[Mn-abs] Freedom for the Blind

[Kelby Carlson]

Steve,

Just to clarify.  I received a cane when I was only one year old, 
and have been using one all of my life.  Using the cane itself is 
very natural.  I simply need to become more accustomed to walking 
by myself, which I have done but would like to do more.

I really think I'm getting your position on pushing for change.  
Working in groups myself, I know how essential working in that 
kind of a frame of mind is.

Here's a question I'd like to pose to the list, though I don't 
know if the answers will change my mind.  It's been suggested to 
me that I should attend a training center for a several month 
period, but I'm really not sure that's necessary at this point.  
Yes, there are areas in my life that need to be more independent.  
I suspect that will happen when I begin college, as I am 
naturally an advocate for myself and usually just require a nudge 
if that.  I've been trained in mobility and technology and am 
proficient.  My daily living skills could perhaps be imprved, but 
I believe the same could be said of most high school students.  
What do you guys think?

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com
>To: "Minnesota Association of Blind Students List" 
<mn-abs at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:37:52 -0600 (CST)
>Subject: Re: [Mn-abs] Freedom for the Blind

>Keldy,

>While I think that we have learned to try to explain our 
positions more rather than just lay them out, I don't think that 
we have ever been as inflexible as
>some made us out to be.  Often, I have heard it explained that 
blind people come to the Federation and are then all taught to 
jump to the beat of a single
>drum.  What I don't think some have understood is that most of us 
have become a part of the NFB because we found something there 
that reinforced what
>we already thought.  After joining, I certainly learned things 
that changed my mind on some issues, but I also worked within the 
organization to change other
>minds as well.  I used a folding cane for a good while into my 
membership in the NFB, and there were those who told me I should 
use a straight cane.  At
>that point, their approach didn't work for me because partly they 
never explained why, and partly because nobody was going to tell 
me what to do even
>though I was a committed member.  <smile>  It took standing in 
the middle of Hennepin with that little piece of pipe to change 
my mind.  Some have
>believed that we never debate.  They have not been at some of our 
conventions or read some of our e-mail lists.  However, we try 
hard to pull together
>once a decision is made.  I will support an issue in terms of 
working for the NFB even if I voted against it knowing that means 
others who may not support
>an issue of mine will do the same when the vote goes my way.  
Some see that as inflexibility.  I think, though, that you will 
find that each of us has taken a
>different path to get to where we are now, and that our reasons 
for being here include getting encouragement ourselves, having a 
place to go with our
>questions, and to gry to make life better for those blind people 
who come after us.

>I did not know that "sighted guide" is now being taught to be 
used in conjunction with the cane.  When I learned it, one was 
specifically told to remain a
>step or so behind the person whose arm one had to give oneself 
warning that a step up or down was coming.  One would feel the 
elbow rise or fall giving
>one a little time to react.  I am glad to see that has apparently 
changed, and who knows, we may have affected that on some level.  
During my lifetime, I
>can remember when we were considered to be crazy to think that 
the cane should be given to elementary students.  Some even felt 
that middleschool or
>junior was too soon for the cane.  Stil, it has become pretty 
mainstream to introduce kids to canes when they are young, now.  
Some issues such as getting
>canes to kids we advocated for a long time and we felt it was 
important enough to push.  Some could have seen that as 
inflexible, but it was the only way to
>get thinking to change.

>You asked about walking less using sighted guide.  What I have 
found over time is that I am more aware of my surroundings when I 
am not walking sighted
>guide.  If someone is showing me around a college campus, for 
example, I will retain a lot more if I am walking with the person 
but walking independently.
>That may not be true for everyone, but it is for me.  Using a 
cane and refining those skills requires some instruction as you 
have already had, but practice is
>what will make using a cane second nature for you.  The more you 
use it, the more natural it will all feel.  There are going to be 
times when it is simply more
>practical to walk sighted guide with someone, but what I always 
wanted to shoot for was knowing that I was choosing to walk with 
someone rather than
>feeling I couldn't do it any other way.  In my case, I had to 
force myself to walk alone more, especially in the beginning, so 
that I could build my confidence
>as a traveler and have the use of a cane feel natural.  It didn't 
mean that I never took an arm, but it was something I tried to 
keep in the forefront of my mind.
>If I found that it was a pattern to walk with someone when I went 
to a certain place, I would try to find a reason to do it alone 
sometime or to at least walk
>separately so that I would know I could do it.

>In short, I think that the picture sometimes painted of NFB 
members has been wrong, but there is also no doubt that we have 
worked hard to change some
>things and change isn't always easy for some to accept.  I hope 
you keep asking questions here.  It is good for all of us.

>Best regards,

>Steve Jacobson

>On Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:04:29 -0600 (CST), Kelby Carlson wrote:

>>Steve,

>>Thank you so much for your thoughtful, well-considered and
>>articulate response to my questions.  I'll be candid here.  I've
>>been, for a long while, somewhat innoculated against the NFB
>>because of what some perceive to be their faults.  (One of which
>>is lack of compromise and inflexibility.) It is obvious from
>>talking to people on this list and from beginning to read NFB
>>literature, that this is most definitely not the case.  My
>>mobility training has been very good.  Humorously enough, when I
>>was trained to use sighted guide as a child I have always been
>>trained to use my cane while taking someone's arm.  I did not
>>even realize, until you said something, that blind people would
>>use sighted guide without the use of their cane.  However, I have
>>begun to believe that I must decrease my use of sighted guide.  I
>>want to be as independent a traveler as I can, and I believe
>>learning to follow independently is an important skill.  I
>>attended the Circle of Life Science Camp in 2005, and gained
>>knowledge of doing this.  Do you think beginning to practice this
>>more would be a good idea?

>>I actually decided to request a white cane this morning, and I'm
>>very excited to begin experimenting with it.  I also applied for
>>a mentor on NFB link so I easily ask questions like this and
>>start to network.  It's rather amazing how empowering taking
>>these simple steps can feel.

>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com
>>>To: "Minnesota Association of Blind Students List"
>><mn-abs at nfbnet.org
>>>Date sent: Thu, 06 Jan 2011 09:41:14 -0600 (CST)
>>>Subject: Re: [Mn-abs] Freedom for the Blind

>>>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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