July 3 - If You Don’t Use It, You... ?

If you have been following this page from the beginning, it’s possible that you might remember that I use a Trekker Breeze. This device was donated to me by Humanware when I began the White Cane Connections project in 2012.  The Trekker is truly an amazing little gadget. For someone who is without usable sight, the Trekker is more than a gadget. It is an essential navigational tool.

The Trekker Breeze is basically a walking GPS system. The user can plot and follow directions to specific destinations. Landmarks can be located and distances calculated. I especially like the pedometer feature. In the pedestrian mode, the Trekker gives audible information at each intersection. The Trekker can also be used in vehicles so that blind bus passengers can listen for a particular bus stop. The Trekker doesn’t replace a white cane or guide dog. Those ordinary safety measures for crossing streets and other areas of mobility should be used in combination with the Trekker – not as a replacement.

In the beginning I used my Trekker Breeze regularly, but in 2014 I was lax in its use. Last year we travelled a lot out of the country and because I don’t have the maps for countries outside of North America, this past year, by Trekker spent some time sitting on the shelf.  When I picked up the Trekker again this spring, I found it difficult to remember the codes for all the different applications. So goes the saying – If you don’t use it, you lose it! I needed to relearn before I could reuse!

I think that this is true for many of the technical items we now have at our fingertips. For instance, when I am at home I use a desktop computer with an audible program. When I am away, I use a lap top computer with the same audible program. However, the audio program with my desktop is a much older version than the one I use with the laptop and both employ slightly different keystroke commands. Each time when I change from one system to the other, I find I need to spend a little time to get things straight again.

I think that my point of this post is to remind myself, and perhaps others who are dependent on technical devices, that it is important to keep up with their use.

The picture with this post is one of me with the Trekker Breeze on my belt. I have included it here so that, in case you haven’t seen a Trekker before, you will be able to see how portable and handy it is to wear and carry.  Basically, the exterior just looks like a small camera case.

Sue walking with the Trekker Breeze