My friend the cane

This was Challenging

For a long time, I never used a cane because of stubbornness and thinking that I could get everywhere myself without assistance or using a cane. I was also embarrassed about using one. As a young man, it’s not always considered very trendy to carry a cane. When in public, if you bang into someone, the person can lash out because they don’t know that you have a visual impairment. I noticed, that this was starting to happen to me more regularly which was not appropriate.

Why I started using a cane?

Using the cane helps others to recognise I have some kind of visual impairment and there not so harsh if I bump into them by mistake. When my vision started to decrease, I took the brave step of looking into getting a cane. This took a lot of courage. I trailed using a cane with the assistance of the National Council of the Blind Ireland (NCBI). The Orientation & Mobility Officer at the NCBI was a huge help in progressing my independent use of the cane. I started lightly within the NCBI buildings and as my confidence grew I advanced to using the cane within the local community.

While trialling it out I felt great using it because I stopped banging into people and obstacles on the street. It took a bit of convincing but I decided if it prevents the risk of injury then why not try it out. Using it has done a lot for my confidence and social skills.

Positives of using a cane.

Through attending the NCBI, I have availed of a course which focuses on orientation and mobility. It has taken a lot of practice in using the cane to ensure that my technique is correct. In public, if you sweep the cane too big you could possibly trip somebody up. This is why having the right technique is important. Still to this day, technique is something I continuously practice, it’s ongoing and I’m improving all the time. In the last 12 months, my independence skills have improved massively.

Tips for using the cane

I use the long cane anywhere that I go. When I am going somewhere new for the first time I plan out each part of my travel route. This ensures that I get there safely. I usually do some trial runs on public transport before I visit the new place. This has worked well for me is something I would recommend to others with a visual impairment.

If you are someone with a visual impairment and haven’t yet trailed using a cane, I would strongly recommend that you give it a go. By getting a cane, it will lessen the risk of injury to yourself and is likely to do wonders for your social skills.  For me, the cane is an essential item now when travelling somewhere. I think of it like my phone, I don’t go anywhere without it.