Tools like long white canes, guide dogs, tactile maps, adapted mobility devices, and technology help bridge gaps in navigation struggles, independence, and completion of daily tasks for those who are visually impaired. Once children learn how to use these tools properly, they have an increased opportunity to participate in activities alongside their peers and cultivate independence and self-confidence.
Tactile maps, which are raised-line diagrams of classrooms, schools, or neighborhoods, help increase spatial awareness. These maps help students picture their surroundings. They can be made with specially designed tools, such as a 3-D printer, or using everyday craft supplies, such as pipe cleaners, stickers, or hot glue. Tactile maps can be found in public spaces such as train stations, cities, or even theme parks, such as Walt Disney World’s EPCOT.
The long white cane is a common mobility tool, and its use is widely taught to children who have visual impairments. When used correctly, it helps detect obstacles and drop-offs, giving students real-time feedback. Long white canes come with reflective tape and different grip options to boost visibility and comfort. There are a variety of tips available for the long white cane, each serving its own purpose. An orientation and mobility specialist teaches individuals who use a cane what to do with this information. Learning to use the long white cane is helpful for individuals who are blind or have low vision because it allows the individual to travel independently, safely, and efficiently. Children with limited mobility, who are not ready or able to use the long white cane can be introduced to an adaptive device. A long white cane requires the person who is blind to have excellent independent mobility, which young children would not have, so the children get the ability to walk instead of being carried as a first step toward mobility. Learning to use a mobility device may be the first step for young children to independently navigate their world. Adapted canes are available for those who are not ready to use the long white cane. An instructor walks near the child for assistance, until they can use it independently.
Learning to travel efficiently and safely with a long white cane can be the first step to obtaining a guide dog. An individual has to have strong cane skills before obtaining a guide dog. Most guide dog programs have age requirements to be sure the individual has learned the skills necessary to travel, as well as the skills necessary for taking care of a dog. Orientation and mobility specialists are often asked to sign off on certain skill competencies, as well as learning to travel with a guide dog. It is important to remember that the individual who is visually impaired is the one leading the guide dog team. Guide dogs are trained to practice intelligent disobedience to help keep their humans safe. Intelligent disobedience is when the dog has the ability to selectively disobey a handler’s command when it would be unsafe or detrimental to the handler’s well-being. Guide dogs are trained to assess situations and override a command if they perceive a potential hazard, such as oncoming traffic or a drop-off at a platform edge. An example of intelligent disobedience is when the dog receives a command such as “forward” at an intersection, but there is an oncoming vehicle. The guide dog should be trained to pull the blind person back away from the potential impact.
Despite this training, the dog will not know the route to the grocery store or other locations. This is where individuals must rely on the O&M training they learned while using the white cane.
Adapted mobility devices, or AMDs, can be helpful for young students who are not yet ready to use a long white cane, or for individuals who may have other disabilities that make it difficult to perform the skills necessary for using a cane. An AMD can be manufactured or specially made for unique needs and abilities.
Smartphones are also powerful O&M tools. Apps like Seeing Ai describe surroundings, while BlindSquare or Good Maps Outdoors gives GPS-based directions. Wearable devices such as the Sunu Band use sonar to vibrate when near obstacles, just to name a few.
Independence grows when tools are paired with practice. One great way to build that independence is to encourage your child to use their cane or technology daily, even at home. Collaborating with O&M specialists to set goals, like navigating from the bus drop-off to the classroom, can also help develop those skills. Over time, these tools become second nature to the child, and confidence takes center stage as they learn to navigate their lives independently.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Jessica Smith has been working in the field of visual impairment education in Florida since 2015 in various roles including paraprofessional, teacher of students with visual impairments (TSVI), and certified orientation and mobility specialist (COMS). She is the president-elect for the Florida Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (FAER) and the Treasurer for the Florida State University chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). She is currently working on her PhD in Curriculum & Instruction: Special Education focusing on visual impairments at Florida State University and is a curriculum consultant to the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Virginia A. Jacko is the President and CEO of the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, where she provides equitable access to education, blindness prevention programs, and vision rehabilitation training to nearly 25,000 people annually, from blind babies to low vision seniors and their families. She attributes her highly active mobility to her highly trained guide dogs provided by Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
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