May 29 - Edmonton, AB

Today’s challenge was not so much concerned with sight as it was to do with the wind. Thanks to the brave souls – family, friends, CNIB staff and AMI media who braved the breeze. When we gathered at the steps of the Legislative Building, there were five of us using our white canes. Others in the group had come along either as sighted guides or just to add encouragement and support.

As we set off from the steps for an initial walk around the pond, we hit another challenge. It was a working day in the city and construction barred our path in a few instances. On the third encounter with the construction, we also needed to turn our backs to the dust kicked up by the wind.

I am noting the wind and the construction for a reason. When I am walking, I find that even with partial sight I need to concentrate on what I am doing and where I am. The wind and the construction were both added distractions. Today I walked with a sighted guide by my side and I was glad of it.

Today was also a day for catching up with friends. There was Bert – my first ever contact with CNIB and now a friend for the past 25 years. There was Janice who gave me my first lessons in mobility in the city using my white cane. Lastly, there was Carrie who encouraged me to use JAWS, the audible screen reading program on my computer. Today, Carrie was the reporter in the interview with AMI (Accessible Media Inc.) which took place prior to the walk.  

What a great reunion!

May 28 - Wetaskiwin, AB

When I am out with people, I often find it easier if those people realize that I have vision challenges. Using a white cane is one way to signal this to others, but there are other ways too. Guide dogs for the blind are a common association. Once on a bus in Australia, Lyle noticed a fellow passenger wearing a badge that stated he was a person with low vision. Today I walked in Wetaskiwin with Betty. Betty uses a walker and instead of a white cane, she used a sign strung on the handles of her walker. The sign read “Traveller with vision loss.” After all, it is pretty tricky to carry a cane and to also push along a walker when you have only two hands.  

After the walk, I was privileged to be invited to do a short presentation to Wetaskiwin City Council. Many thanks to Mayor Bill Elliot and the Council members for their warm welcome and for the interest shown in accessibility issues in the community.

Following is a picture of Betty, myself and our friend Ron on our walk today. In the background is Wetaskiwin’s very distinctive water tower.

May 26 & 27 - Sherwood Park & Drayton Valley, AB

What a great weekend! I have put both days together on the blog because on both days I walked with Amber and her guide dog, Tommy. Let me tell you a little about Amber.

I met Amber about three years ago when I was researching my book, Out of Sight. I was writing about sports minded people who were either blind or partially sighted and Amber fit that bill. Amber is completely without sight and she is also a competitive swimmer. Currently, Amber is vying for a spot on Canada’s paralympic team going to London this summer. I really wanted Amber to walk with me on this segment of the White Cane Connections Walks, so I was quite happy to fit the timing in with her training and swim meet schedule. She is a very busy young woman. I hope that you will read more of her story in Chapter 8 of my book, Out of Sight.

On Saturday, our little group walked around the area of Millennium Place – a first class sports facility in Sherwood Park.  Since last I saw them, Amber and Tommy have travelled extensively together and they make a good team. Nevertheless, I was curious at one point in our walk when Tommy stopped and began to look around him. He seemed nonplussed.  We had come to a point where the path ahead was covered with sand and gravel. I imagine that to Tommy it felt like a dead end. He began looking around for another way through to the continuation of the paved pathway. I was struck anew by the amazing intelligence of this black lab. He was an excellent guide.

In the afternoon, Amber was participating in a swim meet, and Lyle and I wanted to go as spectators.  Although I had written a little about Amber’s involvement in swimming, I had never actually seen her swim. We found a good spot on the viewing benches and Lyle described in detail what was going on. Amber’s parents were at each end of the pool to be her tappers, reaching out with a long pole to give her head a tap as she approached the concrete wall at the end of the pool. I was thrilled when amber easily won her 400-meter breaststroke heat competing against other swimmers who were sighted.  Later she told her dad that she had swum so hard that even her teeth hurt!

On Sunday, we received a warm welcome in Drayton Valley.  Local MLA, Diana McQueen and Mayor Moe Hamdon both joined our little group for the walk down the main street of town. I was very impressed by the audible signals on the traffic lights at each intersection. Well done, Drayton! Thanks also to Moe for treating us to ice cream when we gathered at the end of our walk. Thanks to everyone who joined me on the walks both in Sherwood Park and Drayton Valley. All in all, it was a great weekend.

The picture shows Amber and Tommy posing on the grass beside the path.

May 24 - Innisfail, AB

Prior to today’s walk, I had a call from a town representative who wanted to welcome me to Innisfail, but also to warm me that two of the downtown blocks were under road construction. I appreciated the call. Road and sidewalk construction can be confusing and sometimes hazardous for people with little or no sight. Today we were forewarned, but the topic of conversation for our little walking group often returned to the theme of accessibility. We were forewarned about the road construction, which was enclosed in its wire mesh cage, but were there other obstacles?

When I walk, I use my cane to detect any obstacles on the path in front of me. This works relatively well. However, it does not work at all for anything that protrudes into my path at shoulder or face level. We found this today when several times two of our party with the least sight were struck in the upper body with branches and hedges that grew out onto the sidewalk. (Normally a sighted guide would warn of these, but I think that we were all talking too much to be truly observant.) So, while we were careful to avoid the larger hazard of the construction area, we were not so fortunate as to escape the obstacles presented by the vegetation at the front of some private homes. Mel told us that once when he had been walking alone, the end of a branch had slashed his face to the point of bleeding.

The first picture shows Mel, myself, Mary, Linda, Diane and Ron in front of the construction barrier.

The second picture shows three of the cane walkers – Mel, myself and Mary crowded on the narrowed sidewalk beside an overgrown hedge.

Mary, thanks for planning our route around Innisfail today. Thanks also to the Trekker Breeze pedometer, which recorded that we walked for 4.4 kilometers.

The following is a link to the Innisfail Province with Sylvia Cole’s article published on May 15.  

http://www.innisfailprovince.ca/article/20120515/INN0801/305159989/0/inn

May 22 - Lacombe, AB

It was great walking in Lacombe today. For one thing, my friend Ron from our local support group came with us to walk and to cheer us on. For another thing, it was a chance to meet Brandon again. I had featured Brandon in my book Ex-sighted, A New Vision, but that was all of ten or so years ago. I remember him then as an energetic schoolboy, who was an absolute computer whiz. Today’s Brandon is still a technology expert and he has grown into a self-assured confident young man of twenty-three.

Brandon was born without sight and has had all of his young lifetime to adjust to this. He has done so by tackling anything and everything he has set his mind to. I remember the first time I visited Brandon’s family in Lacombe. I was quite astounded to learn how active Brandon was. He was quite accustomed to riding his bike and to running around outside. He was even getting ready to go downhill skiing on a school excursion. Of course you can read more about this in Chapter 6 of my book.

Today I learned that Brandon is still using his white cane when he is out and about by himself. He likes to travel and although he likes animals, and indeed there are two dogs on the family acreage, at this point in time Brandon has decided that a guide dog is not for him.

One of Brandon’s pastimes is to play his guitar. He began playing when an instructional course was offered in his Grade 11 high school year and Brandon is now a proficient musician.  Currently Brandon is enrolled in an on-line computer technology course which he hopes to complete by June.

 As a special surprise for Brandon today, Deb - Brandon’s former aide from school days, came to walk and act as his guide. You will see us all in the picture below. 

From left to right, there is Brandon, Deb, myself and my friend, Ron. It was a great day for walking in Lacombe. 

May 15 - Ponoka, AB

I was pretty nervous about today, but Ponoka didn’t let me down. A crowd of over forty people joined with me to celebrate the Ponoka segment of the White Cane Connections Walk. I was so appreciative of everyone who had come to support both me personally, and to lend their encouragement to the continuation of the White Cane project. We were joined by Ponoka Town Council member, John Jacobs, and by CNIB representative, Tracey Harrison.

The weather was perfect for our leisurely stroll around town. Tracey had brought along pairs of glasses, which simulated different eye conditions, and several people tried these out as we walked. Others took a turn using the Trekker Breeze I have on loan from Humanware. When we arrived back at the Anglican Church Hall, we sat down to a super lunch prepared by the Anglican women.

All in all, it was an amazing morning. As I continue on in my journey, I know that I will remember this day as an inspiration and a motivation to keep walking and, as Bill from Sechelt has often encouraged me, to keep my white cane polished and pointing forward.

Thanks, Dorothy for spear heading the Ponoka walk today, and thanks to Maxine and the Anglican Church Women for preparing and providing the lunch. Thanks to everyone who participated!

The first picture shows Councilor John Jacobs greeting the walkers. Dorothy, who emceed the event is wearing a White Cane Connections vest and is standing to John’s left. 

 

In this second picture, I am leading the crowd at the beginning of our walk.

May 6 - Marking the Place

I have bookmarks! I am quite excited by this. They are the same colour green as the vest that I wear when I am walking and I am eager to give some away when next I walk. I am delighted that the White Cane Connections project is becoming more and more of a group effort.

The picture I have included here shows three friends – Liz, Betty and Dorothy – on a small work bee tying coloured ribbons to the top of the bookmarks.  Be sure to ask for one of these mementos when you walk with me.