How many people here use a guide cane and what is your visual acuity? I'm thinking of getting one because right now I'm having to use a regular can to "feel" around for me and it's way to thick and heavy for that job! But I'm "afraid" to get a real guide can, I guess afraid to take this step into deaf-blindess. :confused: :)

Hi Pip. It is a big psychological step. My ophth puts down on forms that I'm legally blind, but my acuity is about 20/160 or 180 and I have good peripheral vision (no central vision). I've considered getting a white cane, but it wouldn't be practical in my case because I live in the country. I don't walk around on the highway and whenever I'm in town I have somebody with me. If I lived in the city, I would get one, if only to let other people know I don't see very well. I find the most embarrassing thing is not recognizing people.

If a white cane will help you get around, by all means obtain one.

Torre

Torre, are you following me? Just kidding ;)

I don't go out by myself, either, because of dizziness and balance problems. I just feel like having something to "guide" me helps my confidence walking around in the house and when I'm out even with someone. I think my balance problems contribute to that too, since I don't have my eyes or ears for that I need the increased proprioception. I'm not embarrassed to use one, in fact I think of things like that as helpful because it alerts others (when I wore a hearing aid I liked it to show because if people talked to me and I didn't answer, they could realize I was deaf). I just don't want to get one and people be like "you don't need that." In other words, I don't want to overdo my compensation, I guess? I'm not sure how to phrase it :)

I understand what you mean. I can get around without bumping into things because of my peripheral vision, so getting a cane would make people think I was overdoing it.

But, it boils down to what you need and not what anybody else thinks.

T.