How To Guide A Blind Person Using The Companion Cane

[@suebailey2883]

Fantastic ! We had been using bandannas, fine scarves, those little wooded balls on 3 inches of string, whatever was handy for guiding, but this is a wonderful solution. Can't wait to explore with TravelEyes again !

[@zoesenior5288]

Brilliant video Amar. Hope you’ve been alright during these tough times. Glad you’ve done a video about this cane as I wasn’t aware of it. I’ve not been able to do any walking with my group since October. After the first lockdown they decided to get blind people to wear ramble tags whilst being guided which I am cool with, but they also wanted us to wear masks as well, which I’m not cool with. They said this is because the ramble tags do not put enough distance between the guide and the person being guided. As I am exempt and believe that masks are ineffective, I have dropped out until things ease up a bit. They are a lovely group and I miss them a lot. I did ask about using a bamboo stick as they are about 2 m long but they said this was not an option and wouldn’t be safe. but I wonder now if they would go for this cane. Hope you guys get up and running again soon. I understand how hard it is when you’ve got the powers that be doing U-turns every five minutes. Best wishes - Zoe x

[@jbmather5875]

Great video Amar, very clear guidance on how the Companion Cane works and what a beautiful setting too.

[@kirstenroberts7582]

You make some good points about how to guide a blind person in particular communication and asking how they like things but this is not a practical product. Maybe it’s useful for walking through open spaces such as beaches and fields but not through busy transport hubs. People would walk into it, potentially break it, take it out your hand. We shouldn’t be giving people reasons not to sighted guide us, understandably this has diminished during the pandemic but now people are out and about again we need to go back to sighted guide where it’s needed. That is ultimately the best way of knowing where you’re going in an unfamiliar environment as it’s the easiest way to feel the other persons movements.

[@ScottChesworth]

Is the storage bag vomit-proof? I’m concerned about the potential for flashbacks of all this faux-jolly dialog mid pull-along. Oh sorry, not “pull-along”, I meant walk. Easy mistake to make.