January 29 - Another White Cane Connection

Today, by happy coincidence, I met Cheri. Lyle and I had walked down to the reception area at our condo and there was Cheri, standing there with her white cane. To my chagrin, I was just holding Lyle’s arm and didn’t have my cane with me, but I introduced myself anyway. 

It’s always good to talk with someone else who uses a white cane and to share experiences. I liked talking with Cheri. She and her cane appeared to have had many travel experiences. She told me of the one time that her cane had broken when it went through security scanning at the airport. Later at a restaurant when the staff there noticed her broken cane, they tried to help her out.  A waiter took a menu, and rolled it and taped it tightly around the broken cane.  This make-do splint worked for the rest of her trip. We agreed that it was wise to carry an extra cane when we travel. I’ve never lost or broken my cane when I’ve been away, but I do carry a spare.

Cheri and I also talked about meeting people who were not sure what they should do or how to react when they meet a white cane user. She told me about the one time someone had even picked up the roller tip at the end of her cane and proceeded to lead her that way. We agreed that most people mean well but education and awareness would help.

It was good to make another white cane connection. Thanks, Cheri!

January 28 - Tennis

What can a partially sighted person get from “watching” a live tennis match? I am a tennis fan and also a partially sighted person so the question is one that I have often pondered. Lyle and I are both tennis enthusiasts. We follow most of the big major tournaments and we are familiar with the names of the top players. At one time we looked into purchasing tickets for one of the big tournaments, but the price of the tickets was quite high and we weren’t sure just what I would see and get out of it all. 

 

Well, as of this past weekend, I am now a little wiser. Our friend, Dave is also a tennis fan and he discovered a small tournament not too far from where we are staying. So, we packed our little cooler with some drinks and treats and set off to watch the men’s semi-finals.  It was great.

Lyle and I arrived early enough to secure a seat near the base line. We were in time for the US National Anthem, and to see the flurry of red and blue as the ball boys and linesmen took their places. From where we sat, I was able to see the closer server, although not the net or the opposing player. It was enough. I often follow a match on TV by simply listening. The gasps and intake of breath from the crowd frequently signal whether the shot has gone in or gone wide. I also listen to the sound of the ball on the racquet and can usually tell if the return has been good and clean.

When I interviewed Judy, a partially sighted golfer in Regina, I remember that she also remarked on this phenomenon. She said that when she heard the thunk of her club as it hit the golf ball off the tee, she could nearly always tell whether or not it was going to be a good shot or whether the ball was just going to drift off into the bushes.

So, what did I get from watching the live tennis match? First there was the atmosphere. Many of the spectators knew each other and I would venture that one hundred percent of them were tennis fans who were knowledgeable about the game. The pregame chatter was exciting and I was there in the midst of it. I could hear the thud of the balls on the players’ racquets, their cries of either jubilation or disappointment, the squeak of their shoes on the court. I could feel the breeze in my face, the sun on my shoulders and the firm seat of the bleachers.  Then to top it off, after the semi-final match, Lyle treated me to a delicious sloppy joe burger. Really, it couldn’t get much better than that.

I realize that up to this point, I could have written the last few posts on this blog from nearly anywhere, so to show you that we really are in Hawaii, I am going to add a photo that Lyle took from our balcony. For the past few mornings he has been out there watching some whales frolic around in the bay, but this picture is of a great sunset with a couple of palm trees in the foreground. It has been a great holiday for sure!

January 26 - White Cane Alert

Last night we caught up with our friends Dave and Miriam who are also vacationing here in Maui. It was fun! Dave and Miriam had spent the day driving around the back roads of the island, off the beaten tourist track. As we chatted, Miriam mentioned that at one point, she and Dave had spotted a fellow walking on one of those roads and using his white cane.

I was curiously pleased when Miriam mentioned this to me. First I was pleased that she noticed the man and his cane, and secondly, I was glad that she thought to tell me. If there is one thing that I have hoped to accomplish with the White Cane Connections it is to make everyone more aware of the white cane and its significance. So too, for all of you white cane users who are reading this blog, I hope that you know what a difference you are making every time you step outside of your front door. By stepping out, you are representing all of us and doing your part in raising awareness for people who are either blind or partially sighted.  You are giving the message of the white cane alert!

January 25 - The Small Things

In my last post I wrote about the anxiety of night blindness, but many times it is the small things in life that can trip me up. For the most part, those small things are just annoyances and frustrations, and I suppose that is what I want to tell you about today.

Lyle and I have never been to Maui before this trip, and so the place where we are staying is unfamiliar to us both. Because he is able to see, Lyle has overcome all the little obstacles presented by unfamiliarity.  I have not.  There are way too many buttons I cannot distinguish on the remote control for the TV. There are black knobs and settings on the black surface of the stove and flat black settings on the surface of the microwave. There is the different lock on the door to the balcony which as yet I cannot open.  But let me tell you about the sink!

Last night after we finished eating, I decided to make myself useful by washing the dishes. Did you know that there are some sink plugs that fit in the sink equally well right side up as they do upside down? I had no trouble actually washing the dishes, but when it came time to pull the plug, it simply wouldn’t come out. In the end, I had to call Lyle. With infinite patience, he scooped all the water out of the sink, removing the pressure on the plug, and finally we were able to pry it out of the hole with a knife.  Turns out this plug is shaped like a dome with a knob on top.  I put it in the sink the other way around, which meant it was now like a bowl without a grip, and the water in the sink forced it firmly down to seal.

As I say, sometimes it is the small things that can trip me up.

January 23 - In the Dark

Although I have partial vision, every so often I get a feel of what it might be like to have no sight at all.  A very dark night is like this for me. In the dark, I lose all the visual references that I usually glimpse with my peripheral vision.  During the daylight hours I tend to forget just how important that is.

Last night, Lyle and I flew into Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands. We arrived after dark and I was almost immediately disoriented. When we arrived at our holiday accommodation, there was very little light. The paths around the complex were narrow and I couldn’t walk beside Lyle holding his arm.  Instead, I walked behind him with only my white cane sweeping the ground in front.

It is better for me today in the light and the sunshine, but the night time experience in unfamiliar territory has renewed my admiration and respect for people who are completely without sight and who navigate through varying locations and conditions as part of their daily living experience.

January 21 - Pictures from Australia

I feel as if I am still playing catch up as I write this post, but I did want to share with you these pictures from Australia. You might recall that when we were there I had a few technical difficulties, and so after our amazing visit to The Reptile Park just north of Sydney I wasn’t able to post pictures. Well, difficulties are solved and the pictures are here now:

 

This is the echidna. It had escaped from its enclosure and was wandering along the top of the low fence. The echidna was the approximate size of a football, dark brown in colour, and when we saw it; its spiky back was up. I think that it was feeling some distress at being outside of its regular enclosure.

Jen was able to take this picture of a cute, cuddly, grey koala from quite close up.  Its head is facing the camera. Baby koalas have an interesting diet. They begin life with mother’s milk, and then progress to mother’s feces before nibbling on the tender but toxic gum leaves. Koalas are protected and in New South Wales it is illegal for anyone other than a zoo or wildlife keeper to pick up and hold a koala.

 
Did you know that a group of kangaroos together is called a troop? Following is a picture of four kangaroos lazily munching on the grass in the open area where we were able to pat them.

I like this picture of the Tasmanian Devil.  I couldn’t see this animal clearly in real life because it moved way too quickly for my eyes to focus on it. However, the picture shows it to be dark brown, almost black in colour with black beady eyes.  It has a bit of a peculiar shape with a thick, squat body and a fairly large weasel-like head. The front legs are a little longer than the back legs and it has a long tail, which it uses for balance – a little like a kangaroo does. The picture is taken side on and you can see most of these features.

My thanks to Jen for all these pictures.  The pictures are from her camera.

January 18 - Employment Opportunities and Challenges

Choosing a career path and finding suitable employment is challenging for any young person, but the challenges are greatly magnified and the employment opportunities are greatly decreased if that person is blind or partially sighted. In December I wrote about the Employment Counselling team at Vision Australia. This past week I have been making some enquiries about services offered by CNIB. Following are a few personal observations.  I must stress that the comments are my own and I am not a spokesperson for CNIB.

CNIB is a private agency and as such relies heavily on government funding. The services offered by the agency are very much dependent on this funding. In the course of my questions, I also learned that although CNIB is a national agency, services to clients are conducted at provincial levels. Although I have spoken with working age blind and partially sighted adults across the country, I have really only spoken about employment counselling with CNIB staff in Alberta.

In Alberta there are two employment counsellors, one located in Edmonton and the other in Calgary. The service appears to function with particular emphasis on the age demographic of 18 plus years. Prior to age eighteen, young people who are blind or partially sighted come under the umbrella of child and youth services and school counselling agencies.

Heather is the employment counsellor in the Edmonton Office and she shared with me some of her job responsibilities. One aspect of her position is to ensure that career plans are in place for the young client who is nearing graduation from secondary school. This means meeting with the client, his/her family and also school counsellors. Generally speaking, Heather works in coordination with the area of CNIB responsible for child, youth and family services.

Upon request from a client, Heather will also connect with adults who are already working but who are experiencing changes in vision. When this happens, sometimes accommodations can be arranged so that the person can continue to work in the same or similar position. This might mean that Heather will connect with the employer and visit the work site to assess the situation and make further suggestions.

Heather also told me about a new program started in Calgary last summer.  The program was a youth internship program and was open to young people between the ages of 18 and 29. This was a paid summer position and so the prospective intern needed to apply and meet specific criteria outlined by CNIB.

Bert, another CNIB staff, told me about the STAR program. This program was inspired by Bert himself about ten years ago and continues to function as a viable program today. Again, those who are accepted must meet certain criteria and only six clients are accepted each spring. Bert told me that STAR stands for Skills, Technology, Adjustment and Recreation and the three week program trains clients in each aspect.

Although I didn’t come away from these discussions with the same enthusiasm I felt when I visited Vision Australia last December, I acknowledge that there are differences between that organization and the small part of CNIB that I now know about. In Australia I was privileged to meet and talk with a team of counsellors in a city of over four million people. In Alberta, I spoke only with one person at a time in a city of a much smaller population. In Australia I didn’t personally meet with any of the working age adults who were looking for jobs, while in Canada I have spoken with a number of young blind and partially sighted adults who are actively but unsuccessfully seeking employment.

As I conclude this entry, I know that I haven’t put forward any particular solutions to the challenges of unemployment or underemployment faced by people who are blind or partially sighted.  Instead, I simply want to bring the problem forward for examination and discussion. My thanks to Dorothy who asked the original question on this blog and to Heather, Bert and other CNIB staff personnel who spoke with me and answered my questions.

January 2 - Happy New Year

As the New Year begins, I have been reflecting on the year that is past. It has been a significant one for me. When I began the White Cane Connections Walks last March, I thought of the project as a grand and personal adventure. Indeed it was all of that. It was an incredible six months. However, in the beginning I don’t think that I realized how much I would be affected by the project and the people I was privileged to meet during the course of the walks.  Possibly I saw myself as making a difference – and perhaps I did. What I didn’t realize was how the people I met would also make a difference to me.

There are some pretty amazing people out there – people who, without fuss or fanfare, are coping with the daily challenges of living with vision loss. As well as dealing with personal challenges, many find time and energy to advocate on their own behalf and also on behalf of others who are blind or partially sighted. Many participate in social, sporting and community activities, showing the sighted population that doors need not be closed to us who have little or no sight. I feel very fortunate to have met so many of you. Your kindness, courage and generosity of spirit have been a great encouragement to me and I am grateful.

Of course, I am also grateful to the many sighted people – family from far and near, old friends and new acquaintances – who have been generous with their support. In this post, I want to make special mention of Tom and Michelle. Yesterday, on New Year’s Day, Tom and Michelle hosted a wonderful dinner at their restaurant for several community groups. The local White Cane Support Group was one of these. Thank you Tom, Michelle and the staff at the Old Iron Horse Restaurant in Ponoka for your generosity and for a wonderful turkey dinner.

Happy New Year to us all!  May 2013 be good to everyone!