March 29 - Surrey, BC

Lyle and I were alone on a wet and cloudy morning for our walk in Surrey today. We decided to put the Trekker Breeze through its paces. For those of you who are not familiar with this dandy device, let me explain. The Breeze is akin to a personal GPS. The price tag is a little high but for those of us who are print disabled it is worth its weight in gold. The Breeze is an orientation device. Once it has searched for and found a satellite, the Breeze is able to tell the user exactly where he or she is standing. The Breeze has a number of other functions and I am just beginning my exploration of these.

From a starting point, the Breeze will follow a route and then it will retrace your route back to the starting point.  Lyle and I zigged and zagged around the area of the Cloverdale Library in Surrey. We were unfamiliar with the area, but by pressing the appropriate buttons on the Breeze, we were able to exactly retrace our steps. The Breeze also has a built in pedometer and so on this particular walk, we were able to ascertain that we walked 1.9 miles at a pace of 3.0 miles per hour, taking 38.47 minutes. How amazing is that! My next task will be to change the setting of the Breeze to metric units.

The Trekker Breeze is produced by Humanware, a company which specializes in technology for people who are print disabled. Because I can’t read street signs, I think that the Breeze is an incredible tool to allow me to have independent mobility.  This afternoon I will meet with Dean Yano, the Western Canada representative for Humanware.  It was through Dean’s interventions that Humanware has sponsored me with the loan of the Trekker Breeze for the duration of my six month journey. If you see me en route, please feel free to ask me about the Breeze.  I have heard tell that it is a breeze to operate, and as my trek continues and I become more comfortable with it, I am sure that I will find this to be the case. If you would like to learn more about the Trekker Breeze, go to the following website:  www.humanware.com

March 26 - Nanaimo, BC

When I was a child, I used to think that people could either see or else they couldn’t.  They were either blind or sighted – there was no in between. Of course, that was presuming that I ever thought about vision loss at all!  Actually, I don’t remember ever thinking about vision loss. I didn’t give a thought as to the causes of blindness and I am not sure that vision impairment or partial sight ever crossed my conscious mind. As an adult who is now partially sighted, I am now more informed.  

Today as I walked with some members of NOVI (Nanaimo Organisation for the Visually Impaired) I was struck again by the vagaries of partial sight.  People who have partial sight see in so many different ways. There is blurred vision, tunnel vision, no central vision and so the list goes on. Today I learned about hemianopsia. Basically, it means half sight. This doesn’t mean monocular vision where a person sees with one eye and not the other. Rather, it is half sight in one or both eyes.  It might be that the person who has this condition can see only the left or right half of the field of vision in each eye, or perhaps only the top or bottom half of the field of vision. The other half is blacked out.

There were eight of us who walked along the seawall in Nanaimo today.  Our five canes tapped the way and we paused often to chat. The members of NOVI range in age from late twenties to early nineties, and indeed Elizabeth, age 90, was one of the walkers today. The group is a chapter of AEBC – Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians.  I hope to meet more members of this very active group as I continue my journey.

After the walk we stopped at a small coffee shop on the seawall to continue our visiting.  Thanks to Carolyn and the other members of NOVI for making me feel so much a part of the group as we discussed various eye conditions, accessibility to city facilities, and other accommodations available to people with vision loss.

Only three walks thus far and I have already made many new friends.

March 25 - Victoria, BC: The Second Leg

Sunday, March 25 was a truly spectacular day in Victoria. The sky was blue and the sun was shining down on the nine walkers as we set out from Mile 0 of the Trans Canada Highway. Susan and I led the way down Douglas Street with our white canes pointing forward.  Our sighted friends followed in a group behind.  The most enjoyable part of the afternoon for me was coffee time at an outside cafe following the walk.  The conversation was lively and I think we all learned something new and useful from the discussion.  Susan and Barb (Barb is the Orientation and Mobility specialist for CNIB on Vancouver Island) shared some of their insights on accessibility challenges.  We talked about audible signals at traffic lights and the placement and design of curb cut-outs at intersections.  We also talked about the importance of social support systems.  I am always grateful for the support that I receive from family and friends and can only hope to repay this in kind to others I meet on my life’s journey.

March 23 - The Journey Begins

...and what an amazing beginning this was! On Friday, March 23 my White Cane Connections Walks began in Sechelt, BC.  Mayor John Henderson declared the day to be White Cane Awareness Day in the district.  He presented me with a plaque to this effect and together we cut the red ribbon to mark the start of my journey.  The mayor and two members of Council participated in the walk, donning dark glasses to simulate blindness and vision impairment.  They used borrowed white canes and took the arm of a volunteer guide.

The crowd of twenty plus people formed a mini parade with an RCMP escort as we checked out the accessibility of the town streets.  In my books, the town would definitely score high marks.  The weather man gave the day the added icing to the cake with blue sky and brilliant sunshine.  Lyle and I are very grateful for the hospitality that was extended to us, including lunch with the mayor following our walk.

White Cane Awareness Day in Sechelt, BC

This community located on the Sunshine Coast of BC and with a population of approximately 9,000 is where I will begin my White Cane Connections walks. Bill Conway and his canine friend, Captain Midnight, have assured me of a warm welcome and I am excited about walking my first leg with them. Sechelt Mayor, John Henderson, is preparing to don a blindfold, and using a borrowed cane, will join us for the first block of this inaugural walk. The Town Council has declared Friday, March 23 as White Cane Awareness Day in Sechelt.

Following this propitious beginning, I have several walks planned for this area of British Columbia.