When
my sight first changed, I found that walking in a straight line with my
cane could sometimes be difficult. My mobility instructor suggested
that I use the tip of my white cane long the “shoreline.”
I
was confused. At the time we were walking along an inside hallway of a
CNIB building. What did Janice mean by the “shoreline”? She explained
that the shoreline was simply the edge of the path. Inside it might be
where the carpet meets the wall. Outside it might be where the
pavement meets the grass.
I found this
suggestion very helpful, although it doesn’t apply everywhere and in all
locations. If you are a white cane user you will know that there are
many wide surfaces without an obvious shoreline, such as an airport
terminal, a shopping plaza, a playground or a park.
I
often think of this first white cane mobility lesson when Lyle and I
are actually on the shore of the ocean. That is where the following
picture was taken. I am standing on a sandy beach with small waves
rippling towards my feet. The edge is not so clearly defined. I know I
will have “crossed the line” when my feet actually get wet.
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| Sue with white cane at the shorline |
