People who are blind or vision impaired may choose to use a white cane as a mobility aid. There are different types of canes available.

• The symbol cane is used to let others know that the person has a vision impairment and may need assistance. It is not a mobility aid or physical support.

• A white walking stick is used to indicate that a person has a vision impairment as well as providing physical support.

• The long cane is designed as a mobility device. The cane acts as an obstacle detector; with users sweeping it from side-to-side, one stride in front of them. The aim is to get clues about their environment so they can react quickly. This technique sweeping helps to locate potential hazards on the ground and will also let the person know when they are approaching a kerb or steps. The cane will also detect tactile paving to indicate that the person has come to a designated crossing point where it is safe to cross the road.

The use of different surfaces underfoot conveys important information to people using a cane, who navigate the streets in a very different way to sighted people. The feel and sound of a cane swept across the pavement is very different to the feel and sound of a cane touching tactile paving and immediately alerts the person that they are approaching a crossing.

Why is the long cane so important?

Some long cane users explain why they use the long cane and the difference it makes to their lives.

Pauline Derby from Bantry, Cork.

I switched to a long cane a while ago. Before that I used a symbol cane but I have found that the long cane makes people more aware that I really need it to help me get about. I get more help when I’m using it. I live in a very busy part of town and there are no pedestrian crossings so I have had some close calls!

The training wasn’t too difficult as I had a good idea of what was in store before I started it. It has given me more confidence, which is important. I felt vulnerable before and I use it all the time now.

My sight loss has been gradual. It took me a couple of years to come round to the idea of the symbol cane, even though I knew I really needed it but now I wouldn’t be without the long cane.

May Murphy from Fairview, Dublin.

My NCBI community resource worker showed me how to use a long cane with a roller tip and I find it very good. I have been blind all my life so I had used a cane before and also a guide dog for a time but I find that the roller cane helps me get along that little bit faster and I’m not afraid of falling off the kerb, which is a particular fear that I had, as the cane never leaves the pavement.

My community resource worker showed me how to get from my house to the bus stop and it has given me more independence now. I can find the bus stop myself and get in and out of town. I know the route into town very well and usually know where the bus is, even though I can’t see. You feel every turn the bus makes but it takes practice and concentration. One of the main benefits of the long cane is that people know that you may need assistance. Bus drivers notice the cane too and if I’m at the bus stop drivers will often stop and ask which number bus I am waiting for.

Sharon Byrne from Blackhall Place, Dublin.

I have been using the long cane for just over 6 years now. At the start, when I was getting training to use the cane, I found it hard to hold it. It was also a strange feeling to hold the cane in your hand and wrist but once you used to it becomes easier. The long cane has helped me by giving me independence. I can go places I could never go before. I am no longer relying on people to take me somewhere. It is very important for everyone to be aware of the white cane and what is means. I think when people see me walking around with my cane they know why I am using it.

An Orientation and Mobility Instructor’s Perspective

By Molemisi Kono

The white cane can best be described as an orientation mobility aid that enables people with vision impairment to navigate their environment safely. It is a device that allows people who are blind and vision impaired to travel where and when they want independently and safely.

It’s secondary function is to signal to others that the person using the cane has vision loss and therefore they should take necessary precaution as the person cannot see them.

The white cane primarily, as a mobility tool, is used to detect objects in the path of the person with impaired vision. The person is able to achieve this by moving the cane back and forth in an arc from one side of the body to the other, roughly within the width of their shoulders. Should there be obstacles on the path, the cane will come into contact with them and alert the person to their presence. The cane can locate kerbs, steps, an uneven pavement, and other physical obstacles in person’s path. However, it only ensures safety from obstacles below waist level. It cannot detect obstacles overhead such as opening-out windows, projecting signs or tree branches.

The white cane can be summed as a simple and effective tool that enables people with vision impairment to preview the area ahead of them as they walk and consequently enabling them to enjoy greater mobility and independence. It gives a person the opportunity to visit locations for education, work and leisure pursuits.

Find out more about the role of an orientation and mobility instructor

Audioview Presenter Joe Bollard Talks to Long Cane Users

Audioview presenter Joe Bollard talks to long cane users within our Rehabilitation Training Centre. Audioview is broadcast on Wednesday afternoons at 1.30pm on Dublin City FM 103.2FM.

Play about the Long Cane

NCBI Rehabilitation Training centre marked International White Cane day 2010, with the performance of a short play highlighting the use of the white cane as a mobility aid and an important part of a person’s independence.

Talk to Schools in Co Wexford

Two people with vision impairments, who are long cane users, spoke to a group of students partaking in the Civil Social and Political Education syllabus and Leaving Certificate Applied programme, about the importance of the long cane.