impaired to WalkwithCanes

Tue Jun 8 16:57:18 UTC 2010

Yes, you might be right -- but you might not be either, or it may 
work for some, and not for others.  Let's all not be so heavy-handed 
in our denunciations before there is some experience with it.  Until 
some kids use it for a while, we don't actually know -- and this is 
just speculation.

Dave

At 10:07 PM 6/7/2010, you wrote:
>Heather:
>
>I contend that the WII device won't fulfill the purpose it is 
>designed for. Why? Because the WII device won't be used over a large 
>enough space to correct the veering problem. To my way of thinking, 
>veering is composed of several components irrspective of how valid a 
>person's sense of what a straight line is. For example, extraneous 
>sound, sound ambience, terrain and obstacles in one's path all 
>affect how closely one adheres to a straight line and the WII device 
>gives rather sterile feedback at best on these components to the 
>traveling experience.
>
>Mike
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "H. Field" <missheather at comcast.net>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Monday, June 07, 2010 4:32 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Wii Device Teaches Visually Impaired to WalkwithCanes
>
>
>>Hello all,
>>A careful read of the article says that the main purpose of this game
>>is very specific. It is designed to help children, and I would think
>>adults, learn to walk in a straight line. This is a very, very
>>important skill and is not possessed by many blind people.
>>
>>If a person can play a game, for hours on end in their own time if
>>they want to, and this game enables them to develop the skill of
>>walking in a straight line with their cane, then this is unarguably a
>>great option. What harm could it do to allow someone to use a game to
>>teach them to stop veering when walking?
>>
>>I, for one, cannot walk in a straight line and there are studies in
>>the literature which were done to prove that most blind people have a
>>"veer tendency". This means that most blind people, when asked to walk
>>in a large open space over a distance of twenty or so yards, will veer
>>left or right and not walk straight. Individuals will have a,
>>"Preferred veer direction" meaning they will consistently veer right
>>or consistently veer left. While it is helpful to know which way one
>>always veers, it is extremely annoying to know that one does veer.
>>This was particularly a nuisance for me when I lived on the farm and
>>used to go out in the paddocks. One would walk straight across a big
>>space, say between one shed and another, or a shed and a gate, and
>>wind up veering wide of the intended target. It was particularly
>>annoying when walking to a gate given that once one reached the fence
>>one didn't know which way to walk down the fence to find the gate. A
>>similar situation can arise for a city traveller when they walk across
>>a large space, such as a parking lot, and are looking for a door in
>>the wall of a very large building. Once having found the wall, which
>>way did I veer and, therefore, which way to walk to the door.
>>
>>While none of these experiences is beyond endurance, why not end them
>>if possible? Such a time waste. I ask the question, if something is
>>invented to teach me to identify when I start to veer and give me the
>>feedback to straighten up my path, why would I not investigate using
>>it? A mobility instructor is not available for the hours that
>>something like this will take to fix. Young children can learn how it
>>feels to walk straight from the beginning, their bodies will know,
>>through experience, how it feels to veer and what it feels like when
>>they are walking straight again.
>>
>>This is one very small, but extremely important, skill in the
>>orientation and mobility toolbox and how marvellous that people are
>>working on giving blind people an independent way of developing it.
>>The chosen method could also act to motivate blind children to enjoy
>>their canes and that's another benefit.
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Heather Field
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
>>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
>><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Monday, June 07, 2010 4:05 PM
>>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Wii Device Teaches Visually Impaired to
>>WalkwithCanes
>>
>>
>>Hello Holly and everyone,
>>
>>        We've seen too many trinkets of this kind developed by
>>well-meaning
>>"Professionals" in the field who at the end of the day do more harm to
>>the
>>blind than good. Many on this list learned to travel with a cane
>>without the
>>need for video games, laser canes, etc. I'd like to know if the Wii
>>Device
>>will function during a power failure?  Hands-on, total immersion O&M
>>instruction can occur whether there is electricity or not. The same
>>observation has been made concerning the over-dependence on paperless
>>Braille devices.
>>
>>    Last week we received a sobering reminder of this when a freak
>>storm
>>knocked out power to much of Northwest San Antonio. It was a stark
>>reminder
>>of the dangers of an over-dependence on technology.
>>
>>Besides why not have the blind child invite his/her friends for
>>hands-on
>>cane sessions rather than just playing a video game. It will be great
>>exercise for the kids as well as providing an opportunity for them to
>>learn
>>how the blind travel with a cane and that they need not pity or fear
>>their
>>blind pears. This is the kind of total immersion you won't get from
>>sitting
>>at a computer terminal.
>>
>>Peter Donahue
>>    ----- Original Message ----- From: "holly miller" <hollym12 at gmail.com>
>>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
>><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Monday, June 07, 2010 2:37 PM
>>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Wii Device Teaches Visually Impaired to
>>WalkwithCanes
>>
>>
>>I am curious how you can know that something can not have any possible
>>benefits before it has been put to use?  Yes it's possible it will be
>>a flop
>>but what harm could there be in investigating new ideas?   Neither the
>>creator or anyone here is suggesting this replaces real life O&M
>>training,
>>it's simply a potential tool to put in the tool box.  Isn't one of
>>the reoccurring themes here that the best thing for our kids is to
>>make use
>>of many different strategies and to not limit options?
>>
>>Are you familiar with the Wii game system?  If you aren't, it really
>>is
>>unique from other video game systems.   What I think may make this
>>a plausible option is that the Wii is designed for the user to be in
>>motion
>>while playing many of the games.  The system reads & reacts to the
>>players
>>motions, not just pushing of buttons. For instance, if you are playing
>>a
>>tennis game, you actually swing the controller like a tennis racquet.
>>The
>>player wouldn't be sitting still, they would actually be walking
>>around the
>>room.  The controller is a long, slim rectangle that can be held
>>similarly
>>to a proper cane grip.  The controller vibrates so it can give tactile
>>feedback to a simulated obstacle.
>>
>>Again, this should not in any way be considered a replacement to real
>>world
>>training, just an interesting supplement to it.
>>
>>Holly
>>aka Hank's mom
>>
>>On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 3:01 PM, Peter Donahue
>><pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>wrote:
>>
>>>Good afternoon everyone,
>>>
>>>    Nothing will replace the total immersion experience. Cane travel
>>>is
>>>very
>>>hands-on. Playing video games of this kine do nothing to help the
>>>blind
>>>child hone their cane skills and gain the confidence needed to
>>>become a
>>>good
>>>cane traveler and to feel good about using the cane. We learned cane
>>>use
>>>that way and appreciate the value of having done so.
>>>
>>>Peter Donahue
>>>
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "holly miller" <hollym12 at gmail.com>
>>>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
>>><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Monday, June 07, 2010 1:50 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Wii Device Teaches Visually Impaired to
>>>WalkwithCanes
>>>
>>>
>>>Peter,
>>>It says in the article
>>>
>>>"The Wii Cane training program is not meant to replace traditional
>>>  training  methods, but is only a supplement."
>>>I would be concerned if someone thought it could replace actual real
>>>life
>>>training but I don't think that's what they are suggesting at all.
>>>
>>>I'm going to reserve judgement on it until it's actually available.
>>>It
>>>sounds very interesting but of course well meaning ideas often fall
>>>far
>>>from
>>>the mark.  On the other hand, if it is well done it could be a huge
>>>help
>>>especially for newly blind or partial vision kids that are having
>>>trouble
>>>accepting the idea of a cane.  Cane training doesn't need high tech
>>>tricks
>>>to be successful but if there is something that can make O&M
>>>training more
>>>fun & add a coolness factor, why would that be a bad thing?
>>>
>>>If this project is successful or not, the research & development
>>>going
>>>into
>>>making a game might be a stepping stone to some other assistive
>>>technology
>>>that hasn't even been considered before.
>>>
>>>Holly
>>>aka Hank's mom
>>>
>>>On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 11:56 AM, Peter Donahue
>>><pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>wrote:
>>>
>>> > Hello Doreen and everyone,
>>> >
>>> >    All of the video games in the World won't replace hands-on cane
>>> > travel
>>> > instruction. Please don't fall for this stuff.
>>> >
>>> > Peter Donahue
>>> >

                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
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