ATC

[cosmolinguist]

Me all year: why isn't there a better combination of a white cane and a walking cane??

The internet, after three months of this: People have already had this long enough to write reviews of it!

Goddammit!

Of course it's a hundred fucking quid.

But it might still be worth it, not just for my ankle which hopefully will be less of a problem as time goes on, but because I was already thinking about how useful such a thing would be for like hiking which I'd love to be able to do more of.

But yeah this would make such a difference now. Lately, especially in Brussels where I did a lot of walking but even just around town, I find myself having to bring all the canes and swap between them.

Last Saturday, I sat down at a bus stop, folded the walking cane (MB has plenty and is happy to let me borrow this one for the duration), put it in my backpack, took out my long cane and unfolded. I thought to myself I'm for sure gonna end up on video as "fake disabled person."

It makes sense to me! For instance, this time I used the walking cane while walking through the city centre and around an art gallery. Once I was waiting for a bus home, I knew I was mostly done with walking and it becomes more important for the driver and other passengers to know I can't see.

These calculations are getting more routine, but they're still exhausting. Maybe it is worth a hundred quid to do less of them (depending on how much cognitive cost there is in me learning how to use the new cane...).

Comments

[kaberett]

I am broadly of the opinion that that sounds extremely worth it, and that it is likely money you wouldn't hesitate to spend on supporting a friend.

(I am also used to wheelchair shit having the Discworld quantum property of "add another zero", though.)

[cosmolinguist]

This is a good point, especially about how I'd offer it to a friend...

Also my ankle has helped by being unusually sore today, which has convinced me to do whatever I can to help it, haha.

[cosmolinguist]

You'd think we'd at least get a staff discount or something! lolsob

[azurelunatic]

All walking poles should come with a staff discount.

[cosmolinguist]

<3

[barakta]

I agree, get the combined cane-pole, worst case you can return it in the 14 days, or only need it part time and can either sell it on or give it away to someone else in need.

Totally relate to the juggling different tools for different things. I only use my stick in certain contexts cos sometimes it is actually worse for me than not having it, hipwise other times it's doing a blindie-cane style job.

[cosmolinguist]

I'm getting it! Still waiting for it to arrive (it'll be in the snailest mail, "Articles for the Blind"). Updates to follow, no doubt!

[mst3kforall]

Haha, being from the US and not being familiar with canes, I first saw the subject and thought, “Air Traffic Control??” but quickly had my suspicions confirmed that I was off the mark.

It sounds like it could be a great help, and seems very well thought-out and well made. One of my first thoughts, too, was that you would immediately get it for someone else (and also that you could retain the packaging and return it within 14 days if for some reason it didn’t work out for you).

I do feel that this comment may come off as a bit over-urging or pressurizing rather than the supportiveness I intended, and I happily volunteer to edit or delete as you wish.

[cosmolinguist]

ATC means "air traffic control" everywhere, as far as i can tell. :)

The All-Terrain Cane is also from the U.S.! It makes a big deal of having been designed to hike trails in Arizona.

Thank you for being so thoughtful but I didn't feel pressured by your comment at all -- I'd already ordered the thing by the time I read it! You are very kind.

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Why not just buy a cane that you like and spray paint it white? It's the color that's the alert, not the shape. Navigational white canes come in lots of different styles. You could even use reflective white bicycle paint for extra visibility.

Re: Well ...

[cosmolinguist]

The tip of most walking canes is not suitable for giving the kind of feedback a long cane does.

I know there are people with visual and mobility impairments, but I have no idea how their mobility aids work for them!

And since I'm optimistic about not always needing one in the future, getting one suited to the kind of off-road use that I'm also interested in seemed a reasonable environment (I had also thought of using walking poles as an off-road white cane, but I am optimistic that this might be better).

Re: Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>The tip of most walking canes is not suitable for giving the kind of feedback a long cane does.<<

I've seen at least three different ends for walking canes:
* narrow metal ferrule for click-navigation
* rubber ball for bump-navigation
* roller or wheel for rolling-navigation

I've seen the ball type available separately because they wear out and need replacing more often. It's possible the others are also available separately.

>>And since I'm optimistic about not always needing one in the future, getting one suited to the kind of off-road use that I'm also interested in seemed a reasonable environment<<

Logical. I hope it works out for you.

>>(I had also thought of using walking poles as an off-road white cane, but I am optimistic that this might be better).<<

Good for vision-impaired hikers, I suspect.