July 2 - Photographs

My friend, Ron, is getting ready to put his home on the market and downsize to something smaller. Consequently, he is in the process of clearing out the excesses from his home of umpteen dozen years. The most difficult of the decisions he is making in this process is the sorting through of old photographs. Which ones should he keep and which ones go to the discard pile?

Ron has sight challenges. He told me that most of his photos are very blurry and this is not due to the lack of skill of the photographer. Ron’s eyes just don’t see detail any more.  However, of the few pictures that he can make out, they bring back memories.

I understand Ron’s difficulty. I have a shoe box full of old photos. I can’t really see any of them and yet I hate to throw them out. I know that many have special memories...but which ones? When Lyle describes the picture to me, I can usually remember the occasion. This is often what happens when I post old travel photos on this blog.

I think that the best photos are photos where I keep the image in my mind.  Maybe when COVID is behind us, I will arrange a family day where everyone can sort through my old photos. The ones that family choose not to keep might well end up in my own discard pile.

 

June 23 - Riddles

Question: What goes up a chimney but can’t come down a chimney up? 

Answer: An umbrella.

 

I have a hard time explaining this riddle to our granddaughter. For starters, I don’t use an umbrella, and secondly, neither of our houses have those big wide fireplaces and chimneys that would accommodate an umbrella whether it was either up or down.

 

I think that my riddle and answer might be this.

Question? How many hands does a blind person need to hold an umbrella?

My answer? Two hands just aren’t enough.

 

Of course, this last question isn’t really a riddle, but it is a bit of a conundrum on a rainy day. When I am holding my white cane in my right hand, I find it difficult to hold anything else in my left. Walking and holding an umbrella up in one hand and a cane down in the other is just plain awkward. For that matter, I don’t bother with a purse or handbag either. I much prefer a small backpack. So, on rainy days, you will see me in my all purpose raincoat with its hood and no umbrella in sight.

 

Here is another riddle.

Question? What is black and white and red all over?

Answer: Well, in my day the answer would be a newspaper.

 

Again, this answer is beyond what my granddaughter would think. They don’t use newspapers in their house. Instead, the news comes on a screen – TV, ipad, cell phone, laptop, etc.

So, Lexi came up with her own answer.

“Nana, is it a red panda?” (Lexi had been to the zoo the day before and seen the pandas so I guess they were still on her mind.)

When I shook my head, she beamed a huge smile and said,

“Oh, I know, of course, it’s a sunburned zebra!”

 

So much for riddles and the modern generation!

June 13 - White Cane Connections The media

This week, Lyle and I are going on a little road trip around southern Alberta. We will stop at Claresholm, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat – all places that bring back good memories from our walks in 2012.

The 2012 walk in Claresholm was organized by my friend, Joyce. At the time, Joyce was the facilitator of the support group there. The troops of white cane users and their friends had rallied around and Joyce had also invited representatives of the local newspaper. At Joyce’s invitation, I had walked with this group before at CNIB fund raising events, and also been a guest speaker at their support group meetings. It was good to see old friends and we will stop to see Joyce again on this trip – only outside visiting of course!

In Lethbridge, I remember that it rained – one of the very few days that we hit inclement weather for our walks. Fortunately, we were a small group that day and we were able to change the location of the walk to a more sheltered location. It was here that I met Matthew and Cory. Cory had very limited sight and Matthew had no sight. Both were young men, possibly in their twenties, and it was on this walk that I became more acquainted with the challenges of gaining employment faced by young blind and partially sighted Canadians. Both Matthew and Cory had excellent computer skills but at the time of our walk, neither had been able to find work. I was able to put forth this problem later in our time in Lethbridge when I was interviewed by AMI, the accessible TV channel. Thanks to Bob Short of Lethbridge who arranged both this and an interview with the Lethbridge newspaper.

In Medicine Hat, we were able to connect with our friend, Norma. Norma, blind herself, is a keen advocate on behalf of people who are blind or partially sighted. During our few days in Medicine Hat, Norma arranged to introduce us to her friend at the local radio station. I had been interviewed on radio before but only for short clips while standing on street corners and once by phone from my home. This was my first time in the studio. It was memorable.

After I had donned the head phones and fronted up to the microphone, the announcer told me that I would have two minutes to explain my walks. As it turned out, the two minutes extended for another ten. When I was asked about the challenges of crossing busy intersections in city streets, I happened to mention the benefits of audible pedestrian signals at traffic lights. Wouldn’t you know it but that the city had just that week installed audible signals at an intersection in the downtown area where I was to walk the next day. It was definitely a current topic for the radio interview.

On the whole, the media were very kind and supportive of my venture to spread an awareness of the use of white canes. At this point, I must mention two of the most impressive interviews for me. A young reporter in Outlook, Saskatchewan and another, a young woman in Waterloo, Ontario, presented me with the most thoughtful and insightful questions about blindness, partial sight and the challenges and accomplishments of people who use white canes. These two interviews and the subsequent press releases stand out in my recollections even these nine years later.

There has been much criticism of the media in current times but I must say that my experiences were good. Through the various forms – print, TV and radio – it was a privilege for me to be able to present myself as a white cane user and to talk about all that the white cane has meant to me and to others who are blind or partially sighted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 6 - White Cane Connections - The Trails

Although I began my cross Canada walks in 2012, it was nearly a year before that time when I began thinking of the idea of a larger project. I remember that I had been walking with Lyle on a trail that was unfamiliar to us both. The gravel path was uneven and I was having trouble following the surface with my white cane. I found myself wondering how my cane might respond to different surfaces. Indeed, were there ground surfaces that would render my cane ineffective? Where could I go to test out some of these surfaces? Did other white cane users experience the same challenges as I did? As I pondered the answers to these questions, a potential plan began to take shape in my mind. It would still be several months before this vague idea became more concrete and the White Cane Connections walks were set in motion.

I suppose that in a way my white cane journey started even years before that. My sight changed when I was a young adult and using a cane was an evolving learning experience. I began my life as a partially sighted person with an identity cane. This cane was small, light weight and for my purposes pretty useless. For the few times that I ventured outside with it, I found the cane not at all helpful. I didn’t feel safe. Sure, possibly others might notice the cane and identify me as someone with limited sight but the cane wasn’t long enough to help me move around safely and independently.

It was actually several years after that inauspicious beginning when a CNIB staff person noticed my discomfort with the identity cane. She suggested that I try the longer mobility cane. At first I was hesitant. I had been so frustrated with the smaller white stick that I carried around. Now here was this woman suggesting that I carry an even larger one. Still, in the office that day I was prepared to give it a go. After five minutes of instruction, my world changed. I think that I even shed a few tears of relief. The freedom of independent mobility offered by the cane was tremendous.

It was a rocky start but over the years, my awkwardness in handling the cane has gradually dissipated. In 2012, I was even excited to think that I would be testing my cane over so many different terrains. In the year of the White Cane Connections, I walked my cane over city sidewalks, pavements of irregular brickwork, pressed dirt and  gravel. I travelled across Canada stopping to walk in over 80 cities, towns, villages, parks and hamlets. Sometimes Lyle and I walked alone and at most other times we walked with groups of other white cane users.

I was always interested to hear their personal stories, but past this the conversation nearly always got around to tales of accessibility. What were the areas of their locale that were either inaccessible or unfriendly for people who used a cane or other mobility device? Were paving stones uneven so that canes were caught in the cracks? Were there audible signals as well as visual prompts on traffic lights?  Were fire hydrants, signs, trees, shrubbery, lamp posts situated inappropriately on sidewalks for people with low or no vision? Were there areas in the neighbourhood where improvements could be made? Had these issues been brought to the attention of local councils? Would our white cane walks serve to bring an awareness to people who were in a position to make changes?

As I think back, I am pleased to report that on a number of occasions, the White Cane Connections Walks did make a difference. Promises and changes were made. Perhaps when you are out walking this week on the trail in your neighbourhood you might keep an eye out for obstacles that might be a challenge for the blind and partially sighted community. Let’s all work together to make our trails accessible for everyone.

 

May 29 - White Cane Connections – The People

Since writing the last post on this blog, I have been thinking of the many people I met on my 2012 white cane journey. Many of the names have drifted to the back of my memory bank, but I remember the connections we made. The people I met were supportive and encouraging. Without exception, they were enthusiastic about spreading an awareness of what the white cane means to people who are blind and partially sighted.

This enthusiasm was immediately evident when Bill, a complete stranger at the time, got wind of my proposed trek and contacted me to ask what he could do to help. After persuading me to begin my white cane walks in his hometown of Seschelt, Bill whirled into action. At this point, I must mention that Bill was completely blind. He didn’t use a white cane himself but used the “eyes” of his guide dog.

Before I arrived, Bill planned a walking route, contacted media, made a presentation to the town council and arranged for several councilors to join the walk on the big day. Somehow or other, he managed to talk the mayor into not only joining us but into wearing a blindfold, using a white cane and being led by a sighted guide. Bill made sure that the route we were to follow passed by several sidewalk obstacles – broken pavement and overhanging branches – obstacles which he pointed out to town representatives. Members of Bill’s support group joined the walk as did members of the local Legion and Lions Groups. Shop Owners who had been alerted in advance, applauded and cheered us as we walked by. The day was a huge success.

Bill’s generosity of spirit was fairly typical of the people I met.  Bill asked nothing in return for his efforts.  In supporting me, he was part of a venture which supported an awareness of the challenges of people with limited or no sight. The White Cane Connections walk was his way of contributing.

There were many other people who lent their support as I made my way across the country and it was a privilege to hear their personal stories. People in every province had something to offer.

 

In British Columbia, I walked along the seawall with members of the Nanaimo CCB chapter. I walked with Sue and her guide dog in Osoyoos. After a walk around downtown Golden, Lyle and I were treated to a meal by fellow white cane user, Lesley and her husband.

In Alberta, I sat beside my friend, Dorothy as she tied tiny ribbons to the ends of hundreds of book marks that I planned to distribute on my walks. Dorothy followed my blog entries with supportive comments of my progress for my entire journey.

In Saskatchewan, I walked with a group around the lake trail in Regina and then chatted over coffee and goodies in the CNIB auditorium.

In Manitoba, a group of us followed the CNIB rabbit mascot on one of the windiest days of the walks. This was also a special day because our daughter-in-law joined us for the walk.

In Ontario, I especially remember walking in Kingston. It was here that the father of the four-year old whom I mentioned in my last post, insisted on handing me a $20 bill. He wanted to support the walk to promote an awareness of white cane users. He said that although his son was only four, as his boy grew older he would benefit from what we were doing that day and he wanted to do his part.

In Quebec, we stopped in at Drummondville and met the president and staff members of HumanWare.  This organization gears its business to creating innovative devices and software programs for people who “See Things Differently”. Their home page mission statement says it all.

In New Brunswick I walked around the streets of Moncton with two delightful women who explained to me the challenges for people with disabilities when it came to getting around their city.

In PEI, after walking around the historic downtown area of Charlottetown, we were treated to conversation and lobster rolls by David and David. Thank you so much!

In Halifax, Nova Scotia, I was able to talk with a support group of newly blind adults and later met with Leona. I knew Leona from our shared connection with CNIB in Alberta  

In Cape Breton, I met Louise, the national president of CCB. With her friends and members of the blind and partially sighted curling team, we walked around Sydney and shared stories over coffee and muffins.

Finally in Newfoundland, we walked around St. John’s. It was only days after a summer hurricane, and the streets were littered with fallen branches. The group I met there pointed out some of the more permanent obstacles to pedestrians with sight challenges.

I know that this list seems long, but I have scarcely touched the surface. Lyle and I walked in over eighty communities and met hundreds of people who shared in our enthusiasm to spread an awareness of the challenges faced by people who used a white cane as a mobility tool.  These were the people who were the connections in my White Cane Connections Walks. Thank you all so much!

May 18 - White Cane Connections

 

It has been just over nine years since I began my white cane walks across Canada. It has also been just over nine years since I first started writing this blog. The other day I was sorting through by collection of mementos from that time and I came across the page that listed my original goals for the white cane connections walks.

High on my list of priorities was a desire to connect with other people who were either blind or partially sighted. In the relatively small town where I was living, I knew of a few other people with limited sight, but at the time, I was the only one who needed to use a white cane. I wanted to meet other people with my shared background and to hear their stories. How did they cope? Were they living in isolation or did they have support networks in place? Were they new to the use of the white cane or was the cane a long-term mobility tool for them?

At the beginning of my journey, I wasn’t at all sure how I would make any connections at all. I was a CNIB client but CNIB upper echelons told me there were issues of confidentiality. This would prevent them from giving out names or contact information of other clients. My only hope was that each individual office would pass along my own information and route itinerary. Some CNIB Staff were super helpful and others were dismissive.  I also contacted the national president of CCB (Canadian Council for the Blind) to enlist her support. This organization was very helpful in assisting me in making connections with other white cane users.

But that was just the details of planning and organizing my project. Success came when I was able to meet with those people who came to walk with me. I was fascinated by the stories they told and by the general air of enthusiasm when it came to spreading an awareness of the white cane and its significance.

Even these nine years later, some connections stand out for me. I walked alongside a four-year-old boy who had been blind since birth. I walked beside four people in their nineties. One woman encouraged me to come back the following year when she would turn one hundred. I walked beside several people who came with their guide dogs, and one woman with mobility issues and who accompanied me on her scooter. All were supportive and seemed to be pleased to be contributing to a project that would spread an awareness of people who needed to use a white cane.

However, I think that there was one connection that, for me, made the whole journey worthwhile. I was nearly halfway through my route in Ontario. As I chatted with one of the walkers in the group, I learned that this was the first time ever that she had ventured out of her home using her cane. Until that day, she had been apprehensive, nervous and even embarrassed, but the thought of walking with others who also used a white cane had given her the incentive and the courage she needed to take that first step.

I recalled my own first ventures outside my home using my cane. I had the same misgivings. I am glad that the white cane connections walks were instrumental in providing a pathway for this woman to begin her journey towards independent mobility. If the white cane connections walks touched the lives of others, my life was also touched by the people I met along the way. It has been difficult to make any connections in the past months of the pandemic, but 2012 was a great year for making white cane connections.

May 1 - Spring

Spring has sprung. The air is fragrant and the colours are vibrant. I do find it difficult to discern the different colours of the various flowers, but there is no doubt that they are in bloom. Their fragrance gives them away. They are one of the reasons I so enjoy this season.

In spring, my senses seem to come alive. No longer do I need to bundle up and cover my face against the cold icy frost of winter. Instead I can feel the cool crisp air of early morning or the warmth of the afternoon sun on my skin. I even like the occasional rain that comes with the season.

The songbirds, too, recognize the changes that are brought about by the warmer weather. I was delighted a couple of weeks ago when the first of the returning Canada geese flew overhead. A woodpecker has built a new nest along the street and I often hear his drumming in the morning or late afternoon. I can’t see the smaller birds but Lyle watches for the first robin to appear on our lawn.

Even walking in the streets downtown has a different ambiance. I hear the voices of people visiting on open air patios and I can definitely smell the freshly brewed coffee.

Yes, I do enjoy spring weather. Next to summer it is my favourite season.

There are two pictures with this post. Both were taken in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. I find it difficult to distinguish the deeper red and purple hues so I have chosen two pictures that show blooms with bright yellow and contrasting orange. I just wish that I could add the fragrance of the flowers for you as well.

Flowers along a path

Flowers around a tree