Stop caring about what others think about you wanting to be more independent by using a cane (or about peoples opinions on your blindness).

I know it's difficult sometimes, but you have to.

In my experience, it's about 500% less awkward to use your cane and not trip over and into things, bump into people who don't realize you're blind, have people look at you like you're stupid when you ask where something obvious is, and so on.

It definitely takes practice, working on your O&M skills (getting training if you're not already!) and honestly just time to get over the awkwardness of being visibly disabled and learning how you personally want to talk to other people about it.

Hi. I think that easing into using your cane in the way that you described is a good idea. As far as college goes, I would go full time with your cane. Granted, I don’t know what your vision is like, but it can be helpful for people to know that you’re visually impaired in the event that you walk into someone or ask for assistance. Some people will be judgmental, but you will find that your new friends and classmates will forget that you are visually impaired after getting to know you. I hope that this helps.

Be amazing.

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This is the best advice for most situations, including this, because how you are and act greatly influences how people see you.

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But getting back to feeling insecure... I can't tell if it's because you're having safety issues come up (ex: women being blind, as a woman, makes you more vulnerable in a society where you have to really watch out for your safety) or because this will change how other people see you and think of you.

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These are both legit issues, and you have our support and understanding.

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One way to start overcoming it is to decide that you can handle this and nothing and no one can stop you. This is a psychological trick that puts you leading the situation (I'm me and can handling anything... including this latest thing) rather than the situation leading you (I'm having this situation and it's bigger than I am, harder than anything I've done).

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I have a LOT of mental ups and downs. And I notice that when I own the "Nothing can stop me" attitude, I'm genius at coming up with solutions and I can handle anything that comes up. But today (being honest) I'm having the "I hate my life" experience, suddenly everything is hard and miserable.

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So learning the ability to "flip the switch" on the "you can handle this" attitude and go from unnerved, unhappy, and stressed to awesome, powerful, and kickass is a GREAT skill to have. And then, this situation is just something to solve and do.

Just do it. If it's something you want to do, do it. What you think is more important than what others think when it comes to stuff like this.

RP here. The more you use it, the less you care. I don’t even think of myself as different anymore when use my cane. Most of the time I can’t even tell if people are staring.

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I'm 24 and have RP too. I only started using my cane last year, but I am sure now I should have started to use it long ag, especially at night.

You got me thinking about something, though. I use the green cane. Green canes are recognized for being used by people with serious visual impairment but that are not completely blind. I think it is more adequate since I still have some very tubular vision, even though it is a very low quality one. Anyways, I now wonder if I should use a black cane when out at night, since I'm completely blind at night or in dark/dim lighted places.

I won't lie to you. The transition from "kind of bad vision" to "visibly blind - look at my cane" is not easy. People will stare. Some people will treat you differently. Depending on "how blind" you look some people may be unfair and even cruel, and treat you differently from your peers. But going through this transition is the best thing you can do for yourself. You'll gain independence with your cane, something very hard to get when you have RP. You will be seen by people as blind (or somehow blind) and most people will accept you and you won't feel like you have to pretend all the time and that everything is about to fall apart at each mistake or fall.

Just do it. Have orientation and mobility classes, if possible, to acquire good practices from the beginning, but don't refrain from using your cane if you don't want the classes just yet. I've been using my cane for almost a year now and have just begun my O&M classes. Get yourself a cane that stands the same height as your chest and go about with it, learn what is your grip, learn how to measure dimensions, lengths and obstacles with it. Just get it and go. To hell with ignorant and prejudicial people.

PS: you'll notice that people will offer help FAR more than they did when you were not using a cane. Try to always be kind even when people get annoying by doing that; if you are rude to them they may not offer help to some other blind person (or yourself) when help is really needed.

Hey, I just wanted to chime in and wish you luck. This is a tough transition but a worthwhile one, and I would say that if you have to start somewhere, starting on a college campus is best. Most people there will be old enough that you'll avoid the immature behavior, but young enough that they won't have misconceptions based on the way blind people were viewed decades ago. I wasted months being worried about the way I looked in college, but thinking back, I haven't ever felt more invisible in the best of ways. 99% of the conversations I had didn't have the word "blind"in them unless I put it there.

My father in law is very close to being fully blind. He has a wonderful wife who has become his eyes. Unfortunately he has resisted learning anything, and his wife has allowed him to.

Before his blindness, he never wanted to impose on anyone. He feels that using a cane he's going to impose more on people by hitting him.

One thing I told him to do is tap loud so people are aware of you. This may not be your intention, but like prior posters mention be confident and proud. When you master it, and you will, you can be an ambassador to show how your blindness is just a feature to increase your hearing and other senses.

I agree with BlindBookLover