Category: Let's talk
Maybe someone can clear this up, or explain it a bit more.
I’ve scene/heard of a bunch of different types of canes and cane techniques used by people. In the past week, I’ve met a couple of blind people; one person used a cane with a rolling tip and a golf club grip, while another person used a solid white cane and instead of rolling without leaving the ground, tapped from side to side. Are their advantages to either type? Is it considered more effective to use one type of cane/ one type of technique over another? I know that “to each his own,” but it just got me thinking. The rolling tip did seem a bit quieter and less….distracting? Than the tap-tap, but I always thought that technique was looked down upon by some people, or that the other type of cane use gives more feedback—more echo to the user. I'm just simply curious, I suppose.
Thanks
It all depends on what you like. I'm trying to teach my self echo location.
If you're trying to do echo location, the "tap tap tap" is a wonderful "pinger". I find that I get enough feedback from the roling tip, and it's quieter. Also, it moves easily over rough surfaces.
The challenge here is to try and be brief. The rolling tip gives you really excelent feedback as to the type of surface you're walking on, and any nuances that you're likely to find in that surface. By tapping, as was said earlier, you get really excelent information as to how "open" the area is around you, because of the way sound bounces back at you. You can accomplish almost the same thing with a standard tip by dragging it across the arc of the cane, but it isn't as silent as the rolling tip, and the likelihood of geting the cane tip caught is greatly increased. As the orriginal poster said, to each his own. Hope this helps.
Lou
I find the roller ball tips to be heavier as well, or at least it changes the weight enough that my wrist gets sore after awhile. I personally prefer the pencil tip because I rely a lot on the echo location.
One disadvantage of the roller-tip is that it increases the mass of the cane at the opposite end, and can contribute to writst fatigue.
Lou
Thanks for the info Dave. I'll use it.
I find that the small roler tip doesn't cause me rist fateague. The ball tip is far too heavy for my comfort and doesn't provide the same echo location ping as does the small roler.
Thanks, Dave. It sounds like the smaller roller tip brings together the best of both worlds.
Lou
Yes, the small roler tip does it for me. In addition to its advantages cited above, I find that it wears longer and better than any other tip I've used.