Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Potentially getting a white cane, have some questions. (self.Blind)
submitted by bird98
I have basically no vision on my left side due to peripheral vision loss, and I have been that way for over 10 years now. I have thought about getting a white cane in the past, but only in passing thoughts until now. A couple months ago, I got hit by a truck while crossing the street because of my visual impairment (and of course his poor driving), and since then I've been looking for ways to kind of mitigate the possibility of that sort of thing happening again.
I finally looked into white canes, even though I kind of feel like I don't really "need" one. I don't actually think it would help me personally that much, because I had a different visual aid in middle/high school and I couldn't adjust to using it. Possibly this is because there is not "training" for how to use that particular one, at least in my area. Pretty much I just want other people to be more aware of me, because due to my visual impairment, I can't be aware of them all the time.
Is that a good reason to get a cane, and will it actually help if I get it for that reason? Of course, I can't know if I will or will not benefit from using the white cane on my left side, but when I saw I can get one for pretty cheap on Amazon I realised I don't really have anything to lose.
I guess I would just like to know what sort of things to expect if I suddenly start using one, especially at work and stuff. My department coworkers all know that I am visually impaired, but I'm sure they think nothing of it because I don't tend to make a big deal with I run into things.
I plan to go back to college in spring, and I feel that it will be a setting in which it would really help to have one. Will I get weird questions if people find out I'm still partially sighted?
I'm not even legally blind but I'm still bumping into things and getting startled by people on my left side and generally struggling since I moved out of my parents house.
Sorry if this is confusing...Any advice or comments?
I finally looked into white canes, even though I kind of feel like I don't really "need" one. I don't actually think it would help me personally that much, because I had a different visual aid in middle/high school and I couldn't adjust to using it. Possibly this is because there is not "training" for how to use that particular one, at least in my area. Pretty much I just want other people to be more aware of me, because due to my visual impairment, I can't be aware of them all the time.
Is that a good reason to get a cane, and will it actually help if I get it for that reason? Of course, I can't know if I will or will not benefit from using the white cane on my left side, but when I saw I can get one for pretty cheap on Amazon I realised I don't really have anything to lose.
I guess I would just like to know what sort of things to expect if I suddenly start using one, especially at work and stuff. My department coworkers all know that I am visually impaired, but I'm sure they think nothing of it because I don't tend to make a big deal with I run into things.
I plan to go back to college in spring, and I feel that it will be a setting in which it would really help to have one. Will I get weird questions if people find out I'm still partially sighted?
I'm not even legally blind but I'm still bumping into things and getting startled by people on my left side and generally struggling since I moved out of my parents house.
Sorry if this is confusing...Any advice or comments?
jrs12 4 points 4y ago
Is the vision in your good eye affected at all? Something like visual efficiency training could help you if the vision in your good eye is full and stable. While I don't think it's wrong for you to get a cane if it's what makes you feel comfortable, you may end up fielding more questions than you are comfortable with, especially if you do something like get out of your car then immediately whip out your white cane. Normally I suggest orientation and mobility training, but your vision might be too good to qualify as an adult. It sounds like you need to slow down and take your time to scan your surroundings more. People can be quite confident travelers with one eye, but you need to turn your head more (slowly enough to get the information you need). The key is practice practice practice. Have you thought about doing an intramural sport or something where you need to use a lot of vision in a way which doesn't involve you playing chicken with cars? You might gain a lot of travel confidence by making visual scanning of your surroundings a second nature skill.
bird98 [OP] 6 points 4y ago
My right occipital lobe was damaged in a traumatic brain injury, so I am missing my left peripheral in both eyes. I am not able to drive and I never learned how since I sustained the visual impairment when I was 9. My neuro-opthalmologist told me I have a smaller field of vision than someone with vision in solely one eye typically would have. I have been trying to learn how to scan since then, but it has never come to me, because my brain thinks I can still see there. Hope that makes sense! Even I don't fully understand it, so I'm kind of just regurgitating what doctors have told me.
AllHarlowsEve 6 points 4y ago
Do you still see a neuro op or no? If so, I'd definitely bring the idea up to them.
For what it's worth, there are fiberglass identifier canes, and depending on your range of vision you may actually be legally blind, although I don't know the percent of vision you have to be missing to qualify.
That said, if you're not legally blind, depending on your state, it may actually be illegal to carry a white cane if you're not "blind enough."
Side note, your eyes, even before the accident, already had blind spots. It's why we aren't driven crazy by seeing our noses all the time, it all just sort of blends together.
You know how panorama pictures are just multiple pictures overlapping? It's kind of like that with our vision, except sometimes your brain just throws shit out there to see what seems right, so you can see stuff that isn't there just because your brain decided that it should be.
I have Charles Bonnet Syndrome, where I have visual hallucinations because my brain decides that the thing that fits is like, a scary face, demon, angry ostrich, etc.
For what it's worth, there are fiberglass identifier canes, and depending on your range of vision you may actually be legally blind, although I don't know the percent of vision you have to be missing to qualify.
That said, if you're not legally blind, depending on your state, it may actually be illegal to carry a white cane if you're not "blind enough."
Side note, your eyes, even before the accident, already had blind spots. It's why we aren't driven crazy by seeing our noses all the time, it all just sort of blends together.
You know how panorama pictures are just multiple pictures overlapping? It's kind of like that with our vision, except sometimes your brain just throws shit out there to see what seems right, so you can see stuff that isn't there just because your brain decided that it should be.
I have Charles Bonnet Syndrome, where I have visual hallucinations because my brain decides that the thing that fits is like, a scary face, demon, angry ostrich, etc.
delha4 3 points 4y ago
A friend did not want a cane. He could get around very well as he could see things and people fairly well, but could not recognize people unless they spoke. Then one day a car came over the curb and hit him, damaging his knee badly. After surgery and rehab, he was back to the way he was. He then decided to get a cane. He found out when he went to church, people would come over to him and start talking. Without the cane, people had been avoiding him and they thought he wanted to be alone as he did not engage in conversation, because he could not recognize anyone. His experience was much better at church and he made many friends there.
One reason to get a cane is for identification. People see the white cane and immediately know you are blind. They may want to assist you when they see it. Not everyone wants others to know they are blind, like my friend used to be. Now he is very happy he started using the cane.
One reason to get a cane is for identification. People see the white cane and immediately know you are blind. They may want to assist you when they see it. Not everyone wants others to know they are blind, like my friend used to be. Now he is very happy he started using the cane.
ZippyTWP 2 points 4y ago
I started recently using a cane, and I have a similar situation to yours (significant peripheral vision loss from RP). I advoided using it for a long time because my acuity is really good, and didn't want people to think I was faking it.
However... the past six months I've barely left the house. I get nervous in crowds, because people popping in and out of my visual field is really disorienting. I run in to things a lot. I don't see when people are trying to shake my hand or hand me things. I trip over things a lot. If someone points to something, nine times out of ten their hand is back down before I see where they pointed. If I drop something, it can take me a full minute or two before I see where I dropped it, and thats only after I've stepped back a full ten feet.
Needless to say, I had to do something. I've only been using the cane about a week now, but man I can already see a difference. I'm much more confident in public, and no one questions me about it. I don't dread leaving the house, i find myself actually enjoying going out. I don't run in to things, and people know to avoid me. I haven't been able to find O&M training in my area, but I've read up on cane best practices and I'm making due.
The point is, it's a personal decision, and the benefits can definitely be there even if you don't have total vision loss. I'd recommend trying it out and seeing what works for you.
However... the past six months I've barely left the house. I get nervous in crowds, because people popping in and out of my visual field is really disorienting. I run in to things a lot. I don't see when people are trying to shake my hand or hand me things. I trip over things a lot. If someone points to something, nine times out of ten their hand is back down before I see where they pointed. If I drop something, it can take me a full minute or two before I see where I dropped it, and thats only after I've stepped back a full ten feet.
Needless to say, I had to do something. I've only been using the cane about a week now, but man I can already see a difference. I'm much more confident in public, and no one questions me about it. I don't dread leaving the house, i find myself actually enjoying going out. I don't run in to things, and people know to avoid me. I haven't been able to find O&M training in my area, but I've read up on cane best practices and I'm making due.
The point is, it's a personal decision, and the benefits can definitely be there even if you don't have total vision loss. I'd recommend trying it out and seeing what works for you.
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