[Blind-rollers] new

Mon Nov 19 09:11:44 CST 2007

Hi everyone,

My Name is Dawn and I am a physical therapist and work in a wheelchair clinic in Illinois.  I also have a boss that is legally blind.  My specialty training is with persons with a spinal cord injury.  A few years ago we worked with a gentleman who was blind from birth and became paralyzed due to a fall.  We worked hard to help him become more mobile.  Initially he used a manual wheelchair with a cane and his environmental memory of the area.  However to return to work he required a whole different method of mobility. Ultimately he obtained a power wheelchair and uses his guide dog to assist him.  I am working on writing a paper on this unique problem, because the options are limited.  Typically the one arm drive isn't successful because as Jen said pushing your whole body weight with one arm is very hard.   Another difficulty is getting Medicare Medicaid to cover power as typically "they" only cover for mobility in the home and in the home persons that are blind typically do better because they know their own environment.  Does that make sense?

I would encourage you to see a Physical therapist to address the vestibular problem.  This can sometimes be treated with specific exercises to compensate and overcome the problem. Chiropractors can also help, my only disagreement with chiropractors is that they promote "lifetime" patients and frequent re-visits where Physical therapy philosophy of care is a little different.  A PT would work hard to teach you exercises and things to do so you don't have to keep coming back after a few weeks.  Anyhow,  If you are at risk for falls I would recommend trials with a wheelchair because you don't need to fall and have a serious injury.  If you have fair to good leg strength,  something you could try would be using a hemi-height wheelchair.  This is a wheelchair that is low enough to the ground that you can propel with your feet and your arms would still be free to use your cane or Dog.

I would also recommend to you or anyone needed some kind of wheelchair to go through a wheelchair clinic.  This is where a therapist and vendor together evaluate your needs.  Ideally the therapist or vendor would be certified by RESNA.  I would recommend you ask if they are.  This certification helps to ensure the therapist and vendor actually have experience with wheelchairs and won't just sell you something that you don't need and wont work for you.  In wheelchair clinic I frequently treat people that obtained a wheelchair from some company they saw on TV or heard about from an ad and it doesn't work for them.  Once Medicare pays for it you are stuck with it so be cautious with whom you choose as a Vendor and therapist.

Hope all that helps. If any of you are interested in sharing more experiences on wheelchair use and problems getting the equipment you needed AND maybe being part of the paper I am writing, please email me.  Other wise I am here as a resource for all of you.   God bless

Dawn

-----Original Message-----
From: blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Holly Alonzo
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 5:33 PM
To: 'Blind wheelchair users list'
Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] new

Is there anyone on here that uses a power chair?

Holly

-----Original Message-----
From: blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jennifer Aberdeen
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 4:35 PM
To: Blind wheelchair users list
Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] new

It's not easy. I use one hand to push one side and hold the cane in the other. Most of the time I'm using my cane as both a guide and a maneuvering tool. It's ok for in-doors, but not so safe for outdoor use...especially

going up and down hills. When I had my one-armed gear set up, I would push with one hand...well the theory was I only needed one hand to push so I could use the cane freely with the other, but that's not true at all...at least not in my case.

Jen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Holly Alonzo" <hollyalonzo at centurytel.net>
To: "'Blind wheelchair users list'" <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] new

> Hi Jenn.  How do you use a manual chair with a cane?  You have to have

> a cane in ond and need two hands to move the wheels on a manual.
> Unless I'm missing something?
>
> Holly
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jennifer
> Aberdeen
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 11:12 AM
> To: Blind wheelchair users list
> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] new
>
>
> Hi Holly, this is Jen. I live in Rhode Island, and I am totally blind
> and use a wheelchair. Right now I use a manual chair, however even
> though it's safe for me to use in-doors, I'm getting a power chair for
> easier use
in
> the
> community. I don't know yet if it will work for me to be honest. All I
> know is that I cannot safely get around in a manual chair. This is
different
> for
> everyone I think, so you many need to experiment. I have a very long
> folding cane that I use. It probably is best to get the longest one
> you can find. My cane has a roller tip on it. I had a regular tip, but
> it kept getting stuck in the cracks outside.
>
> I spent two weeks at the Carroll Center For The Blind/Visually
> Impaired last summer, and it was hard getting from one building to the

> other, especially
> because of the hills. The chair I have now has a one-armed gear, but I
> disabled it because I almost broke my wrist trying to push it.
>
> Well, I'm blabbing, lol. Welcome to the list, and hope to hear from
> you again on hear.
>
> Jen
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Holly Alonzo" <hollyalonzo at centurytel.net>
> To: <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 2:41 AM
> Subject: [Blind-rollers] new
>
>
>> Hello everyone.  I thought I would join this group and get some
>> information.  I am 20 years old, married and have a baby.  He'll be 3

>> months in just a couple of days.  I am totally blind and live in
>> Arkansas.  Right now I can walk, but I am slow and it's hard because
>> I
>
>> get dizzy a lot when I am walking.  I have tumors on each ear nerve
>> and its messing up the balance nerves so walking is more of a
>> challenge these days.  I think that a chair would be best for me now
>> so that I don't risk falling because the balance is so bad.  I was
>> just wondering how a blind person would do a chair, manual would seem

>> virtually impossible to me, and how easy is it to drive a power
>> chair?
>
>> Do you have to have a super long cane to see what things are in front

>> of you? Would I even need a power chair, or would other people think
>> that I was just being lazy?  What are some of the reasons you guys
>> are
>
>> in chairs?
>>
>> Sorry for all the questions, I am just a very curious person and like

>> to get all the info I can on stuff so that I can be prepared.  Hope
>> to
>
>> meet a lot of nice people on here.
>>
>> Holly
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Blind-rollers at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-rollers
>
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