Customize Your Cane
By Jody W.
Ianuzzi
I am one of those low vision
people who didn't really need to use a white cane. If I bent over and stared at the ground
three feet in front of me I would only occasionally trip over a miscalculated step. I
would bump into people, but that was just because I wasn't paying attention.
To quote my teenage son--"NOT"!
Now I would feel naked if I left the house without
my cane. I will admit that my change of attitude was not an easy process for me. It took a
few years and a lot of soul searching to reach this point. I can thank the writers of the
many wonderful articles on cane travel that have been in the BRAILLE MONITOR over the
years for their perspective and encouragement.
The simple fact of the
matter is that by not using a cane the only person I was fooling was myself. It is the old
story that everyone knows you are blind but you. I know the final realization for me was
that I would rather walk tall as a competent blind person than walk down the street bent
over trying to see where I was going--and not giving a very good impression.
How much easier travel is now! My problem wasn't
my vision...it was my attitude.
This attitude was even conveyed to my son. When I
first started using my cane, I was self-conscious, and my son said, "Mom, put that
thing away, everyone is looking at you." As my attitude changed, so did his.
He later said to me, "Hey, Mom, everyone is looking at you because you are doing such
a good job." Out of the mouths of babes!
When I talk to kids about using a cane they always
say that people will notice them. My answer is, "Sure, people will notice, people
notice everything: whether you are thin or fat, short or tall, or if you have red hair.
Some people are even dying their hair green to become more noticeable! So what if they
notice you use a cane. You don't have to hide your cane, it is a symbol of your
independence."
A car owner will wax and
wash his car. It is his symbol of freedom and independence. He feels he can't travel
without it. So I take care of my canes. I take care of my cane for the same reason. I have
never been known to leave well enough alone, so I have customized my canes.
I have an NFB telescoping cane. But let's
face it, it is plain white, so why not spruce it up with a fancy handle. I have found a
variety of grips that I add to my canes. My favorite grip is a steering wheel cover. They
are available in a variety of styles and colors and can be found in most discount stores.
Other grips you might like to use are golf grips
and tennis racket grips. (That's as close to a steering wheel and tennis racket I'm going
to get!) They look great and they are practical as a non-slip grip when you are wearing
gloves.
So you can have a sporty cane or a fancy cane or
an elegant cane. You can pick the style you want to match the occasion. You can now buy
reflective tape in most discount or hardware stores (similar to ScotchLite but easier to
apply). You can't tape the telescoping canes, but I put some reflective tape on my rigid
cane for at night. I feel more comfortable knowing I am a little more visible at night.
I also use the California Cane. This cane
is the best cane I have found. It is lightweight and when the joints slide together it has
the feel of a rigid cane. Unlike many other folding canes, this cane comes apart easily
and you don't have to fight with it to get the joints separated.
When it snows I use a rigid cane. I added a red
reflective tip to my "snow cane" because I have heard that it is very hard for
people to see a white cane in the snow. If it is snowing hard I will increase my
visibility by wearing an orange hunter's hat.
You can add some variety to your cane collection.
I have a cane with wood grain Contact Paper on it for walking in the woods. I am a radio
operator in the Civil Air Patrol and I have an all black AmbuTech folding cane to
meet the uniform requirements (all accessories must be black). I also have a Camouflage
cane.
If you aren't using a white cane, it does not
qualify under the law, but many states have a broad definition to extend to all mobility
canes. Check with the white cane laws in your state.
When I first started using my cane I would carry
it in an umbrella case so no one would see it. Now I have a cane for all occasions and a
few spares.
It's all in your attitude, so have fun!
-Jody W. Ianuzzi, jody@cheshire.net
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