#whitecane

On the occasion of White Cane Safety Day, let us honor and appreciate the everyday fight they put out there to achieve their goals with their hard work and dedication. Happy White Cane Safety Day

SO #Disabled I need a #WhiteCane, GuideDog and a wheelchair! (I’m joking!) The #GuideDog isn’t mine she’s Vivvy my mums. I was just holding her while my mum nipped in a shop with my dad. It’s a great opportunity to talk about @guidedogsuk #DontDiveOnTheDog campaign. Clearly Vivvy wasn’t working we were sat outside a shop but she is in full harness with a person using a wheelchair (even though she is not mine) it’s obvious she is an assistance dog! about a minute after this was taken I was leaning forward in my wheelchair giving Vivvy some water when a member of the public came at us from behind and started talking to and stroking Vivvy. Vivvy went behind my wheelchair to enjoy the fuss (not her fault poor thing) given I was holding the bottle in one hand and Vivvy and the bowl in the other hand… The water I was trying to give her went all over my lap, it was really cold! This has happened to me before standing up with my own guide dog… exactly the same thing. Please don’t dive on the dog - not only do you put a guide dog owner in danger, you distract the dog from its training, and the dog reacting to you can make the guide dog owner drop the water they are trying to give there dog! I will also say a dog suddenly changing direction can also disorient the owner and throw off there balance. We all know that dogs are adorable but please have some common sense and if you see a guide dogs in public just ignore it. Image description: a photo taken POV style only my knees and feet are in the shot my feet are resting on the footrests. Im holding my white Cane in my left hand. Guide Dog Vivvy is black and is wearing her white and yellow guide dogs harness, she is looking at the camera. #GuideDogs #BlackLab #Cute #Blind #AmbulatoryWheelChairUser #AssistanceDog. #DogWater #GuideDogOnABreak (at Gunwharf Quays) https://www.instagram.com/p/CV5fLKCMRSY/?utm_medium=tumblr

Note to self: clean the bearing out on your cane tip more often. No wonder it was making a funny noise! I use a sweeping cane technique so the ball of my cane is in contact with the ground the whole time so it spins. Over time dirt (sand is the worst) grit and a surprising amount of hair 🤢 gum up the bearing and it starts to make a funny noise or worse still gets stuck. So much junk just came out mostly rust! If your wondering I use @wd40uk, spray it liberally between the ball and the plastic, spin the ball around a lot and also ram in the bristles of a toothbrush I use just for clearing it out give it a good scrub rinse and repeat... it’s a horrible job! I’m always shocked by the amount of hair that comes out which is disgusting! (Image description a picture of my roller ball cane tip attached to my cane in a sink the normally white (ish) ball is a murky orange colour and there is rust literally dripping off it) #BlindProblems #Blind #VisualImpairment #WhiteCane #Gross #rust #WD40 #WD40FixesEverything #ThereMustBeABetterWay #BlindPeopleProblems #BlindPeopleOfInstagram #Mobility #MobilityTraining (at Weston, Southampton) https://www.instagram.com/p/CI01hlnhH9o/?igshid=1cfbdpt37szsm

On Tuesday, Owen received his very first White Cane. I checked a DoJo message about halfway through the day from Owen’s teacher who said that Mr. Poole, his O&M (Orientation & Mobility) Specialist had given it to him for unfamiliar places and night time (if needed). He gave Owen a great review about his progress and his ability to use the white cane, as he was already familiar with it. • Honestly, my heart sank. It really did. And while it sank my anxiety hit the roof. A new tool, although familiar in the VI community had not really been a part of our journey. And I’ll say it because I thought it, it’ll be an obvious sign of his impairment. I just hadn’t been hit with that in a while and put my emotions ahead of Owen’s well-being. Of course my go-to Ms. Shirley put me back into my place with kindness and reassurance. • So, like suggested by his O&M, he will use it in unfamiliar places and at night, if he chooses. Owen said he’s glad he has it so other people can see him coming and so he won’t bump into anyone. He said it’ll help him be more independent. I’m proud and nervous for that, naturally. #WhiteCane #OpticNerveHypoplasia #SeptoOpticDysplasia #VIMom #disABILITY #OrientationAndMobility #TVI (at Mcgee'S CrossroadsElementary) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7HoIwuHKq36TODdoeEAluMk5JLqZFh9nwB9AU0/?igshid=3w52v72ev3x3

Terrible picture but I just wore my light up hat to town as an experiment I had it on the lowest setting which is still pretty bright. Not a single person walked into me I can’t quite believe it you would think high vis and a cane would make me stand out enough but in recent weeks I’ve been getting absolutely battered. The light up hat is the answer. (Image description: a very blurry over exposed image of me wearing my light up hat it’s pink and has a really bright LED light in the picture it’s on the lowest setting but it’s overwhelming the camera so there is lots of distortion) #whiteCane #Blind #BlindTravel @dilley.sean this experiment made me think of you. (at Southampton) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6JAksmhOMA/?igshid=1vkh95ucz42ja

I couldn’t be more proud of @britwinner. I have always known she was a woman of incredible strength and heart, but now it is completely undeniable. Break out the tissues and watch Brit on @buzzfeed share her story for the first time. You’ll understand why I am so blessed to be her twin, why the world is a such better place for having her in it. #buzzfeed #blindness #visualimpairment #visuallyimpaired #whitecane #guidedogsfortheblind #blind #identicaltwin #twinning #twins #disabilityawareness #disability #legallyblind #disabled #buzzfeedvideo #writer #writers #writersofinstagram #potssyndrome #familyfirst #writer #writerslife #writersofinstagram #writers #writerscommunity #writersnetwork #authorsofinstagram #author #authors https://www.instagram.com/p/B56fFqDn9mj/?igshid=1gwa2wbpsdmfy

Technically yesterday was White Cane Safety Day. I don’t normally advertise it but I am a white cane user. I’ve been meeting a lot of goals lately and was feeling a bit of pride in my cane. This is not a self portrait at all. #whitecane #whitecanesafetyday #blind #blindness #disability #whitecaneday #art #ladyalleta https://www.instagram.com/p/B3rmJmVDYfS/?igshid=ki4tasx7kmfg