Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Am I visually impaired enough to use a cane? (self.Blind)
submitted by Individual2021
Hello everyone,
as you can read from my user flair my visual acuity is 20/100 with the best correction they can give me and my field of vision is around 25-30°. I have around 25% of functional vision left. Am I visually impaired enough to use a cane?
as you can read from my user flair my visual acuity is 20/100 with the best correction they can give me and my field of vision is around 25-30°. I have around 25% of functional vision left. Am I visually impaired enough to use a cane?
xmachinaxxx 19 points 2y ago
I struggled with this question also. I became legally blind two years ago. I still have usable vision. My vision is 20/200 and 20/400. After much research I concluded that the answer is to do what’s best for YOU. Use a cane if you feel you need to. There’s no rule that you must reach a certain level of blindness before you can use a cane. Personally I use an ID cane when out in public to let other’s know I’m visually impaired. I do not need a long white cane just yet and that’s okay. An ID cane is a short white cane you just hold, not like a long white cane you sweep in front of you. An ID cane may be useful for you also.
blackberrybunny 6 points 2y ago
Same for me. I have the same acuity. I'm fine in familiar places. But unfamiliar, or at night, I prefer a cane.
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I love the idea of an "ID cane." But I prefer my long white cane, so I can reach out and whack peoples' ankles so they get out of my way! LOL Just kidding! But this has happened before. People usually hear my white cane tapping along and they move, and some of them just plain freak out and don't know WHICH WAY to move. I've seen people walk into stuff just trying to get out of my way, and that was when it was just the two of us, on a sidewalk, hahah.
I've also seen my powerful white cane part the masses of Mardi Gras revelers for me the way Moses parted the Red Sea! LOL!!!
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I love the idea of an "ID cane." But I prefer my long white cane, so I can reach out and whack peoples' ankles so they get out of my way! LOL Just kidding! But this has happened before. People usually hear my white cane tapping along and they move, and some of them just plain freak out and don't know WHICH WAY to move. I've seen people walk into stuff just trying to get out of my way, and that was when it was just the two of us, on a sidewalk, hahah.
I've also seen my powerful white cane part the masses of Mardi Gras revelers for me the way Moses parted the Red Sea! LOL!!!
DevelopmentJazzlike2 1 points 1y ago
Just wanted to say im googling around looking for some encouragement to finally get an ID cane and that mardi gras story might have done it for me. Hilarious image in my head lol
tasareinspace 15 points 2y ago
The answer to this question is almost ALWAYS yes. If you think it might help you spot changes in the floor/road, if you think it might help you be safer when there is stuff outside your narrow field of vision, even if you think it would be helpful for those around you to know "Hey I'm not walking into you on purpose, I just can't see well", then yes, a cane can be useful for you.
FlamingWhisk 11 points 2y ago
I use a cane at night now. I’m done face planting after tripping over curbs.
FrankenGretchen 8 points 2y ago
Why ask? Who's gonna strip you of your cane? I ask because I've NEVER seen anyone approach the average person and demand to have proof that they can see well enough to do a thing. The same is true for blind folks using support devices. Now, yes, stupid abounds. We can all tell stories about that time when some rando stepped up and said/did a stupid but in general, there's no cane police.
If you think an item will help, try it. If it helps, keep using it. If not, try something else. I do recommend getting some help from an O&M for choosing the best cane for your needs and a little intro on the different ways to use it. A new tool comes with instructions, right? Well, canes come with O&M. You will have a better feel for whether a cane will help if you know how to unlock its (and your new) superpowers.
If you think an item will help, try it. If it helps, keep using it. If not, try something else. I do recommend getting some help from an O&M for choosing the best cane for your needs and a little intro on the different ways to use it. A new tool comes with instructions, right? Well, canes come with O&M. You will have a better feel for whether a cane will help if you know how to unlock its (and your new) superpowers.
AlexandrinaIsHere 2 points 2y ago
Related to your points-
There is technically a regulation that sighted people shouldn't use predominantly white canes. There is zero harm in one sighted person using one. The harm is the hypothetical possible fashion trend of decorative white walking canes causing drivers to stop assuming that white canes equal blind.
It's basically a regulation that affects people who make decorative accessories. They are aware that their sighted customers can't reasonably go out and about with white canes, so no one is making that trend.
Anyone with impaired vision should feel free to use a cane if they think it helps. They aren't going to affect the average drivers capability to understand that white canes users are not likely to dodge.
There is technically a regulation that sighted people shouldn't use predominantly white canes. There is zero harm in one sighted person using one. The harm is the hypothetical possible fashion trend of decorative white walking canes causing drivers to stop assuming that white canes equal blind.
It's basically a regulation that affects people who make decorative accessories. They are aware that their sighted customers can't reasonably go out and about with white canes, so no one is making that trend.
Anyone with impaired vision should feel free to use a cane if they think it helps. They aren't going to affect the average drivers capability to understand that white canes users are not likely to dodge.
Individual2021 [OP] 5 points 2y ago
Well technically, I’m not blind, but I’m not sighted ether. My eye doctor told me that I mustn’t drive or ride anything with wheels.
K-R-Rose 2 points 2y ago
Legal blindness is still blindness. I say that I’m blind even though the technical term is legally blind. The fact of the matter is that people just don’t know what “legally blind” means, so I have to shorten it to something people are familiar with so they understand
Individual2021 [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Yes but I think that this problem which I have( acuity 20/100 with the best correction and visual field of 30-25 degrees) doesn’t classify me as legaly bljnd. But I can’t say I’m sighted ether.
AlexandrinaIsHere 1 points 2y ago
Eh. You aren't fully sighted walking around with a purely decorative cane. Seriously, all the regulation is meant to protect is that the average driver knows what the white cane means without actually thinking about it.
If a bunch of pre teens started walking around with decorative items that look confusingly like the proper white cane, drivers would stop stereotyping white cane as an important signal.
In the here and now, drivers stereotype white cane as signaling that this individual might do unpredictable things. This person might step off the curb by accident, might wander and accidentally leave the cross walk etc etc. Using the cane and not behaving unpredictably does NOT affect that stereotype. Drivers see individual people for snippets of time and they aren't likely to assume that blind people don't step off curbs just because you didn't. A fashion for useless canes could, as it would break the association between white cane and blindness.
If you aren't attempting to set a fashion trend for a white cane then it's not harmful to anyone for you to carry one.
If a bunch of pre teens started walking around with decorative items that look confusingly like the proper white cane, drivers would stop stereotyping white cane as an important signal.
In the here and now, drivers stereotype white cane as signaling that this individual might do unpredictable things. This person might step off the curb by accident, might wander and accidentally leave the cross walk etc etc. Using the cane and not behaving unpredictably does NOT affect that stereotype. Drivers see individual people for snippets of time and they aren't likely to assume that blind people don't step off curbs just because you didn't. A fashion for useless canes could, as it would break the association between white cane and blindness.
If you aren't attempting to set a fashion trend for a white cane then it's not harmful to anyone for you to carry one.
afraidofdust 6 points 2y ago
If you're asking, the answer is yes.
BlakeBlues 6 points 2y ago
I think with field restrictions, a cane can help, yes!
No_Limit3882 3 points 2y ago
In my opinion it ultimately depends on the person. If you find yourself struggling to see certain things that you may need to see like curbs, obstacles, or other related things, I’d say go for it. If you’re not sure but still want people to know about your visual impairment, I’d say go with an ID cane. I don’t know much about ID canes as I use a mobility cane, so sorry if I said anything incorrect.
GTbuddha 3 points 2y ago
I find that it helps others understand when I cut someone off, while walking. It helps people understand why I am holding my phone so close to my face. It tends to make people more receptive to my requests for help. It helps me trip and fall less.
Ultimately it is your decision and it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Take your cane if you are going to anew place, a crowded place, somewhere new....
Ultimately it is your decision and it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Take your cane if you are going to anew place, a crowded place, somewhere new....
Individual2021 [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Thank you all for your comments, this was very helpful😀
IronDominion 2 points 2y ago
There’s no hard rule, it’s more of what works best for you based on your struggles and needs. I can function well without one, as can my father who has little to no vision, but he also has little to no independence because of that. Some people need them for only certain situations or at night, or maybe a guide dog is just better for their situation
FaerilyRowanwind 2 points 2y ago
Do you feel you need one? If the answer is yes than you need one.
blackberrybunny 2 points 2y ago
Only you know if you need to use a white cane.
Everyone's level of blindness is different, even if they have the same acuity. There is no strict guideline to "if you have this acuity, then you must use a white cane!" sort of chart.
Only YOU know if you need the assistance of a white cane. If you decide to use one, you must learn to use it properly. There IS a method to it. You don't just get a cane and start tapping around. It is NOT like that. You really need O&M lessons. That is Orientation & Mobility. Preferably by a certified O&M instructor.
Everyone's level of blindness is different, even if they have the same acuity. There is no strict guideline to "if you have this acuity, then you must use a white cane!" sort of chart.
Only YOU know if you need the assistance of a white cane. If you decide to use one, you must learn to use it properly. There IS a method to it. You don't just get a cane and start tapping around. It is NOT like that. You really need O&M lessons. That is Orientation & Mobility. Preferably by a certified O&M instructor.
coolcaelin123 1 points 2y ago
15 yo
I have used an ID cane in unfamiliar places my whole life. I have stable vision at 20/200 with a full visual field.
I recently started training with a long cane. I now find that I use my mobility cane more, and it's more useful then the ID cane.
I have used an ID cane in unfamiliar places my whole life. I have stable vision at 20/200 with a full visual field.
I recently started training with a long cane. I now find that I use my mobility cane more, and it's more useful then the ID cane.
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