[Mn-abs] Freedom for the Blind

[Steve Jacobson]

Keldy,

To some degree, whether you use a folding cane or straight cane, and even the length you use, is a personal preference.  If you have already given some 
thought, as you indicate, as to whether using a folding cane hides your blindness, I think you are off to a good start.

I remember clearly the day I decided I was going to no longer use a folding cane as my main cane.  It was winter, and I was crossing Hennepin Avenue at 
Seventh Street in downtown Minneapolis.  I even remember I was on the south side of Seventh walking west.  About half way across Hennepin, my cane 
suddenly became noticeably lighter.  A half second later, I heard the clattering and rolling of small pipes on the surface of Hennepin.  It took a second for me 
to put the two observations together that my folding cane had broken, and what I was hearing were the sections of my folding cane hitting the street and 
rolling away from me.  There I was, standing in the middle of Hennepin Avenue during rush hour with a 12-inch piece of pipe in my hand.  Needless to say, I 
did get across the street, and some others assisted me in tracking down the sections of my cane that I hadn't found myself.  I managed to temporarily get my 
cane to stay together until I got back to my college dorm.

Even with this experience, though, I have used a folding cane on several occasions since.  Even the telescoping canes, which would not have likely 
broken as did the one I described above, are much more likely to be broken when people trip over them because the section nearest the ground is thinner.  
This has happened to me on a number of occasions.  Still, I do keep a telescoping cane as a backup when I travel.

Dave Andrews has described how to get a cane into and out of a car, and he has mentioned placing it between the seat and the window on an airplane.  
The fact is that the airlines probably would prefer it if we would all use folding canes, but the regulations do permit canes to be placed between the seat and 
the window if it can be made to lay next to the body of the plane without sticking up.  There is a bit of a trick to doing this, too, but one masters it fairly 
quickly.  I find if I get my cane situated right away that the airline very rarely asks me about it.  One compromise I make is that if I can't get a window seat, I 
will still place my cane along the window but will use a folding cane during the flight so I don't have to disturb the passenger sitting by the window.  The 
airlines have to live by regulations, too, so one should not feel apologetic about using a straight cane as long as one knows what to do with it.  What airlines 
do not understand is that the time a blind person is on a plane when traveling independently is generally a small part of our total travel experience.  Traveling 
to the airport, through security and to the gate and then doing the same thing at the other end requires that we have a comfortable and reliable way to 
travel.

The other reason I like to have a backup cane when I travel is that there have been occasions when my straight cane has been dammaged by elevator 
doors and such.  There are somethings that no cane will survive.

While talking about traveling, I'd like to make a comment about traveling with other people.  You mentioned in another note that you are traveling with your 
mother, for example.  This can be another area where each of us has to seek our own solutions.  I have traveled with blind persons who always walk by 
themselves, who can follow independently and have no problem with that at all.  Particularly in an airport, one often finds themselves in the position where 
they have the cane in one hand and their luggage in the other.  Still, I personally find it somewhat difficult to travel and talk to someone else at the same 
time.  For the record, I can usually walk and chew gum.  <smile>  I will often take the arm of the person I am traveling with, even if they are as blind as I am, 
simply because it is easier for me to carry on a conversation without having to think about where they are.  However, when I take the arm of another 
person, I do not follow the "Sighted guide" process of walking a step behind them.  Rather, I continue using my cane taking responsibility for my own 
protection, regardless of whether the other person is blind or sighted.  If I am walking with someone and I trip on a curb, it should be my fault and not theirs.  
Particularly with parents who tend to feel responsible for their kids, and I say this not just as a blind person but also as a parent, using a cane while walking 
with a parent can be a good compromise.  I have also followed others in an airport before getting rid of my bag by placing my cane on the bag of the person 
walking in front of me.  While this does not give me as much information about what is in front of me, generally following another person with a bag 
guarantees that my path is clear.  This can be helpful when an area is carpeted, reducing ones chance of hearing the other person walk.  Of course, if you 
are the person in the lead, this is not a concern at all, and often that will be the case.

As I have gotten older and my hearing less keen, I have gradually used longer canes to give me more warning of objects in front of me.  I resisted doing this 
for many years because of the inconvenience of knowing what to do with the cane when it is not in use.  Mostly, I have found that it just isn't the problem 
that I thought it would be.  A responsible blind person will try to be aware of whether one's cane is sticking out in an aisle at a restaurant for example.  We all 
make the occasional mistake along those lines, but I don't think that my use of a straight cane gives me license to inconvenience or endanger someone 
else.  With a little care, this doesn't have to happen.  There may still be times when you may find a folding cane to be useful.  For example, some folding 
bleachers such as you find in a gym can make dealing with a straight cane more of a challenge.  However, I cannot honestly remember the last time I really 
felt that I should have used a folding cane.  The times when I really want to fold one up just don't happen very often, and as you can see, I've been stung 
by using a folding cane just often enough to not want to take the chance.  

This is really great that you have brought this up on the list.  While I have a strong belief that my choices are right for me, my hope here is only that you take 
my experiences into account as you chart your course.  I believe our ability to travel independently as blind people is one of the most important skills in our 
success, and having a reliable way to do it is very important, whatever that is.  I view the occasional inconvenience of dealing with a straight cane as being 
less of a problem than what many people deal with who have contact lenses, for example.  You learn to deal with the occasional inconvenience in order to 
have a reliable tool to use to travel.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

	On Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:56:12 -0600 (CST), Kelby Carlson wrote:

>I was wondering if anyone else on this list has read Freedom for 
>the Blind by James Omvig.  I am reading it now, and find much of 
>what it says very good; he articulates many things I have 
>believed my entire life and values my parents raised me with.

>I'm almost to the section on the long white cane, and I have 
>wondered about this for some time.  I understand the emotional 
>power of using a long cane and the statement it makes, but it 
>seems less than necessary from a pragmatic standpoint.  I prefer 
>to have a cane that is able to fold not because I want to hide my 
>blindness, but simply for convenience.  I'm rather tall, so 
>having a long cane that can't fold would make it very difficult 
>to travel in cars, at least I'm assuming so.  (I can't imagine 
>the fits airlines could have over this.) Does anyone have 
>experience with this? I'm trying to explore options right now.  I 
>want to get more involved with the larger blind community and I'm 
>fast approaching college.  Any discussion on this would be 
>awesome.


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