March 20 - Research and Blindness

I try to keep up with current research in the field of blindness and low vision.  For the most part this research is quite impersonal.  Not so anymore!  Several years ago I met Peter, who is a participant in some cutting edge research in Melbourne, Australia.

 

Lyle often points out other white cane users to me.  Several years ago he noticed a man walking with his white cane on the beach. Because we often come to the same area in Australia, I was able to introduce myself.  Since then, I usually make it a point to seek out Peter whenever we are in Australia.  Peter is completely without sight and we often discuss issues related to blindness and low vision.

Two years ago, Peter heard an announcement on the radio asking for participants for some experimental research about a bionic eye. There was a phone number and Peter called in to see if he qualified.  He did.

Peter had to meet certain criteria to be selected for the research.  For example, he must have had some sight at one point and some memory of seeing.  The procedure involves inserting a chip in the brain.  This chip would receive messages from a miniature camera at the front of the eye.  The chip makes contact with nerves that allow the brain to process information about the light that has been received through the camera.

So far, there has just been an exchange of paper work and consent forms, but this coming May, Peter will be travelling to Melbourne for his first MRI. One of the challenges of the research is to determine the optimum location of the chip in the brain, and the placement of the miniature camera.

It’s exciting for Peter to have this possibility of some sight ahead of him. Knowing Peter personally it is exciting for me to follow the outcome of this research. You can read more by looking at http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/bionic-eye/4570686

March 5 - Spectacular Sydney Harbour

Sydney Harbour is spectacular. There is really no other word for it. The Harbour Bridge spans the water like a huge coat hanger and the green and yellow ferries chug back and forth beneath its expanse.  The Sydney Opera House is a focal point on the harbour, standing at the far end of Bennelong Point.  From there it is a leisurely walk around the water’s edge by the Botanical Gardens to Woolloomooloo.  Don’t you just love the sound of that name!

Today Lyle and I found ourselves back at Circular Quay.  I always enjoy spending time around the harbour.  However, on days when cruise ships are in, the tourist population swells and I find navigating with my white cane more difficult.  Generally speaking, tourists tend to gaze at the sights rather than where they are walking.  They don’t see me and I don’t see them!

I would also like to mention something else spectacular with today’s post.  You might remember that I have previously written about the importance of support groups. Today I want to say a special hello to a spectacular support group in Southern Alberta. I know that the group follows this blog at their regular meetings and I want to say thank you. The group call themselves the Spectaculars.  Now isn’t that just a perfect name for a support group for people who have sight challenges? 

I am attaching two photos with this post.  The first is of the Sydney Harbour Bridge taken on our ferry ride across the harbour.  The second is of the Sydney Opera House.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Opera House

February 28 - Shipwrecks

Lyle and I are back in Australia. We have been here for a few days now and I must admit that the weather is close to perfect. As I am writing this, we have just returned from our daily walk along the beach.  I love these beach walks, not only for the obvious reason of salty fresh air and warm sunshine, but also for the fact that I can usually walk without using my cane.  With bare feet, I can feel the firm sand left by the outgoing tide. Still, I don’t think that I would try the “no cane” thing unless I had someone with me. The constant tides leave changes on the shoreline that vary from one day to the next.

The past few days have been typical of this. On our early morning walk, we discovered multiple lumps of what appeared to be coral or broken reef. Some of the greyish white lumps were the size of my fist and in other places they were scattered like pebbles. I walked very gingerly indeed.

Lyle and I haven’t positively identified this new debris on the sand but we suspect that it might have broken off from one of the shipwrecks that lie off this part of the coastline between Newcastle and Sydney. Over the years there have been over one hundred wrecks, with the earliest one recorded in 1852 and the most recent in 1951. Some of these underwater ghosts are a tourist attraction for divers but for the average tourist like me, the wrecks remain unobtrusive and anonymous.

The Great Barrier Reef doesn’t extend to this part of New South Wales, but there are still parts of the coastline where it is possible to imagine ships running aground.  Following are two pictures taken near Wamberal Beach which on the Central Coast a hundred kilometres north of Sydney.  This is the closest beach to where we are staying.

The first picture is of a rocky outcrop near the end of our beach walk.  The second picture shows me standing on the rocks.

Beach close to Wamberal Beach

Sue on rocks

February 18 - Purse to Pocket

This past week I have been thinking about mobility. I have been reflecting on the small accommodations I have made over the years since the day of my initial vision loss. Generally speaking, when I could drive myself around, I would carry a large purse which acted as a catch all for all kinds of little odds and ends.

The transition from purse to pocket came gradually. I am a little shamefaced to admit that when I was first introduced to a white cane, I used a fold up kind, which I tucked inside my purse. Yes, I know. It didn’t do me any good to have it there, but it was out of sight and initially that was the way I wanted it. However, when it became clear to me that I needed to use a cane as much for my own safety as anything, the purse became a hindrance.

These days, I like to have my hands free of nonessential encumbrances.  This way I can hold my white cane in my right hand and if I need to do so, I can take a guide’s arm with my left. Gone are the days when I carried a purse over my arm.

Additionally, in those early days of vision loss when I was no longer able to drive, I found that I was walking more. The purse and its contents were heavy. I tried solving the problem by switching to a backpack but this was also added weight and soon I began sorting through the contents to see what it was that I really needed to carry around with me. Eventually, I found that I could put most of this – door keys, a small amount of cash and an ID card, in a pocket.

It’s been an interesting transition from purse to pocket and one which didn’t happen overnight. I think that my biggest transition was one of self-image.  I have needed to develop new ways of thinking. I needed to balance the fact of my vision impairment against a wish to retain my independence. It’s been an interesting journey and it’s not over yet!

February 2 - Suggested Reading

This past week, I listened to Thunder Dog, a book by Michael Hingson. The book is an autobiographical account of a man who is blind and his various companion guide dogs.  Thanks to my friend Bill for suggesting this book to me. Bill is also blind and experiences much of the sighted world through the eyes of his canine guide.

Thunder Dog is non-fiction. The book tells the story of Michael’s escape from the World Trade Centre following the terrorist attack on September 11. It is an account of courage, trust and teamwork as Michael and his faithful guide, Roselle, descended the 1,463 stairs from the 78 floor of Tower 1 and then made their way through the dust choked streets when Tower 2 collapsed into rubble, choking dust, and flying debris. In the course of Michael’s account, the reader also meets some of the people who were there on that harrowing day. We meet some of the survivors and encounter others who undoubtedly perished in the tragedy. 

However, the book is more than an account of 9/11. In the course of the telling, Michael gives us a glimpse into his life. He tells the reader about growing up in a small town through to his life as a working adult in a high level job in New York City. He tells us about his excitement in acquiring his very first guide dog through to his relationship with Roselle, the dog who guided him out of the Trade Centre disaster. He mentions training of guide dogs, his experiences with Braille and assistive devices, and much more.

Although for myself, I didn’t experience any vision loss until I was an adult, and then only to the extent of vision impairment or legal blindness, I found that I could identify with many of Michael’s thoughts and insights. There were also points in the book where I didn’t quite agree with the views presented.  Whichever way you look at it, this book is thought provoking and one can’t help but be inspired by Michael’s courage, determination, confidence and independent spirit.

Thunder Dog is available from the audio collection of the CNIB Library.

January 29 - I Can Hear You Smile

Did you know that when you speak to me I can hear whether or not you are smiling? I might not be able to see your face or the laugh lines at the corners of your eyes, but I can tell from the inflexion of your voice if you are smiling and happy when you are talking with me. It’s actually quite easy. If you are blind, you will know this truth already. If you are sighted, I invite you to try this out by simply closing your eyes and listening. You might even try to hear different emotions in someone’s voice just by listening.

I don’t think that my sense of hearing dramatically improved when my sense of sight decreased.  Instead, I think that I might have learned to listen more attentively. I think that this often happens when someone can’t see. We learn to rely on other senses and so we learn to develop them more fully.

There are common myths surrounding sight and hearing. While there is sometimes the mistaken belief that hearing increases in direct proportion to the loss of sight, at the other end of the spectrum, there is an erroneous belief that loss of sight also means loss of hearing and intellect. Neither is necessarily so. There is no need to speak more slowly or to raise one’s voice when speaking with someone who cannot see.

I wish that I could also communicate my smile with the printed word or computer generated voice on this blog.  I am smiling as I am writing this. Today is a beautiful winter day with the beginning of some warmth from the sun after the dead of winter. I am happy and I am smiling. Can you hear me when I smile?

January 3 - Happy New Year

Happy New Year for 2014! I have hung my calendars on the wall but still I often find the beginning of a new year a time to make some small adjustments. I must try to remember to write the proper year on my cheques. I always struggle with this in the first part of the year. I still use the regular sized cheque blanks under my CCTV Reader although I know that I can order large sized cheque books through different banking institutions. I have bank accounts at two banks and I like to go to the tellers who know me. They are very helpful in pointing to the places where I need to sign and in reading any account information that I might happen to need before I come home to my audible and magnifying equipment.

The New Year started well for our local support group. Our members were invited to attend a New Year’s turkey dinner put on by Tom and Michelle at the Old Iron Horse Restaurant. This is the second year that Tom and Michelle have provided this community service. At this year’s lunch, those who attended were invited to give a goodwill offering as a fundraiser for playground equipment at the nearby Ermineskin Elementary School. The turkey dinner itself was free of charge. The restaurant was full, the dinner was excellent and Tom and Michelle deserve a huge thank you for fostering community spirit in this way.

I wish each of you the best of health and happiness as we journey together into 2014, sharing our thoughts and experiences through the medium of this blog of White Cane Connections.

There are two pictures below. The first is of Tom and Michelle, hosts of the New Year’s dinner and the second shows some of their guests from the White Cane support group. 

Tom and Michelle

 

White Cane support group