What the White Cane Really Means About You as a Person | Life After Sight Loss
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- Опубліковано 21 кві 2019
- The White Cane is synonymous with people who are visually impaired. It is a great tool that allows people to travel around independently. However, using the white cane after losing sight can be a bit bothersome. Mostly because of what we feel it says about us. Wel, today, I'm going to tell you exactly what it means about you as a person. Enjoy!
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I do not leave home without it. I went four years after sight loss refusing to use a white cane, which cause me to depend on others. If they did not have time to do what I needed to do, or just did not feel like it I was stuck in the house. When I got over myself and learned properly how to use my cane it was life changing. I gained my independence back.
I find the white cane very helpful but I always have the feeling that people are staring at my eyes thinking if I am faking or trying to gain pity.
I named my cane Mo’, because with it I can now do more (mo’). I love Mo’! I can now walk independently.
Thank you for posting this video. I'm a young visually impaired woman, who has been using the white cane for 9 years. The white cane means my independence and a useful mobility tool to guide me in situations where I'm unsure of my vision whether that's because the sun is in my face, the reflective glare on the ground after a rainy day or it's night time. I love how you put the meaning of the white cane into a positive perspective because I agree, it's simply means I can't see very well. That's it. It doesn't affect any part of my idenity or personality of who I actually am as a person. I enjoyed this video, so thanks again! :)
Thanks for the reminder of what the white cane really means I needed to hear that today. I was resisting the idea of getting a white cane for a long time. I should have had one before I did and I know that. To put this in context one of my best friends in the world come into the room one morning where I teach my class and she had this white cane with her dancing and singing into the room. and reminding me of the message that you just gave that all it means is I can't see very well. Today I know that the cane means more Independence, less anxiety in a way and it allows me to navigate the world around me in a much safer and better way. The friend the bought me the cane is no longer with us so I needed the reminder today. And now every time I got to grab my cane headed out the door I think of her which is a mixture of sadness and gratitude because I will never forget the day she come dancing and singing into the room and for the first time I was able to use the white cane. some days I still struggle more than others but this is a message I wish everybody could hear because it does not define me it's a tool that i use. I wish other's didn't judge as much. Thanks for your videos
It took me a while and a lot of persuading from my low vision worker to convince me it was a tool worth using.
I only thought of the negatives that came with it, but when I actually started using it and realised how much independence it gave me, I embraced it. So if anyone is still unsure about it you should at least give it a chance, it might not be for everyone, and a dog wouldn’t be for me for a lot of reasons, but I feel comfortable, and don’t go anywhere without my cane now!
To me my white cain means confidence.
Hey Derek. Great video. And so true. I myself sometimes I get really wrapped up in my head about what other people think when they see me using it because I do still have some vision, and sometimes it just gets in the way like I need to free hands and he catch it on things, but also it really helpful when it comes to finding steps and doorways and also for me the main thing is when I’m in a crowded hallway at school people to move out of the way But you’re so right it really means the long and the short of it is that your vision is not perfect.
Your disability does not have to define who you are. It is just one little aspect of your personality.
Great video! You put it so simply. At first I did not want any thing to do with that White Cane. Now, I find it is an awesome tool...and, it literally opens doors and parts the sea of people. I would not have my Guide Dog if not for my White Cane skills. When you get proper training, the White Cane works extremely well.
Hi Derek, love this vid. :) I really prefer to fly under the radar, so this comes into conflict with how using my identification cane makes me stand out. I still don't enjoy using it in the small town I live in, but once I get into a public commons type of space then my desiere to advocate and be a role model for others who need to use a cane to get around takes over. I've lived in this region for ten years now, and have not once noticed anyone using a white cane in all that time. So all the V I Ps around here, or friends and family members of those V I Ps, I feel empowered by their reality to wield my cane with confidence on those days where I otherwise would rather avoid the attention. I've had some awkward reactions to my cane or my requests for help, but I'm generally happy it happened to me so maybe for the next cane user those folks will have a better experience.
Thanks for making this so simple. Very well said as always.
When I recieved my "candy cane " cane, as it was referred to me as 5 years ago, I honestly was in a whirlwind and was on my own. Homonymous Hemianopsia with low vision, (the left visual field in each eye does not register in my brain) what I have left when drastically downhill just last year. The hardest part for me is actually my family who act as though THEY are embarressed for me! I try to explain the identification part of the cane also so I can get help easier in stores, etc. without people being just outright smartasses. While recovering from severe brain trauma (meningitis, septicism, strokes) someone asked my mother what was wrong and why I had the cane, she actually told them I was drunk and said she had no IDEA of why I was using the cane! I hope more awareness is continued through your channel and other visually Impaired people.
I'm not legally blind, I'm still on the first stages of macular distrophy. I find it really useful to make people know that I can't see very well but I feel like an impostor because I'm not blind! 🙈
I can 100% relate to you. We should share stories 😎
I can relate to you also. I used to think being blind was being stone blind, as in not even light perception. Now that I'm slowly losing my vision due to mac d and uveitis, I'm learning how much of a spectrum there is. Anyone who gives you static for not being blind enough for a cane, y ou send them directly to me! I will set them straight. :)
What the cane means to me is it’s a symbol of independence. I wasn’t much the type of person who gets out much but after my orientation and mobility training it feels like I’m the teenager who’s been given the car keys.
Awesome video Derek.
Does the “white cane” only represent someone with low vision/blindness? I see people carry non-folding canes to help walk or balance. Since I have low vision, I currently don’t need a white cane. Unfortunately, that means I don’t have a visual item for sighted people to know I can’t see very well. Being in the middle of sighted and blind is complicated to explain to others.
I can relate, as I'm low vision as well. I use an identification cane I received from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. I use it on sidewalks, public transit, and in stores when I'm not with my b f so people around me know why I bumped into them, or why I'm asking for help on which stop to get off the bus at.
There are badges / pins you can get, such as The Checkered Eye in Canada, or The Green Eye in Europe, to indicate you are low vision. Not sure what they have in the U S, but I'm sure there is one.
If your vision is such that you, like me, can't consistently see the pedestrian signals, I really encourage you to approach your local lighthouse for the blind, or your national institute for the blind. My visual acuity is somewhere around 20 over 60, but it varies from day to day and also by how bright or dark out it is. I've become a real homebody since losing the ability to drive, but I'm still able to get around on my own if I need or want to because of my identification cane.
Post script, my grampa had a cane for mobility that he later painted white when he lost his vision. Before then, it only had wood stain on it.
I am truly grateful for my white cane. It has helped me many of times from getting hurt. I still have my peripheral vision just like you Derek as I'm pretty sure I have a rare form of l h o n.
I can get around in stores without it however my lower peripheral vision is very blotchy so I tend to not see Coan caution signs anything below shoulder height. Especially when it's a certain type of color. My biggest problems AR level changes and walking to stores that have cement sidewalks or entryways with posts that are exactly the same. My king protects me from all these obstacles including curb.
I have the big baseball tip on my cane so a lot of people tend to ask me what it is. From time to time most of the time it's a senior citizen which I think is kind of funny. And even more of the time it's at the grocery store. I will always have it hanging on my hip so people get curious. But I love to educate I'm not afraid to admit what it is and why I use it. It's just another way I get to spread awareness.
My white cane a part of me now and I have accepted it. The best thing you can do as a visually impaired individual or blind individual is embrace the cane. I even recommend we get identification canes as well. I always carry both.
Great topic Derek, I made my own video about the same topic so if you get time check it out. Hope your Easter was awesome
🕶️ Thank You!
LMAO I love this video thank you it was so simple LOL perfect thanks
I am on the fence on learning/getting a white cane. I am ok with areas I know. Fow example I walk to Taekwondo. There are two paths I can take. The one i usually take i am fine. If I take the othe one (road work of at night, it has better lighting) I trip at least once. So while I am ok without out it i will probably find it beneficial i=. If not now then soon. However I do compete In Taekwondo and Horse riding. A lot of people seem to have this notion if you use a white cane you can't see . So they start questioning whether I am visually impaired. the one club I ride at there is a theraputic class I used to ride in. They now require a doctor's note stating why you qualify for that class. no other riding shows have such a rule. When i contacted them to find out if they wanted a family dr. note or opthamologist note they said I needed it in advance to show. Kind of made it feel well you don't use a white cane you are fine to ride in regular classes. So there is judgement if you do and judgement if you don't
I don't use one.. 1) I don't feel like I really need one yet, I can navigate my world pretty easily without any aids. 2) I can fake having normal vision.. Most people can't tell that I can't see well, unless I need to read something no one knows and I"m okay with it.. One day I might need one, and that will be okay, but not yet..
I know this video is a few months old, but I just found it and wanted to comment. I've been legally blind since birth, but it's only now, in my early 40s that I've decided I should probably start using a white cane. The older I get, the more falling down hurts. Plus there are social situations where it's helpful for people to know I can't see well. But after 40 years of not using a white cane, it feels like using one now is ... giving in? Like I lost the battle? I've never let my blindness define me, but it feels like when I'm out with the cane, I'm doing exactly that. I know it's not rational, but it's been hard.
Hi there! Thanks so much for your comment and for sharing your thoughts. I do understand where you are coming from. I think I felt similarly when I first started using the cane. But, let me say this: the white cane doesn’t define you. It doesn’t mean that blindness is now your defining characteristic. You are simply using a tool to assist you in certain tasks and for ID purposes. I also encourage you to remember that we do not wrestle against our blindness. It is not some monster to overcome. It is simply a part of our lives that we learn to deal with, work around or whatever phrase you’d like to use. As long as you are living your life the way you want, then you have not given up. You have won already! I wish you the best in your journey to potentially use the white cane. It can be a hard step and no one is taking that away. But, it can be a helpful tool and I hope it will be just that for you. Thanks again for sharing and all the best!