Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Canes Users, What are your thoughts on your Cane? How can transportation/mobility for V.I be improved? (self.Blind)
submitted by Morris_Design
Hi,
I am looking for some research on canes. I would like to know everyones thoughts on their own personal canes, for instance: How do they assist you daily? How effective do you think your cane is? What problems/difficulties do you have with your cane? How does it make you feel using a cane? Are you confident in using your cane?
I would love to hear what your thoughts and insights! I am looking to improve transport/mobility aids for the visually impaired. All feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks :)
I am looking for some research on canes. I would like to know everyones thoughts on their own personal canes, for instance: How do they assist you daily? How effective do you think your cane is? What problems/difficulties do you have with your cane? How does it make you feel using a cane? Are you confident in using your cane?
I would love to hear what your thoughts and insights! I am looking to improve transport/mobility aids for the visually impaired. All feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks :)
Marconius 7 points 6y ago
When I was dealing with Low Vision before going blind, I definitely didn't want to use the cane since I saw it as a marker of something being wrong and of something I can never come back from. It was embarrassing, but after trying out an ID cane for a week or two and noticing the immediate difference in the way I was able to get around areas when being guided, it open my mind a bit more to actually using the cane, especially when my vision failed me completely.
My cane now signifies independence, it is and immediate tool that I use as my eyes when navigating around. I don't personally think much needs to be changed about the canes; the materials available are strong and light, perhaps the grips could be looked at for ergonomic issues especially when dealing with long periods of use, The colors should not be changed as the color it self identifies exactly what the cane is being used for and keeps it as a high visibility tool when navigating at night, and all of the various materials for the tips that I have used have worked wonderfully well.
Rather than focusing on the canes, focus should be shifted to making sidewalks universal and even, making a concerted effort to fix them when they are broken or improperly designed, making sure major intersections have street crossing beacons, curb cuts having tactile mats, having tactile markers installed to help guide independent Cain Travellers through locations such as train stations or around buildings. Definitely not so much as the canes need to be changed as more of the environmental issues concerning obstacles and blockers to independent travel.
My cane now signifies independence, it is and immediate tool that I use as my eyes when navigating around. I don't personally think much needs to be changed about the canes; the materials available are strong and light, perhaps the grips could be looked at for ergonomic issues especially when dealing with long periods of use, The colors should not be changed as the color it self identifies exactly what the cane is being used for and keeps it as a high visibility tool when navigating at night, and all of the various materials for the tips that I have used have worked wonderfully well.
Rather than focusing on the canes, focus should be shifted to making sidewalks universal and even, making a concerted effort to fix them when they are broken or improperly designed, making sure major intersections have street crossing beacons, curb cuts having tactile mats, having tactile markers installed to help guide independent Cain Travellers through locations such as train stations or around buildings. Definitely not so much as the canes need to be changed as more of the environmental issues concerning obstacles and blockers to independent travel.
Morris_Design [OP] 1 points 6y ago
Thanks for your feedback,
I was intrigued to find out was users really thought about canes as there is not a lot of information out there even though canes seem to be one of the most used mobility aids. I think you are completely right in saying that it signifies independence. As a designer I wish to try and create a product that gives more independence and confidence to people living with visual impairment. As you mention that canes seem to work proficiently I may sway away from trying to improve mobility although I still have some ideas in mind.
Another area I have been looking at is information accessibility for the Visually Impaired. As someone with no visual impairment I always wonder about the placement of braille on information boards or lifts etc. It seems to me that the inconsistency of the placement and how often it is available is just unreliable. What do you feel about the reliability of this medium of information?
I was intrigued to find out was users really thought about canes as there is not a lot of information out there even though canes seem to be one of the most used mobility aids. I think you are completely right in saying that it signifies independence. As a designer I wish to try and create a product that gives more independence and confidence to people living with visual impairment. As you mention that canes seem to work proficiently I may sway away from trying to improve mobility although I still have some ideas in mind.
Another area I have been looking at is information accessibility for the Visually Impaired. As someone with no visual impairment I always wonder about the placement of braille on information boards or lifts etc. It seems to me that the inconsistency of the placement and how often it is available is just unreliable. What do you feel about the reliability of this medium of information?
KillerLag 1 points 6y ago
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to have universal standards for things such as sidewalks and crossings, even within a single country. There are many factors at play, such as weather, funding, and advocacy groups. One thing that surprised me when I was in Japan was there they were surprisingly well adapted for people with vision loss... but not so much for someone with a wheelchair, or even a support cane. Most subways had no elevators or even escalators, and because of how their shopping centers are built, stairs are often used (malls are built going upwards, instead of outwards).
The APS also has no national standard (yet). Within Canada, they have competing standards (Ottawa is replacing one of their tones with a tone called the Canadian Melody http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/traffic/traffic-signals ), and in one city (I forget which one I was in, it was years ago), the APS sounds were the direct opposite of what was in Toronto!
There has been some advances regarding the tactile markers on the floor of curbs. They had planned on putting concrete bumps, but they found that in heavy-snow countries (Canada), either the plowers couldn't clear the snow off properly, or shear off the concrete bumps. They have since started to use metal plates, which seem to be working better.
The APS also has no national standard (yet). Within Canada, they have competing standards (Ottawa is replacing one of their tones with a tone called the Canadian Melody http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/traffic/traffic-signals ), and in one city (I forget which one I was in, it was years ago), the APS sounds were the direct opposite of what was in Toronto!
There has been some advances regarding the tactile markers on the floor of curbs. They had planned on putting concrete bumps, but they found that in heavy-snow countries (Canada), either the plowers couldn't clear the snow off properly, or shear off the concrete bumps. They have since started to use metal plates, which seem to be working better.
dzzydom 2 points 6y ago
Using my cane really does help me when walking, but I don't always use it even though I really should. I'm quite self conscious about using it and even though it serves a purpose, I hate how it looks so obviously like a garish white medical device.
KillerLag 1 points 6y ago
Generally speaking, a cane is fairly effective at what it does. The cane has three primary goals.
1) It needs to detect obstacles and hazards in front of the person using the cane before they contact it (that includes shoulder width, which is why the cane is swept from shoulder to shoulder)
2) It needs to detect drop offs before the person reaches the drop off, in an unambiguous manner. That is a major safety hazard that has prevented ultrasonic detection or laser detection from replacing the cane (they do have canes that use those technology to supplement it, but it is still a cane). If a person can't detect the drop off, there is a high risk of them falling, and it might not just be a step. It could easily be a trip into traffic, or into the subway.
3) The cane acts as a signal to tell others the person using it has vision loss. The red and white markings are fairly common in North America, but other countries actually have their own standards.
I would say the major difficulty with a standard cane (and standard tips) is snow, sand or grass. A surface where it can't easily be scanned with constant contact technique, and using two-point touch technique provides less than ideal feedback. All those materials are usually uneven, and you need to hit harder for two-point touch to get through the soft upper layer to the more solid lower layer. There has been some tips to address that situation, but they have been less than ideal.
1) It needs to detect obstacles and hazards in front of the person using the cane before they contact it (that includes shoulder width, which is why the cane is swept from shoulder to shoulder)
2) It needs to detect drop offs before the person reaches the drop off, in an unambiguous manner. That is a major safety hazard that has prevented ultrasonic detection or laser detection from replacing the cane (they do have canes that use those technology to supplement it, but it is still a cane). If a person can't detect the drop off, there is a high risk of them falling, and it might not just be a step. It could easily be a trip into traffic, or into the subway.
3) The cane acts as a signal to tell others the person using it has vision loss. The red and white markings are fairly common in North America, but other countries actually have their own standards.
I would say the major difficulty with a standard cane (and standard tips) is snow, sand or grass. A surface where it can't easily be scanned with constant contact technique, and using two-point touch technique provides less than ideal feedback. All those materials are usually uneven, and you need to hit harder for two-point touch to get through the soft upper layer to the more solid lower layer. There has been some tips to address that situation, but they have been less than ideal.
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