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Why do some people use tall canes and some use short canes? (self.Blind)
submitted by Ideasforgoodusername
Hello everyone, I hope you don't mind me stopping by!
The title question is badly worded, so I'll try again, using some more words: There is a youtube channel that I enjoy watching called "Six Blind Kids", which, as you can guess by it's name, is by a family with six blind kids. Watching their videos I noticed that some of the kids use canes that reach to their shoulder, and some use canes that are almost taller than they are themselves, despite the kids mostly being around the same height.
I know the cane is supposed to make sure the spot where you are going to step next is free, so does this mean people using a taller cane make bigger strides than people who use a shorter cane? Or does it just boil down to personal preference?
Thank you!
EDIT: Thank you all for giving such in depth explanations and examples, I‘m learning so much today~
The title question is badly worded, so I'll try again, using some more words: There is a youtube channel that I enjoy watching called "Six Blind Kids", which, as you can guess by it's name, is by a family with six blind kids. Watching their videos I noticed that some of the kids use canes that reach to their shoulder, and some use canes that are almost taller than they are themselves, despite the kids mostly being around the same height.
I know the cane is supposed to make sure the spot where you are going to step next is free, so does this mean people using a taller cane make bigger strides than people who use a shorter cane? Or does it just boil down to personal preference?
Thank you!
EDIT: Thank you all for giving such in depth explanations and examples, I‘m learning so much today~
codeplaysleep 4 points 2y ago
Personal preference, mostly.
But yeah, you want the cane to be long enough that it will find obstacles in time for you to react to it, so if you're someone who has a slower reaction time or you're tall or have a longer stride or you walk fast, you'll want/need a longer cane.
An O&M instructor once told me that shorter canes (as long as they're still long enough to serve their function) tend to be easier for people who are newer to cane travel to manage. Many people end up getting longer canes as they get more comfortable using one.
I think your degree of vision loss probably also plays into it some, too. Some people may feel like they don't need a cane that's quite so long if they're mainly using it for identification and to occasionally probe/sweep for steps and curbs in funky lighting vs. using it for 100% of their travel. Personally, I fall more into this category and use a cane that comes up to my armpit.
But yeah, you want the cane to be long enough that it will find obstacles in time for you to react to it, so if you're someone who has a slower reaction time or you're tall or have a longer stride or you walk fast, you'll want/need a longer cane.
An O&M instructor once told me that shorter canes (as long as they're still long enough to serve their function) tend to be easier for people who are newer to cane travel to manage. Many people end up getting longer canes as they get more comfortable using one.
I think your degree of vision loss probably also plays into it some, too. Some people may feel like they don't need a cane that's quite so long if they're mainly using it for identification and to occasionally probe/sweep for steps and curbs in funky lighting vs. using it for 100% of their travel. Personally, I fall more into this category and use a cane that comes up to my armpit.
Ideasforgoodusername [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thank you for this detailed explanation! I would have never guessed that of all things, reaction time could play a role in this, that’s very interesting. Thank you for replying~
[deleted] 1 points 2y ago
[deleted]
BlueZone123 1 points 2y ago
I prefer the longer non-collapsible cane. I walk with more confidence, as I get enough reaction time when I find an obsticle with my cane. I measure my cane to my nose, and this gives me about 3 steps to react to the obsticle. I may stop, go around, or go over the obsticle, but I won't run in too nor trip over the obsticle. When I used a cane measured to my sternum, I only had a step and a half before I made contact with obsticles.
BlueZone123 1 points 2y ago
When doing demonstrations on these different canes, I've had instructors and blind people learn how to hold the canes: they have different grip methods. I then blind folded the instructors and I asked them to walk down the clear hallway until they found the wall at the end of the hallway. I asked them to walk at their normal speed and they often report that they feel more comfortable trusting the longer cane, as they were going to have time to stop.
I know people that are terified of being around stairs because they've fallen down the stairs because they didn't stop quick enough to identify the steps and go down safely.
I know people that are terified of being around stairs because they've fallen down the stairs because they didn't stop quick enough to identify the steps and go down safely.
Ideasforgoodusername [OP] 1 points 2y ago
That does indeed sound terrifying, good thing there are different types of canes to hopefully prevent most such accidents with stairs. Thank you for your reply!
80percentaccurate 1 points 2y ago
There are two different styles of canes with different ways to take the measurements. The NFB style cane is completely white, often times doesn’t fold, has a metal glide tip at the end, and is very light. These canes get measured to be often times at least as tall as the person using it. Hoover style canes are the ones with the red tips, they often fold, though not always, can have a variety of stationary or rolling tips, and are most commonly made from aluminum or graphite. While convenient because they fold down and fit in smaller spots, I’ve heard complaints that they are heavier and hard to feel feedback about what you are looking touching with the cane. These canes get measured somewhere near a person’s sternum in height. Too long and a cane trips other people and get caught on everything, and too short and you don’t get enough preview of the environment. One isn’t better than the other. They are just two different tools.
Ideasforgoodusername [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thank you for this comparison of cane types, that’s very interesting!
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