Kathleen born 1946 with low vision and acquired a long cane at age 48

Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility

Today’s interview is with Kathleen, born in 1949 with retinopathy of prematurity. Her story life with this vision is one of living in the margins as far as getting services. She had no specialized services as a child, conceivably she was considered to have too much vision – she was not “legally blind”. She got her first cane at age 48 – for protection. She tells of many accidents that resulted from her inability to visually avoid obstacles in her path. Kathleen’s story is a story of low vision and some of the barriers to effective services that existed when she was growing up.

Her early experiences were of being shunned by her first-grade teacher who did not want her in her classroom, being left out of PE and games, and being restricted from playing by her family for fear she would break her glasses.

As an adult she began using a long cane and shared insights into how she was taught from the perspective of a professional in the field of blindness. But what she didn’t learn is perhaps more telling, her O&M specialist, because of her experience of being a driver, and skilled public transit user, did not work on orientation skills for when she was disoriented. Yet, she tells of multiple times when her vision caused her to be wholly disoriented.

Before her cane she had a lot of accidents that caused real pain and injury. Kathleen’s story is the story of low vision, she sought out her long cane for protection, but then stopped going on vacation tours because she didn’t want to be exposed as a cane user.

Long canes are visible and Kathleen’s story sheds insight into her journey of becoming aware of the need for a long cane, taking action to start using her long cane and still must battle the feelings and reality of being a white cane user in public.

A. But I feel like I’m just beginning to hit my stride. I’m just beginning to feel totally comfortable with this thing, you know. I can walk down the street, people don’t bother me, people are used to me.

A. People aren’t grabbing me anymore, you know. And I’ve had people come up to me and say, “you can see. You shouldn’t be using a cane”.

Q. Oh, really.

A. Yeah. People…some people have been outrageous. And, um, you know, I’ve, I’ve sort of…

Q. What do you say to them?

A. Well, um, at first, I said,

"Well, I’m…I guess I can see and I’m grateful for what I can see." Um, or I say, "well you don’t have to be totally blind to carry a cane". You know…

Q. Golly, I don’t know if I’d be so nice. [laugh]

A. Well, I haven’t been.

Q. "F.U." [laugh] and "get out of my way".

A. Well, there are times that I’ve waffled…

Q. You’d done what?

A. Hauled off and waffled people…you know, really gone after their ankles with it. Because people will see the cane and you know they see it and walk right into you. Like, they’re sort of testing you somehow. And I’ve just gone after their ankles. A couple…many…I can’t say a couple times, I’ve done it many times. So, yeah… Sometimes, I can be nice and sometimes I can’t. And then, um, I’ve decided that on Fridays…Friday afternoons everybody loses their mind.

Visit our website: Email: [e-mail] TikTok Facebook YouTube
Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a review, ask questions and share with your friends!!
Please donate to help Safe Toddles Inc. achieve our mission to provide blind toddlers with a solution for walking independently with safety.
If you know anyone who needs a belt cane - go to ObtainCane