Future Reflections Cane Travel and Independence
Please note that this list is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but instead reflects the cane travel (O&M) and blindness resources that we believe to be deeply rooted in the consumer experience.
NFB Training Centers
BLIND, Inc. (Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions, Incorporated)
Shawn Mayo, Director
100 East 22nd Street South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404
Phone: (612) 872-0100
Toll-Free: (800) 597-9558
Fax: (612) 872-9358
E-mail: <info@blindinc.org>
Web site: <www.blindinc.org>
Colorado Center for the Blind
Julie Deden, Director
2233 West Shepperd Avenue
Littleton, Colorado 80120
Phone: (303) 778-1130
Toll-Free: (800) 401-4632
Fax: (303) 778-1598
E-mail: <jdeden@cocenter.org>
Web site: <www.cocenter.org>
Louisiana Center for the Blind
Pam Allen, Director
101 South Trenton Street
Ruston, Louisiana 71270
Phone: (318) 251-2891
Toll-Free: (800) 234-4166
E-mail: <pallen@lcb-ruston.com>
Web site: <www.lcb-ruston.com>
NFB Independence Market
The NFB Independence Market offers blindness-related products and publications
as a service of the Jacobus tenBroek Library. From canes to writing supplies—the
Independence Market has many items to help increase independence and aid in
carrying out life’s daily activities. Shoppers may search an online store or
call for more information.
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2216
Fax: (410) 685-2340
E-mail: <IndependenceMarket@nfb.org>
Web site: <www.nfb.org/nfb/Independence_Market.asp>
Publications and other Media
All publications and media are available through the NFB Independence Market
unless otherwise noted.
Independent Movement and Travel in Blind Children: A Promotion Model
by Joe Cutter
Copyright 2007 IAP--Information Age Publishing, Inc. ISBN 13: 978-1-59311-603-3
(paperback) ISBN 978-1-59311-604-0 (hardcover) 331 pages, large print font,
black and white photos. Hardback and paperback editions are available for purchase
from IAP at <www.infoagepub.com> (search by author, Cutter).
Rather than dwelling on the effect of blindness on movement, in his book, Joe
Cutter focuses on the effect of movement on development, and the importance
of movement experiences for the development of blind children. “This is more
than a book about cane techniques and teaching strategies (although there is
enough of that to satisfy the most detail-oriented parent or instructor), it
is a guide that lays out a whole new way to think about and approach the facilitating
of normal--yes, normal--movement and independence in young blind children.”
–Barbara Cheadle, president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children and editor of Future Reflections.
The Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane
by Tom Bickford
Copyright 1993 National Federation of the Blind
In this easy-to-read self-help guide, the author draws upon personal experiences
as a blind traveler and former mobility instructor to tear down the myths and
fears about independent travel. “To become an independent traveler,” he tells
the reader, “you must learn to take care of yourself. The best thing this booklet
can do for you is to help you come to the time when you don’t need it.”
Handbook for Itinerant and Resource Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired
Students
by Doris Willoughby and Sharon (Duffy) Monthei
Copyright 1989 National Federation of the Blind
A comprehensive handbook on the innumerable objectives and tasks involved in
the education of blind children of all ages. “Willoughby and Duffy offer anecdotes,
both positive and negative, that should save every reader from at least one
mistake. Their clear directions and repertoire of ideas for each of the subjects
covered will be of help even to the experienced teacher.” –Lorraine Rovig, librarian.
NOTE: This important handbook is available directly from the NOPBC free of charge.
The handbook is available on two-track cassette (five tapes in a set), in Braille
(eight volumes), and in regular print (533 pages). When ordering the print version,
please note that the NOPBC does request a donation to help defray the cost of
shipping. Checks should be made payable to NOPBC and mailed to NOPBC Free Offer,
1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. To order either the Braille
or two-track cassette versions, simply call (410) 659-9314, extension 2361,
or e-mail <ParentOutreach@nfb.org>.
Modular Instruction for Independent Travel for Students Who Are Blind or
Visually Impaired by Doris Willoughby and Sharon Monthei
Copyright 1999 National Federation of the Blind
A flexible, practical guide for teaching cane travel to students of preschool
age through high school. Between them, the authors have a wide variety of experiences
with students of all ages and abilities. “[Willoughby and Monthei] have created
an extremely teacher-friendly book that will be used extensively by teachers
and parents to benefit blind children.” –Dr. Phil Hatlen, Superintendent, Texas
School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Techniques Used by Blind Cane Travel Instructors: A Practical Approach:
Learning, Teaching, Believing
by Maria Morais, Paul Lorensen, Roland Allen, Edward C. Bell,
Arlene Hill, and Eric Woods
Copyright 1997 National Federation of the Blind
The purpose of this text, as described by its authors, is to describe some of
the techniques employed by the authors as blind cane travel instructors. “Our
approach is fundamentally based upon the belief that techniques used by sighted
teachers and the alternative techniques which we use are equally effective and
that ours are in no way inferior. This work is offered as a first step toward
understanding the teaching methods that we who are blind professionals employ.”
“White Canes for Blind Kids” DVD
A twelve-minute DVD demonstrating how the use of the white cane can transform
the lives of blind children. The film was shot at a NFB National Convention,
and it contains footage of cane instruction with children of all ages as well
as parent interviews. While available to order from the NFB Independence Market,
the film is also available online at <www.nfb.org/nfb/NOPBC_Videos.asp>.
“It’s OK to be Blind” DVD
“It’s OK to be Blind,” produced by a volunteer member of the NOPBC, Myra Lesser,
consists of scenes from the 1995 NFB convention. In the film, parents and blind
students at the convention talk about how the NFB, and especially the NFB convention,
has changed their lives. Families tell how informative workshops taught them
the concrete skills blind people need to succeed. The film is fourteen minutes
in length and is narrated by Myra Lesser and Jim Omvig.
Recommended Future Reflections Articles
The following articles can be found online at <www.nfb.org/nfb/Future_Reflections.asp>.
Volume 3, Number 2: “Cane Travel”
Volume 3, Number 2: “Canes and Blind Preschoolers”
Volume 10, Number 2: “Canes and Preschoolers the Eight-Year Revolution” by Barbara
Cheadle
Volume 10, Number 2: “A Cane in Our Lives” by Carol Castellano
Volume 10, Number 2: “Orientation: What Is Your Role?” by Eileen Rivera
Volume 12, Number 2: “O&M: A Process Toward Independence” by Joe Cutter
Volume 16, Number 1: “These Canes Are History” by Patrick Barrett
Volume 19, Number 2: “Reflections on My Childhood Mobility Experiences” by Paul
Gabias, PhD
Volume 23, Number 2: “Parents: Blind Children’s First Mobility Teachers” by
Joe Cutter
Volume 23, Number 4: “Stepping Out” by Connie Bernard
Volume 24, Number 3: “I’m Partially Sighted, and I Use a White Cane” by Peggy
Chong
Volume 26, Number 1: “The Teaching Cane” by Mary Jo Thorpe, NOMC
Recommended Braille Monitor Articles
The following articles can be found online at <www.nfb.org/nfb/Braille_Monitor.asp>.
March 1996: “Wheels and White Canes Tips for Helping Blind Wheelchair Users”
by Maureen Pranghofer
February 2007: “What It Means to Walk with a White Cane” by Christopher Danielsen
Other Resources
Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB)
PDRIB is a collaborative effort between Louisiana Tech and the Louisiana Center
for the Blind to fulfill two primary missions: preparing professionals to work
in rehabilitation and education (equipped with innovative knowledge about blindness)
and conducting research that clarifies and deepens understanding about blindness
and the best practices for promoting education, employment, and independence
for blind people. In carrying out these missions, the Institute on Blindness
engages in three primary activities: administration of graduate programs, continuing
education and service to the university and community, and research and publication
of scholarly works on blindness rehabilitation and education.
Edward Bell, PhD, CRC, NOMC, Director, PDRIB
210 Woodard Hall
100 Wisteria
Ruston, Louisiana 71291
Phone: (318) 257-4554
Fax: (318) 257-2259
Web site: <www.pdrib.com>
University Training Programs
By combining the best university education and agency training techniques, the
Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB) at Louisiana
Tech University has created three unique degree programs in collaboration that
produce the most highly skilled and qualified teachers of blind children and
orientation and mobility instructors. Located at the Louisiana Tech campus in
Ruston, Louisiana, these programs are:
• Master of Arts in Teaching Blind Students
• Master of Science in Teaching Blind Students
• Master of Arts in Educational Psychology with a Concentration in Orientation
and Mobility (O&M)
For more information about the programs contact:
Edward Bell, PhD, CRC, NOMC,
Orientation and Mobility Program Coordinator
Phone: (318) 257-4554
ebell@latech.edu
www.pdrib.com
Ruby Ryles, PhD
Assistant Professor
Teaching Blind Students Program Coordinator
Phone: (318) 257-2028
rryles@latech.edu
www.pdrib.com
D. Boone Consultants
Founded by Doug Boone, a certified travel instructor, D. Boone Consultants contracts
with schools, state agencies, and other entities to teach travel, structured
discovery learning, and healthy attitudes about blindness to their professional
personnel.
Phone: (269) 372-6610
Fax: (269) 372-6640
E-mail: <BooneRehab@aol.com>
National Blindness Professional Certification Board: National Orientation
and Mobility Certification Program
The National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) has established
rigorous standards for certifying competent professionals who teach orientation
and mobility skills using Structured Discovery Cane Travel (SDCT) methods and
principles. Successful applicants who earn the designation of National Orientation
and Mobility Certificant (NOMC) are entitled to all rights and responsibilities
therein as long as he or she maintains active certification status and upholds
the NBPCB Code of Professional Ethics. The methods, principles, and practices
that comprise the NBPCB certification process are derived from the Consumer-Based
Model of Rehabilitation (CBMR). This model has been built from the collective
knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of the organized blind who have achieved
economic, social, and community integration. The NOMC process is based on the
methods and principles underlying SDCT, which holds that successful blind persons
must master nonvisual skills for independent living, learn problem solving strategies
to confront societal and environmental ambiguities and must come to understand
their own internalized attitudes--as well as public attitudes--about blindness
and the effect that such attitudes have on personal expectations and aspirations.