[nagdu] navigating without your cane

[Jenine Stanley]

Julie J., this is why I don't think there's as much emphasis put on
observing how you move without cane or dog on the match, but it's more for
you to learn to pay attention to cues other than those of the cane as you do
move. As I said, GDF no longer requires you to put away your cane though
many people do. Also, remember that you are going to be moving, in the case
of the guide dog class experience, indoors around an area where you will be
living for the next several weeks. It's kind of like moving around your home
or hotel floor during convention week. You might not venture down into the
lobby without a cane or dog but you may go to the soda machine without
either. 

When I go to GDF for work, I often move around the Administrative building,
which includes 3 floors of offices and the Student Residence which covers 2
floors, without a cane or dog. If I'm running between the braille embosser
which is on one floor and our office on another, I'll often leave my dog in
our office and make that run sans anything. 

Has this resulted in some uhm, interesting situations? Oh sure. Luckily I
haven't embarrassed myself too much though. <grin> 

Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie J.
Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2011 3:06 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] navigating without your cane

Jenine,

I can understand the part about getting used to not having the input 
from the cane.  It is very different from a dog.  It does take some 
getting used to the new information you will get from the dog.  However 
taking a cane away without the input from the dog doesn't make sense to 
me.  You won't be getting used to the information you are getting from 
the dog if you aren't working it yet.  You need some sort of information 
from somewhere.

I also don't think taking a cane away is a good test of orientation and 
mobility skills.  I'll use myself as an example.  I am comfortable with 
either dog or cane.  I travel confidently and easily with either.  Of 
course I feel I get more information from a guide and I can get a dog to 
do a lot the cane can't.  Anyway if I have neither dog or cane outside 
of my home, I move about extremely slowly, cautiously and probably look 
like the proverbial Magoo.  It's rather embarrassing really.

Watching me move about without dog or cane would leave a person 
wondering if I should be let out of my house alone, set aside the whole 
issue of what sort of guide dog would best fit my needs.   Perhaps I'm 
in the minority here and others move about easily and comfortably 
without a cane or dog.  I don't know.  It seems that if this was the 
case, though, that there would be a lot of blind folks traveling about 
without a mobility tool of some variety.  Not many do that I know of.

The short story is I'm not comfortable moving about outside of my home 
without a guide dog, cane or sighted guide. Others may feel differently, 
that's okay.   This will be something for me to keep in mind if I do 
decide to attend a guide dog program someday.

Thanks for the explanation,
Julie


_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/jeninems%40wowway.com
-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1410 / Virus Database: 1520/3943 - Release Date: 10/07/11