October 31 - White Cane Awareness and Education

This past week, Lyle and I took a little road trip to Winnipeg. As we passed through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba I was reminded of the 2012 White Cane Connection Walks. The aim of the project was primarily to promote an awareness of the meaning of the white cane, but there were other benefits along the way. 

I am still moved by the many cheerful and courageous people I met during the course of my journey. I met white cane users ranging in age from four to ninety-nine. I met people who had used a white cane for most of their lives and one woman who was using her white cane for the first time in public on the day of the walk. I talked with family members, caregivers, members of the Canadian Council for the Blind and to staff from various CNIB offices. Together we walked to promote white cane awareness, and hopefully, to further educate a sighted population about vision loss, vision health and hope for the future.

If you are a white cane user, you have this opportunity to educate every time you step outside your front door. I am often made aware of this opportunity. Perhaps you might remember a few weeks ago when I encouraged readers of this blog to have a conversation with someone else about white canes. Just this past weekend, a friend contacted me to say that she had done exactly that. She was on a flight from BC to Alberta and the passenger beside her used a white cane. My friend initiated a conversation which her seat companion seemed eager to pursue. I was proud of my friend and also of the fellow passenger for sharing some information about her life and some of her sight challenges.

As Halloween is here again this year, I am reminded of another friend.  When the trick or treaters came to her door, my friend would open the door holding her white support cane in front of her. She would ask the children if they knew the meaning of her white cane. If they did, they got their treat immediately. If they didn’t, my friend would treat the little ones to a brief explanation before she handed out the candy.

My point? Well, there are many different ways to promote white cane awareness and to educate others about the significance of the white cane.

Happy Halloween to everyone!

October 10 - Low Vision Tools

Living with low vision is frustrating but fortunately there are tools and devices helpful for someone with low vision. Technology has come a long way over the past few decades and if you are the person struggling with partial sight, I think that it would be worth your while to look into what is now available. This is what the members of our local support group did at their October meeting. We invited Cheryl Heard, the low vision specialist at the Edmonton CNIB office to be our guest speaker and to bring with her a selection of these devices.

Cheryl set everything out on a long table and explained how each gadget might be useful. There were monoculars set for distance viewing. There were hand held magnifiers of varying sizes and magnifications. There were portable electronic magnifiers for enlarging print. There were large print calendars and other items from the CNIB catalogue.  One of our members bought a talking weigh scale and another purchased a computer keyboard with large black digits on a contrasting yellow background.

Remembering what it was like when my own sight first changed, I also remember being somewhat overwhelmed by how many different aids were available. I also remember being very disappointed that none of them seemed to work effectively for me. My sight didn’t lend itself to low vision aids. I was torn between wanting to try everything and then being disappointed that nothing fixed or restored my sight. I think that this is a caution for anyone newly experiencing loss of vision. You can spend a fortune on low vision aids – why even a basic monocular can cost around $300 – but if the item won’t work for you, then it isn’t even worth a dime.

Now a question – did you take up the white cane challenge I issued on October 2? If you missed out, it’s never too late to begin such a conversation. (My thanks to KB for taking up the challenge.)

The picture below shows Cheryl demonstrating some of the low vision tools. Standing from left to right – me, Dennis and Ron with Cheryl on the other side of the table.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Demonstration of low vision tools

October 2 - White Cane Challenge

It was a beautiful day today and while I was out walking I was thinking of the next entry I would make for this blog.  Before I had walked any distance at all I knew what I would write. I had two encounters with other pedestrians on my walk. While the first left a good impression, the second made me aware that education surrounding white canes and their users still has a way to go. This is the challenge.

The first encounter on my walk today was a good one. A woman coming towards me called out a greeting.  Because I hadn’t yet noticed her presence, I appreciated her voice signal to me. Then as we drew closer, she told me that she would step to the grassy edge of the sidewalk so that I could pass by. Obviously, this woman knew that my white cane meant that I had little or no vision. Consequently, she told me where she was so that I could continue on my way unimpeded.

My second encounter was more on the other end of the continuum. I had heard a car pull up in the same direction I was walking. I listened and heard the driver’s door open and footsteps coming around the rear of the vehicle. What I didn’t hear was the passenger door opening. As I walked forward I was glad that I had my cane in front of me. The passenger had opened the door so that it was obstructing the sidewalk. Not only that, this youngish person was standing silently beside the door.  Until my cane made contact I had no idea of this unexpected obstacle.

So, my challenge of the week is this. At some point as you engage in conversation with a friend or an acquaintance, I would ask you to bring up the subject of white canes. If you have been reading this blog, you are obviously aware of some of the challenges of vision impairment. Perhaps this week you could also be an ambassador on behalf of someone who is blind or partially sighted by explaining the significance of white canes.