> What are three top struggle when you going outside (with a cane)?

 

* Catching cracks in the pavement and bending or otherwise damaging canes

* Missing down curbs because I'm trying to go too fast and tripping

* Running into hanging obstacles like branches or low hanging signs that my cane can't catch because it is at my hip

 

> How often do you leave your known area?

 

Relatively often, I live in a large metropolitan area and have to do things all over the place, I also travel outside of my city multiple times a year.

 

> Which barrier do you face when you want to explore unknown area's?

 

A lack of audible/ tactile, or in my case some larger more noticeable visible landmarks (if the lighting is conducive to the vision I do have) as well as a lack of knowledge when it comes to the street layouts. Traveling in my home area is pretty easy, traveling in other areas requires a lot more planning which could include reviewing directions and using GPS either on my phone or through my Humanware Trekker Breeze Plus visually impaired GPS unit.

 

> What kind of mobile phone do you use? Is it a regular cellphone or a smartphone?

 

I use a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, it's a smartphone, I will probably be changing it out for an iPhone this coming January when I am due for an upgrade because of accessibility issues.

 

> What kind of traffic situations in your daily life frustrate you or do you try to avoid?

 

My biggest issue is people not following traffic laws. I'm not just talking running lights or stop signs (although that is an issue that freaks me out), it's also people freezing up and not going when they are supposed to. The cane puts drivers in a panic I guess but it ends up causing me a lot of confusion because I was trained to know when it is safe to go without having to depend on visual queues and when people don't do what they are supposed to do assuming that I am going to just walk out it causes much more confusion. If everyone just stops and goes when they are supposed to it makes my life a lot easier. I don't avoid anything though, if I want to go somewhere I try not to let things like traffic navigation get in the way, I have had the training I need to do it safely, it's just a matter of executing.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Edit: Wording/ grammar

1.What are three top struggle when you going outside (with a cane)?

A) Drains sometimes give issues, but not that often.

B) When on the beach, in the woods, or on a worksite, it's difficult to catch every rock, branch, or piece of rebar / random saws lying around.

2.How often do you leave your known area?

What counts as a known area? I travel between WA and CA pretty often for work, and just starting exploring around where I stay in CA. Otherwise I stay to my few local towns.

3.Which barrier do you face when you want to explore unknown area's?

Some things that always make me pause and reconsider entering a place are those removable lines, (the posts with the things that unwind and attach them), and large open areas populated with somewhat moving agro, such as chairs, people, or cars / equipment.

4.What kind of mobile phone do you use? Is it a regular cellphone or a smartphone?

Isn't a smartphone the new regular type of phone? IPhone 6, 16 GB, need to upgrade to a 6S sometime soon though, mines starting to go.

5.What kind of traffic situations in your daily life frustrate you or do you try to avoid?

I wish I can upload an image, but that would give away too much of where I live. Imagine a 4 way intersection. We come down from the north on the east side of the street, and cross to the south eastern corner. Going the other way, we just go the other way.

All of these streets are technically 2 lane, but the eastern street has a 3 lane "parking lot" exit, which makes that crossing 5 lanes wide.

The cars going south from north line up at the northern edge of the eastern street, even though the western street is only 2 lanes, so the corner is much further south.

There are no beepers, and the light is too far for me to see.

A car or two can be driving from south to north, and if I start crossing right as they hit the intersection, a car that's been waiting at the north to turn east may be waiting in the middle of the intersection by the time I hit the south eastern corner.

So, I'm almost certain people frequently run the lights, and the corners are so awkwardly set, it's a nightmare.

I have to make this crossing at least twice a week, sometimes 4 times.