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White Cane for People who Albinism (self.Blind)
submitted by coolcaelin123
White Canes
Hello all, I have some questions that I listed below regarding long canes. I was hoping y'all would be able to help me answer my questions, or share experiences using or not using a long cane.
My name is Caelin, I live in Nova Scotia, and I have oculocutaneous albinism. My corrected visual acuity is 20/200. I've recently been doing some research about canes, unsure whether they would be a useful tool for me or not.
How do you use your cane? How did you get training to use it?
(in Nova Scotia, all the students are taught O & M skills based on what the APSEA O & M teachers say is needed. Currently, I know how to use an ID cane, but that's not much good for mobility.)
I've gone my whole life without using a cane most of the time because I live in a small town where I'm driven everywhere. How would I be able to advocate to get this training, and articulate the ways it could benefit me? How do I convince my family that this would be a useful skill?
How does it help despite having a lot of usable vision?
Where I live, I would be the only one in the visually impaired community with my levels of vision to use a long cane, should I pursue it. Do these norms make it difficult in any way?
Is there anything else you can tell me or you think would be important for me to know with regards to canes?
Hello all, I have some questions that I listed below regarding long canes. I was hoping y'all would be able to help me answer my questions, or share experiences using or not using a long cane.
My name is Caelin, I live in Nova Scotia, and I have oculocutaneous albinism. My corrected visual acuity is 20/200. I've recently been doing some research about canes, unsure whether they would be a useful tool for me or not.
How do you use your cane? How did you get training to use it?
(in Nova Scotia, all the students are taught O & M skills based on what the APSEA O & M teachers say is needed. Currently, I know how to use an ID cane, but that's not much good for mobility.)
I've gone my whole life without using a cane most of the time because I live in a small town where I'm driven everywhere. How would I be able to advocate to get this training, and articulate the ways it could benefit me? How do I convince my family that this would be a useful skill?
How does it help despite having a lot of usable vision?
Where I live, I would be the only one in the visually impaired community with my levels of vision to use a long cane, should I pursue it. Do these norms make it difficult in any way?
Is there anything else you can tell me or you think would be important for me to know with regards to canes?
BlakeBlues 3 points 3y ago
Hello!
I will add more later. Busy now, but I want to order what knowledge I have.
I'm legally blind as well, 20/200. I have light sensitivity when it is bright outside. I use a cane for dark travel and for bright days.
With albinism, I imagine brighter lights hurt, right? Sunglasses help two-fold for light sensitivity and for protecting the eyes from burns. With all of these factors, I think can't training is an important skills to have. If you are traveling alone with or without sunglasses or at night/dusk, there will be things that can be missed on the ground. It creates a situation where you have to look down or straight ahead, but with a cane, you need to look down less often and can focus on the direction you are traveling.
That's all for now. Hoping to be back to add some points about advocacy etc
I will add more later. Busy now, but I want to order what knowledge I have.
I'm legally blind as well, 20/200. I have light sensitivity when it is bright outside. I use a cane for dark travel and for bright days.
With albinism, I imagine brighter lights hurt, right? Sunglasses help two-fold for light sensitivity and for protecting the eyes from burns. With all of these factors, I think can't training is an important skills to have. If you are traveling alone with or without sunglasses or at night/dusk, there will be things that can be missed on the ground. It creates a situation where you have to look down or straight ahead, but with a cane, you need to look down less often and can focus on the direction you are traveling.
That's all for now. Hoping to be back to add some points about advocacy etc
mrg3rry 2 points 3y ago
Hi Caelin,
My name is Gerry and i live in New Brunswick, hi neighbor...
All great questions, I recommend to contact the CNIB and talk to a orientation and mobility instructor. They would be able to discuss which cane would be best for you and even provide free training.
​
Here is their website, contact information is at the bottom of the site $1
My name is Gerry and i live in New Brunswick, hi neighbor...
All great questions, I recommend to contact the CNIB and talk to a orientation and mobility instructor. They would be able to discuss which cane would be best for you and even provide free training.
​
Here is their website, contact information is at the bottom of the site $1
AlexDalcourt 2 points 3y ago
Hey I'm a legally blind teen in New Brunswick! I know all the APSEA people in Nova Scotia so I know what you're working with 🙃
Your itinerant teacher who helps with assistive tech and accommodations is the person to talk to, say you are curious to try the cane and I'm sure they will bring you a couple to try from APSEA, they'll teach you how to use it around your school and everything. Unfortunately you might have to wait until school starts to do this but if you have their email you can reach out and organize it beforehand.
Going to the APSEA center near you (I have only stayed at the one in Halifax) can also help if you dont have an itinerant. They will help you organize something.
Let me know if you do use the Halifax staff because then we would have mutual people and that would be so cool
Your itinerant teacher who helps with assistive tech and accommodations is the person to talk to, say you are curious to try the cane and I'm sure they will bring you a couple to try from APSEA, they'll teach you how to use it around your school and everything. Unfortunately you might have to wait until school starts to do this but if you have their email you can reach out and organize it beforehand.
Going to the APSEA center near you (I have only stayed at the one in Halifax) can also help if you dont have an itinerant. They will help you organize something.
Let me know if you do use the Halifax staff because then we would have mutual people and that would be so cool
HezorisZid 1 points 3y ago
In short, I find the need of a cane to be situational. Without getting into much detail I have oculocutaneous albinism as well and don't always use the cane I have but I have one. I find it's nice to have on hand when I need it but I do not always need to. I can't say exactly how to use it, I did get training with it but I'm not sure how I would explain it over text. I don't live in Canada but getting in tough with an O & M instructor would be the best. To best convince people why you should learn this skill I would say to make an argument that at some point you would have to take yourself places and this would make that easier than if you didn't.
In terms of using one with usable vision there are things to still miss. I mostly use mine when it's noon or dusk/dark. Lighting is important to how much you can see, in my experience; I can barely see people just three feet away at dusk/dark. If this is something you want to purse I think you should but it may be difficult for you if there really isn't any cases like you in your area.
I'm always available to be more helpful.
In terms of using one with usable vision there are things to still miss. I mostly use mine when it's noon or dusk/dark. Lighting is important to how much you can see, in my experience; I can barely see people just three feet away at dusk/dark. If this is something you want to purse I think you should but it may be difficult for you if there really isn't any cases like you in your area.
I'm always available to be more helpful.
BlueRock956 1 points 3y ago
Make a list of times when your vision is impaired by the environment. I have students that don't need canes inside because the lighting is good, but when they go ouside they stop because the conditions have changed and they cannot see anything in the sunlight.
coolcaelin123 [OP] 1 points 3y ago
My problem is figuring out of it would help me, because I've never used a cane before, and have always got by with an ID cane, but also never go on my own.
Also breaking down barriers because everybody knows me as not using a came. (I don't quite know how to describe this one)
Also breaking down barriers because everybody knows me as not using a came. (I don't quite know how to describe this one)
BlueRock956 1 points 3y ago
If you do need a cane, your confidence will go up once you know how to use it. You will feel free to go whereever you wish, without anything holding you back.
BlueRock956 1 points 3y ago
Could you tell me your age?
What is stopping you from being independent. You cannot drive, but you could use public transportation. You have a visual impairement, and you need to determine if you need a cane by challenging yourself to go places without a guide and deciding if the ID cane is enough. If you bump into stuff and trip over things it means you do need a cane. Find out when you have issues walking. I have a friend who unconsciously wouldn't go out after sunset because her vision was no good, she made all kinds of excuces not to go to parties, outings, and even dates...
What is stopping you from being independent. You cannot drive, but you could use public transportation. You have a visual impairement, and you need to determine if you need a cane by challenging yourself to go places without a guide and deciding if the ID cane is enough. If you bump into stuff and trip over things it means you do need a cane. Find out when you have issues walking. I have a friend who unconsciously wouldn't go out after sunset because her vision was no good, she made all kinds of excuces not to go to parties, outings, and even dates...
blackberrybunny 1 points 3y ago
Hi Caelin, I'm Molly. I got my O&M training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. It was a 6 month program, where students lived in the center's apartments, and we learned how to be totally independent, which included learning Braille, learning how to use public transportation, how to cook, clean, just about everything, while having fun. It was the best 6 months of my life, and because I am legally blind, it was totally paid for by my state. It cost me nothing. There is a center in Colorado also, and I believe one is also in the north east, maybe Baltimore? I can't ever remember the third center.
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What is an ID cane, btw?
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What is an ID cane, btw?
aaronespinozaca 2 points 3y ago
The third one is in Minnesota.
blackberrybunny 1 points 3y ago
Ahh, thank you. I keep thinking there is one in Baltimore, Maryland.... Close enough? :-)
vwlsmssng 1 points 3y ago
I'm fully sighted but someone I know has some sight (very variable) and uses a long cane. They only had an ID cane when I first met them, but when they acquired a long cane they found it liberating.
> where I'm driven everywhere
This is what struck me from your mini auto-biography. So maybe you should ask ...
- How are you going to find solitude and explore things on your own?
- How are you going to for walks with someone who may one day become your partner? (Without them having to be your guide.)
- How do you get to say in the restaurant "No its OK, I'll find my own way to the restroom. It's over there? Thanks, back soon."
Growing your independence is behind these example reasons to have the extension to your capabilities that a long cane could provide. A long cane can easily be folded and put away when not needed.
Don't worry about what other people think. You could be the one breaking down barriers and standing up to prejudice.
> where I'm driven everywhere
This is what struck me from your mini auto-biography. So maybe you should ask ...
- How are you going to find solitude and explore things on your own?
- How are you going to for walks with someone who may one day become your partner? (Without them having to be your guide.)
- How do you get to say in the restaurant "No its OK, I'll find my own way to the restroom. It's over there? Thanks, back soon."
Growing your independence is behind these example reasons to have the extension to your capabilities that a long cane could provide. A long cane can easily be folded and put away when not needed.
Don't worry about what other people think. You could be the one breaking down barriers and standing up to prejudice.
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