CARE AND FEEDING OF THE LONG WHITE CANE: Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane
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6. Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane
Wash, Feed, and Dress Your Cane
The washing part is obvious, but I am a poor one to tell you, since I don't do it often
enough, myself. Collapsible canes that are held together by an internal elastic cord need
watching. Keep track of the wear on the elastic cord, and be smart enough to replace it
the day before it breaks. Of course, it is better to be a month early than a day late.
CARE AND FEEDING OF THE LONG WHITE CANE: Thoughts and Experiences on Cane Travel
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7. Thoughts and Experiences on Cane Travel
How Long Does It Take to Learn Cane Travel?
In order to answer this question, you must consider three major variable factors: 1.
your background; 2. your aptitude; and 3. the amount of time available.
I will give some numbers from my experience, but not until I expand on these factors.
CARE AND FEEDING OF THE LONG WHITE CANE: Songs
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8. Songs
The White Cane Freedom March
by Thomas Bickford, Debbie Brown, Lloyd Rasmussen and Ken Silberman
To the Tune of: "As Those Caissons Go Rolling Along"
CARE AND FEEDING OF THE LONG WHITE CANE: BIBLIOGRAPHY
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Benson, Stephen. So What About Independent Travel. The Braille Monitor,
January, 1985, pp 30-40.
Blasch, B. B., Long, R. G., and Griffin, Shirley N. Results of a National Survey
of Electronic Travel Aid Use. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness,
November, 1989, v. 33, n 9, pp 449-453.
CARE AND FEEDING OF THE LONG WHITE CANE: Sources of Canes
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Sources of Canes
In many cities there are organizations which sell white canes that you may
examine before you buy. The following nine organizations sell canes through
mail order catalogs. When you compare the catalogs, you will find that even
in this short list some of the equipment comes from common sources. Most of
these organizations sell a wide variety of items besides canes, but this booklet
CARE AND FEEDING OF THE LONG WHITE CANE Table of Contents
Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane: Instructions in Cane Travel for Blind People
by Thomas Bickford
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Author's Introduction
1. Getting Yourself Ready
Why Should I Use This Thing That Makes Me Look Blind?
Who Can Learn Cane Travel?
2. Getting the Cane Ready
How Long Should the Cane Be?
What Should the Cane Be Made Of?
How and Where Do You Hold the Cane?
If Blindness Comes: Who is Blind
Who is Blind?
by Kenneth Jernigan
What is Braille and what does it mean to the blind?
If Blindness Comes: INDEPENDENT TRAVEL
Independent Travel
If Blindness Comes: Cooking Techniques
Cooking Techniques
A cook who becomes blind still has a lifetime of experience
and knowledge about food a resource to be prized. There is no
reason for a blind person to be frightened of hot stoves, electric
mixers, sharp knives, or anything else in the kitchen. It is
important to take the same good-sense precautions you always did:
don't leave cloth potholders on the stove; don't stack glasses in
the sink, and so forth. Accidents occur because of carelessness,