Low Vision Guide

I have tried a number of different canes.

The 4 section aluminum canes seem to last the longest but they tend to start sticking after awhile and they don’t flex very well if you catch it on a curb.

The 6 section graphite cane is nice for it’s compact size when folded and the graphite material flexs better.  However, they don’t seem to last as long as the band has broken on the last two I have tried within only a few months.

So now I have ordered a 5 section graphite cane.  We’ll see if that makes a nice balance between the other two.

Shawn

I used to get mad when I would get scraped on the head by low hanging branches, now I get even!  I sometimes carry a pair of handheld garden clippers in my back pocket when walking to places I commonly go.

That way I can trim any low hanging branches or bushes encroaching on the sidewalk as I go.

Cane tips come in two sizes, 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch.  I wasn’t sure why so I bought both. It turns out that the smaller 1/2 inch size is for replacing the straight tip that comes on the cane while the larger 5/8 inch size slides over the existing tip. I found it easier to slide the 5/8 inch tip on rather than trying to pull off the old tip.

I recently started using a roller tip on my white cane. I have found this to give me a superior feeling for the upcoming terrain as I am walking. It slides over the ground easily and I am less likely to miss dips or bumps in the sidewalk as when I was tapping with a straight tip on my cane.

Depending on where you live, this can be a great option for getting places on your own. It can take a little longer, bui you don’t have to depend on others to always take you places.

If you are visually impaired, get mobility training with a cane. You may be resistant at first but afterwards you will wonder why you waited so long.. The best thing about using a cane, besides not running into fire hydrants and bus stop benches, is that people understand why you do things like go in the exit line and they are quick to get out of your way. You’d be surprised how a white cane can clear a path through the mall or down a busy sidewalk.

If you are visually impaired, stop driving before it’s too late and somebody gets hurt! It’s a challenge to adapt to no longer driving, but it’s not nearly as hard as it would be to deal with knowing that you hit a child who was in one of your blind spots. This may seem obvious but giving up driving and finding alternate means of transportation is part of accepting visual impairment. Having a drivers license doesn’t mean you should still be driving. I had a valid drivers license even after my eye doctor declared me “legally blind”! And no, thankfully, I wasn’t driving then.