[Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello

[Dan]

Hello Laura,
Hey, this is shaping up to be an exciting list.
I am totally blind and have been all my life.
I have developed some slightly modified ways of using my cain. In  
places where I've not been, I just set the drive profile to a real  
low speed and each drive profile has different tern, acceleration and  
deceleration factors built into the program. The top speed has been  
set for slightly under 4 MPH and this makes it rather easy to use  
with a cane. My chair has 5 different drive profiles that were set  
for my needs. If the chair was programmed to go to fast, a blind  
person might really have problems at the faster speeds. Also, I  
sometimes use sighted guide as well. However, instead of putting my  
hand above someone's elbow, I hold the wrist or hand of the person  
guiding me. My son loves doing this. Also in grocery stores, I hold  
the handle of the cart and my son walks in front of the cart and  
pulls it along. This also works real well.
I've also introduced employees of different establishments to this  
method and they are surprised at how well it works. They usually say  
something like, "This is really easy."
I have to say that generally people have worked with me and I've not  
had that many problems.
Perhaps the biggest problem I have is during late Fall and Winter  
when all kind of small obstructions like small limbs piles of leaves  
and things can make it extremely difficult to navigate. Stuff that   
people can normally walk over or around, can sometimes be a really  
big problem for a wheelchair user. In fact, this was one of the  
several reasons why I retired early. Last fall, I was late for work  
many times and the bad weather also caused me some other problems,  
possibly related to the DPN. Even before I got the chair, I was  
starting to consider retiring because of medical problems.
Still, all in all, when the weather is not as bad, I have been really  
pleased with the whole idea of using the wheelchair.
Oh I forgot something rather important. I am also real crazy and I'm  
not afraid of trying something to see how it will work. I've been a  
good cane traveler, as well as a good Guide Dog user. So, many of the  
concepts apply like lining up to cross a street or working the edge  
of a sidewalk-less area.
Dan
On Jul 24, 2007, at 11:42 PM, Laura Eaves wrote:

> Hi Dan -- Welcome to the list!
> I am blind and use a manual chair.
> I tried a power chair at one point just to see how well it would  
> work, but I
> pretty much demolished the furniture and took some paint off the  
> wall. I
> suppose for a one-day trial with no experience that was to be  
> expected, but
> I decided that for various reasons I preferred the manual -- not  
> the least
> of which is that I don't need a van to travel, and if I need a ride
> somewhere, my friend can throw my light weight folding chair in the  
> trunk of
> any car quite easily.
> I have a question -- are you total or do you have some vision? and  
> if so,
> how much?
> When I was working, when my vision was better, I could see enough  
> to stear
> in familiar territory.  But now my vision is not good enough to  
> navigate
> much at all.  I do most all navigation by touch, or checking out  
> the light
> fixtures in the room (I have light vision) to know where I am.
> Take care.
> --le
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dan" <JazzyDan at sbcglobal.net>
> To: <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 12:26 AM
> Subject: [Blind-rollers] Just wanted to say Hello
>
>
> Hello,
> I am a totally blind person who has been successfully using an
> electric wheelchair for over a year.
> I have a Jazzy-610 with a PG VSI 50 Amp controller mounted on the
> left arm rest. This is a Center-wheel drive with Active Track
> Suspension and I absolutely love the Six-Wheels on the ground at all
> times. It really does give me tremendous stability.
>
> I didn't need Rehab Seating. However I do have a High-Backed seat
> with a Headrest and it also Reclines.
> While I can still walk some, I feel much safer in the wheelchair.
> For guidance I use an extremely lightweight  carbon fiber folding
> cane with a roller tip and it works great.
> Dan
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