Okay, I'm stepping aside from politics (for once). I want to talk about a young man who was on Oprah Winfrey's show. Ben Underwood was on her show to demonstrate a form of orientation and mobility for blind people known as "echo location."
The problem I have with this form of navigation is that, if used without a white cane, it has a potential to be dangerous. Mr. Underwood expressed a dislike of using a white cane that I cannot fathom.
I realize that, for some people, it's a source of wounded pride to admit to being blind. For most blind people, the white cane is a sort of badge saying "I am a person who happens to be blind." For others, however, such as Mr. Underwood, carrying the cane might as well be a stigma against him...a not-so-scarlet letter, if you will. After all, to a lot of people Mr. Underwood's age, carrying a white cane isn't very cool. It certainly doesn't get you into the "in" crowd.
As I may have stated before, or at least in my profile, I belong to the National Federation of the Blind, and subsequently, to the Nebraska affiliate of the NFB student division. This has exposed me, obviously, to young people (I'm a sort of young 41) who see carrying a cane as both necessary and important. To them traveling safely, confidently, and independently is more important than finding the "in" crowd. Not that they don't have a desire to be a part of that crowd, but they won't compromise using their white cane to get there. To them, their white cane is literally a part of them. To them, the white cane is an indespensible tool of independence.
I am not knocking echo location. It is a valuable tool for any blind person who wants to move about a city independently. That said, however, I do not think that echo location ought to be the sole means by which someone gets around. In conjunction with a white cane and other skills, a person can move fluidly around any city or town they wish...assuming they have proper training in the use of a white cane. Without a cane, there are things a person may miss such as stairwells, manholes, and other potential hazards that could cause injuries of varying severity. Personally? I'd rather have a cane in hand and find these things than rely solely on sound cues and miss something that could be, literally, right under my nose.
I hope that, some day, Mr. Underwood discovers a desire to use a cane as well as echo location. Until then, in all bluntness, I fear for his safety.
3 comments:
I'm not blind, I don't know anyone who's blind, and I very well might not have a clue what I'm talking about. But wasn't the echolocation presented as an amazing, rare, incredible ability? Your post said "I do not think that echo location ought to be the sole means by which someone gets around" but surely it's not a common choice people have to make if the ability is truly an exceptional one.
You are expressing hope that Ben learns to love his cane like so many others have done, and maybe he should, I don't know. But none of the other people had the ability he has, right?
It is somewhat rare, but there are blind people who can use it. Probably more than I realize. I wouldn't, however, describe it as amazing.
By saying I hope that Mr. Underwood realizes the importance of, and begins to use a cane, I am not putting down Echo Location, just stating that Echo Location
by itself is not 100% reliable. It should be one of a number of tools in the skill set of a blind person who wants to travel safely and independently.
If you want to know more about blindness, I highly recommend reading some of the literature (especially the kernel books) at
www.nfb.org
. As I said in my original post, I am a member of the NFB, and find they have a philosophy about blindness that puts being blind in a positive light.
Jenny,
You have admitted you don't know what it takes for a blind person to get around. Therefore, you are not qualified to comment on whehther or not echolocation is a safe manner.
I'd suggest you get to know blind people. Start attending an NFB chapter, volunteer in fundraising and work with the local blind people in that chapter.
I also hasten to add that because I do know quite a few blind people, am a lifetime member of the Chicago Chapter of the NFB (even though I am sighted), I know how they can travel safely. Echolocation by itself is not a safe means of travel. I also know several people who know Ben. He is not traveling safely on his own. Those who know him know that he has been hurt many times in travel, because he is not using a cane or a guide dog, and is solely relying on echolocation.
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