I suppose they are one of the most basic of assistive technologys for blind people, but also very personal to one's preferences... and one's budget. What are some of your cane hacks and tips, and what odd substitutes have you used?
I read a little of a discussion in another thread about the teliscoping canes collapsing sometimes during use. It happens occasionally when I haven't snugged each section together, the temptation being to just deploy it quickly, and it's immediately noticeable to me. When a section collapses during use, I stop for a second--though I've done it mid-step--catch the shoulder of the tip against the bottom edge of my footwear, and give the cane a pull to make everything tight. Out of habit, I do this before I start using it, just to be sure. Never had an emergency caused by a collapsed section.
* And as a side thought, it can also be managed if you're not wearing footwear: the beach around the neighborhood etc.
I find myself using any number of garden implements and even staffs I've carved from tree branches around my property (I grow and sometimes fell/limb fruit trees). I have them stashed all over the place. One implement is a cane-length of rebar with a crook bent in one end that I use to check how deeply I've watered by sinking it into the ground, or with the crook, grab high branches. A bit heavy for a cane, but I use what's handy.
By OldBear, 27 April, 2024
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Assistive Technology
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Ambutech
The best cane experience I have ever had was with an Ambutech folding cane that had a ceramic tip. The tip is the important factor here. This is the first tip I have ever heard of where you can either tap, or do constant contact for mobility. It was a game changer for me.
Unfortunately this was not my cane, so I will have to get my own at some point; probably when I finish my Certs.
On a side note, there is a compant called Awarewolf.com if I have that spelled right, they make titanium mobility canes. Those sound interesting. . . .
Colors
One more thing I forgot to mention. The girl who let me try out the ceramic tipped cane, had a custom colored cane. Rather than the traditional White + whatever color, hers was purple and blue.
I don't care what anyone says, I do like color. 😀
Titanium?
Sounds more like a staff!
I am happy with my foldable graphite model, white, I'm traditional in that way.
I did try to use a pair of Lecki poles when out hill walking - wiht mixed results. I met a blind guy who was amazing with them, but I never got that good - maybe I shouldn't have worn stilettos to go hiking?
My experience
I started out with an AmbuTech cane from the council - probably aluminium, it was foldable and had a big rolling ball on it. This is what I had mobility training on and is what I usually use. I find my wrist gets quite tired quite quickly with all the sweeping, but on the whole it is fine in urban environments. However, I don't find it very good as soon as I go even slightly off-road - on grass it's a bit of a struggle and it's a non-starter trying to go across a field or something with it. Well, yes I can hold it out above the ground but it's a tad heavy for that.
My instructor recommended me a Rover cane tip for this kind of thing. This is basically a wheel. I don't think many people use them. The advantage is that it does a much better job on grass or on rougher terrain. It is also lighter and because you don't sweep it horizontally, you drive it diagonally really, it is quite kind on the wrist. It is also a lot quieter, so the feedback isn't as good but probably better suited to stealth missions. But I find it very difficult to use in urban environments - again because of the different way of sweeping it. It's also a bit less durable and I've had a couple of these fall apart after a few months. Bear in mind I've not been trained on this cane so I may be using it wrong. I find it quite good for helping me find paths, but less good for avoiding obstacles.
Generally I go out with my sighted wife, often on dog walks. So I will pick one or the other depending on the terrain.
As I mentioned on another thread, she got me a Huju cane tip a few months back, not realising that it doesn't fit the AmbuTech aluminium canes. So I read about the graphite ones on the RNIB and they sounded pretty good - lighter and with anti-jab. So I bought one.
It came with a marshmallow tip. I happened to have been invited to afternoon tea (this is not a normal thing for me) so I took this new cane with the marshmallow out, given that I was mostly going to be navigating in a big posh old house. And it was actually rather a nice experience because the cane was so light.
After this I swapped out the Huju tip. I should say the graphite cane had a way that made it much easier to change tips. You pulled the cord out and it stayed in place. My other ones didn't have this.
The huju is a plastic hook thing that makes your cane look a bit like a hockey stick. It promised that it worked well in all types of terrain which sounded great. So the first thing I tried was taking it out on a grassy field where I would usually use the Rover. And it was absolutely terrible. So after that I just used it instead of the roller ball sometimes, and found it much the same. My wrist got tired just as much and I got a similar level of feedback. I think maybe not being round meant that it was more effort to swing, but because the cane was lighter it probably compensated. The anti-jab seemed to work pretty well though and I didn't find that the cane would get stuck and then ram me in the chest.
I should also say I ordered one the same length as my other cane but it was a little taller, maybe to do with the handle being very large or the anti-jab springs. But it suited me fine.
And then a couple of weeks ago, a cyclist ran into my cane and it snapped the end of, wrecking both the cane and the huju.
I am tempted to buy another graphite cane to use the marshmallow but I'm not sure if the cane is as robust as the aluminium versions. I never had the same situation with my other canes so I don't know how they would have reacted. But being lighter it felt a little less sturdy. I'm not sure if anyone else has had experience with this?
I also looked at the All Terrain Cane. This is expensive at about £100. It is titanium, and I think it is telescopic (my others are all foldable). It has a round tip which I think is red, although I honestly couldn't care less what it looked like. I have a feeling the cane itself may be red and white but I might be getting it confused with a different one. The thing I don't get is that if it is a standard ball tip like I currently use, then I don't really get that it would work in all terrains. The titanium is supposed to be super durable, but then I guess the bit that connects to the tip could be the weak spot, I don't know?
I feel a bit anxious about spending a lot of money one a fancy cane given my previous experience.
Also it might be worth me reiterating that I am not elite level blind. I had a couple of lessons of the constant touch technique just before lockdown which was before I actually needed it. So my technique is not amazing and I don't really use the double tap technique or whatever it's called. So it might be that my problems navigating some terrain are to do with me not the tip.
Apologies this turned into rather a long post.
Kustom Cane
Brian, the site you might be thinking of is kustom cane. He charges quite a bit, you have to call for an order. Not my deal, I like pressing Pay and done. I started with the crook handled one, then got folding ones, stepped on one, broke it, got stuck together, put soap on it, that didn't do a great job. I've been getting mine from futureaids.com They did have a reasonable price, around 26 bucks but are now just as high as the others. They are free shipping though so I stick with them. Never used a telescoping cane, not quite sure how that works. A friend repaired two canes I had, one fell apart. He felt awful. I told him he did his best i wasn't upset. found oen more, again these are on their last legs. Would he mind repairing it? exact response: "I don't think i have enough cord left. To be honest, it was a pain in the ass." Pandemic or not, I appreciated he tried, as i wasn't sending two back, forty bucks, and waiting years. This took a few weeks and all I bought him was a case of beer for his efforts. I like the pencil tips, but the future aids come with marshmallow. I think I want a pencil again. Oh and one of my canes is somewhere in Tarpan Springs. Whoever finds it? enjoy lmao.
Pros and Cons of various canes
First, my experience with carbon fiber canes - I have a collapsable carbon fiber cane that I sometimes use.
Pros: Very light and very small. After being collapsed it can easily be stuck into a pocket.
Cons: As someone mentioned, the cane has a tendency to automatically collapse. Thus, in the middle of navigating, I'm suddenly getting bad feedback as to distances, heights, etc. Another downside of the carbon fiber cane is that it is brittle. Yes, carbon fiber is supposed to be strong, but in some circumstances, if the cane gets caught on something and you keep going, it can suddenly snap whereas an aluminum cane would bend. Although bending of a cane isn't good, at least it can usually be bent back and used effectively until you can replace it if necessary. Not so if the cane actually breaks.
Uses: I usually take this cane when having a cane can be useful but isn't 100% necessary. For example, if my wife is guiding me through a museum or we are just walking through neighborhood streets together, I mostly follow her without using the cane. But I know I have the cane if some emergency pops up or something happens to her.
Second, my experience with the Ambutech cane - This is one of the finest canes I've had. Being made from aluminum, it is relatively light and very sturdy. Another great feature is that the ends of each section are tapered so that they easily fit together when unfolding the cane. They also make a carbon fiber version which should be lighter and I'm tempted to try that, but as I mentioned above, I'm a bit nervous about the brittleness of the carbon fiber. But for some aplications the carbon fiber might work, for example, if I didn't expect to be in a very rugged environment.
Cons: Might be a bit heavy for some people.
Uses: Almost everywhere.
My experience with the AwareWolf cane - If you are a hiker navigating through rugged and rocky environments, this is the cane for you!
Pros: Very sturdy and rugged. Has a large roller ball that will roll over most surfaces without getting stuck. Can also be used as a hiking pole for support and climbing up large rocks. When you're through with the hike, you can even use it in the city if you don't want to carry two canes. Not optimal for city use because of the weight, but useable for convenience.
Cons: This is a pretty heavy cane. You won't want to tap it from side to side since that takes a lot of force and will be slow due to the mass.
I don't use any of my fiberglass canes any more, although I remember that they were Fiberglass white canes - I actually don't use those any more unless some other cane broke.
Pros: Pretty light. In addition, they have some springyness that makes them bounce back a little when tapping from side to side. That can make it easier to tap away without having to man handle the cane.
Cons" These canes don't fold up. I've gotten used to canes that fold up. This makes it much easier to store away when in a restaurant or other public venue where you might have a hard time finding a safe place to put a long cane that doesn't fold.
Anyway, those are my experiences and thoughts about using a variety of canes. We have lots of choices these days!
--Pete
@mr grieves
I'm not a mobility guru,. I had constant training early on in the use of the cane, and more guided instruction might be helpful for you, if you want to go that rout.
It does seem that the weight of the cane is something you get used to. Back in the 80s during training, my instructor wanted me to try out a telescoping cane, they might have been a new thing at that time. It was so much lighter than what I was used to, the standard, folding aluminum cane, that I dropped it in the middle of crossing a busy street for no apparent reason. Usually it's someone knocking the cane out of your hand, but there's training for quickly finding your cane in that situation if you drop it too. Anyway, I didn't use one again until a couple of decades ago, and I also have a graphite folder too. I doubt I'll go back to an aluminum one.
I really don't know much about the various tips. I've only ever used the one that comes with the cane, nylon fat or skinny, doesn't matter to me.
As far as color... I've tried to look into what issues a blind person might get into by not using a typical white cane. There is a law in my state about drivers needing to avoid running over, or in other words, giving the right of way to people with mostly white or metallic colored canes. I suppose metallic means grayish-silver, but it does not specifically restrict it, eg, metallic-blue, gold-glitter covered, a copper tube etc.
"I didn't stop when he was crossing the street because he had a green, vinyl stick, officer."
And there's nothing I can find about not accommodating blind people in public places if they have non-white canes. "No shoes, no shirt, non-white cane, no service."
Call me a heretic!
But I call mine my stick. So shoot me - it's a white stick!
@OldBear
I do keep meaning to get back in touch with my mobility instructor now I am actually using the cane. The door was left open so I should be able to carry on. I'm glad I had the few sessions I did though otherwise lockdown would have happened and I would have needed one and not really known about it. I only took lessons because the opportunity arose.
I think I will get another graphite one and try the marshmallow tip again as it did seem really nice compared to all the clunky other ones I tried. I think my incident was just unfortunate.
@Lottie
I have to agree with you. I think the white cane has a very specific meaning and people generally understand what that is. I think trying to mess with that and then expecting people to understand where you are coming from is a bit optimistic.
Although a coloured tip I don't think makes a difference. But honestly if I can't see it I couldn't care less what colour it is.
@Siobhan
The telescoping canes are kind of like extending a radio antenna, and the whole cane collapses into the handle, which is shorter than the handle of a folding cane. They are a bit of a pain to deal with because you have to be sure each section is pulled all the way out where friction holds it in place, then you have to twist each section a little to get it to release from that friction hold. It's much faster to extend and collapse a folding cane, but they take up a bit more space and are heavier. In fact, you could just about carry three, collapsed, telescoping canes in the same diameter of space as one folder, and they would be shorter. I wouldn't have any worries about leaning on a folding cane, but I wouldn't dare lean on a telescoping one. They're probably more fragile than a folding cane, I just haven't broken one yet, for some reason. They invite a light touch in use. I'd use a folder for more serious, hand-to-hand, concrete-jungle type mobility, but also have the telescoping one for backup.
Somebody told me...
you had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend - stop!
that they had been on some sort of course with some charity or another - they were told off for calling it a white stick!
Canes, colors, and complaints
@Pete
Awarewolf also has an urban explorer version, that is supposed to be foldable, and designed for Metro city use. Just a heads up on that.
@Siobhan
… And I thought I had bad luck with canes.
@ negativity about custom colors
I have experienced more people who do not know what a white cane is, and those who do. So, for me, having a custom color came would make no difference than continuing to use a solid white cane, or a white cane with, say, a red tip. The only real difference is that, I would be happy. Because as I mentioned, I like colors. 😝
I like showing off, isn't it obvious by now?
I won't pay the eighty plus bucks for kustom to put whatever the hell cane shield is to protect it. Yeah it'd be nice to carry a Bucks' and Patriots' logoed cane when games are on, i just don't like the business practices. Plus if you're on any blind tech sell or trade list, he vomits up probably two or three a few weeks apart, asking you to go order from him. I'll check out how a telescoping cane might be, but if not, future aids works ok for now.
Re: white stick
Well I still remember the days when I didn't think of myself as blind. I definitely had it in my head that a white cane meant blind, and I would have been confused to see a different colour. I think red and white is deaf blind or something isn't it? I certainly wouldn't have known that then.
I guess what you are doing with the cane is probably more of a giveaway that you can't see, but I don't think we can expect sighted people to really know what's going on. I personally think make it as obvious as you can, and I'd say part of that is the colour. But on the other hand if using a different colour makes you happy, then who am I to say otherwise?
I wonder what the problem with calling it a white stick is. It's certainly sticky. And it is generally white.
@mr grieves
I think the deaf/blind canes are red and white striped all the way, but I'm not too familiar with that. Back when I was a kid, they put about 6-8 inches (15-20cm) of red tape on the tip end of aluminum canes, and they tended to be about sternum to chest level in length. They also had a golf club grip that usually had "Golf Pro" or something like that printed on a flattened side. The fiberglass canes were all white, and some people insisted they needed to be about up to face-level long, and held in a way similar to a pencil. So maybe it wasn't absolute that the red needed to be on there, and there was plenty of disagreement about proper this and proper that, depending on the instructor.
I just confirmed with my phone that my graphite folders have the red tape on the bottom section. My telescoping one does not. So it's still a thing over here in the US for some canes. I also just read some Google search blerbs that the red is now thought to mean low vision. Who knows anymore? My only concern for myself is the situations, such as with police officers and motorists, where being identifiable as blind from a distance is probably in everyone's best interest.
I don't think you can drive without recognizing a cane
I don't know much about the whole deafblind thing, but when I was measured for a cane when I was a kid, they failed to take into account what would later develop, so now i have one about quarter up the hill, to be G rated here. I don't think you can pass a driving test in at least America and Europe without knowing if a cane is out in front of someone, they have the right of way. Then again with everyone being idiotic now, who knows if the younger people, did i just say that?, give a crap anymore.
I just read that white sticks only go back to 1921!
My grandfather was 28 in 1921, but he didn't invent the white stick. I was born in the town where GDBA was started, but he didn't do that either. In fact I am the first person in our family to have a need for a white stick, so I am grateful to the chap who did actually invent it!
Colors, part Deux
I cannot decide, but I know I want purple in my next Ambutech cane. Purple was my fav color when I had eyesight.
Don't judge me. . .
Anyways, I am torn between a Purple cane with a White tip, or a White cane with a Purple tip. Note that by "tip" I actually mean the last segment of the cane that is typically red.