White Cane Assessment

Charlotte has had an evaluation for a white cane. I set it up because I want her to have access to all the tools that she might need but I think I was also hoping that the verdict would be: "She's fine, she doesn't need a cane." 

Not so, she does qualify.

We took her to an area with a grassy bank, a step and a pathway; very uneven terrain and quite a steep slope. She tried out a little cane - which was actually too large for her - and she got the hang of it quite quickly. She seemed very pleased to have a new piece of equipment and she also completely understood how it could help her navigate the ground.

The instructor is going to get back in contact and arrange some times for training in the streets around  our house.

I really worry about this step for us. It feels so huge. It is such a visible marker of blindness. People don't see the person, they only see the cane. I want them to know Charlotte first, not her equipment. It is a tool that I want her to have if she needs it, but I really hope that she won't need to use it.

Will this make her less physically adventurous? What about riding a bike, or going for a run? How do you those things as a cane-user? She jumped down the front steps this morning, will she suddenly stop doing that because she wants to feel the surface all the time?

But... it was clear, from the moment she had it in her hand, how much it would help her on uneven and unfamiliar ground. She was so confident with it. When she handed the cane back to the instructor she immediately reached for her hand as a replacement. I was struck by the difference.

I think I need a bit of an attitude adjustment. This is not a marker of blindness, this is a tool which will give her greater independence.