#1619

Hi friends,

Here’s one that is interesting. If a school staff person is in a motorized wheelchair and providing human guide to a young student who is blind using a white cane, where’s the positioning of the student? Hold onto back of wheelchair and no cane? To the back and side of the non-driving side of the guide with congested area cane? Where so they grip?? Can’t wait to read your kind responses!

Aloha

Amy

#1620

开云体育

wow, Amy, you keep coming up with great questions!

I'd say whatever they feel comfortable with.? Walking to the side while holding the handle would seem as safe as walking in the normal position with a walking human guide.-- in both cases the guide has to allow for enough clearance.? If the blind person doesn't trust the guide, then walking behind would be good.

OR, they can do what one young couple did when I went to the University of Pittsburgh as an undergrad (before they had an O&M program there).? I think they eventually got married -- the guy was blind and the gal was in an electric wheelchair, and it was a common sight to see them flying through the campus with him riding on the back, standing up and leaning forward!? I'm sure their PT would object but . . .

On 8/10/2023 9:46 PM, Amy Downard wrote:

Hi friends,

Here’s one that is interesting. If a school staff person is in a motorized wheelchair and providing human guide to a young student who is blind using a white cane, where’s the positioning of the student? Hold onto back of wheelchair and no cane? To the back and side of the non-driving side of the guide with congested area cane? Where so they grip?? Can’t wait to read your kind responses!

Aloha

Amy

-- 
-- Dona
-------------------------------
Dona Sauerburger, COMS
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the blind

#1621

开云体育

What a fun question! I’ve had learners hold onto the arm of the chair, walking to the side and slightly behind the wheelchair with their free hand on the shaft of their cane with the tip close to their body.?

I’ve found that unless there is a very great awareness of space and the wheelchair user can drive very close to the edge of the sidewalk, there is not typically enough sidewalk space for the person being guided to have a full amount of sidewalk in front of their bodies at all times. There’s the inevitable stepping off the sidewalk from time to time, which warrants cane use. (Even through the outer foot would still be the one stepping off the sidewalk and may not have been covered).?

It would probably depend on why the person is being guided in the first place, the environment, and their level of cane skills.?

Has Scott chimed in on these conversations yet? I love the way his brain thinks about wheelchairs.?

Happy Friday!?

? ? ? Kassy

Show quoted text

On Aug 10, 2023, at 9:06 PM, Dona Sauerburger <dona@...> wrote:

?
wow, Amy, you keep coming up with great questions!

I'd say whatever they feel comfortable with.? Walking to the side while holding the handle would seem as safe as walking in the normal position with a walking human guide.-- in both cases the guide has to allow for enough clearance.? If the blind person doesn't trust the guide, then walking behind would be good.

OR, they can do what one young couple did when I went to the University of Pittsburgh as an undergrad (before they had an O&M program there).? I think they eventually got married -- the guy was blind and the gal was in an electric wheelchair, and it was a common sight to see them flying through the campus with him riding on the back, standing up and leaning forward!? I'm sure their PT would object but . . .

On 8/10/2023 9:46 PM, Amy Downard wrote:

Hi friends,

Here’s one that is interesting. If a school staff person is in a motorized wheelchair and providing human guide to a young student who is blind using a white cane, where’s the positioning of the student? Hold onto back of wheelchair and no cane? To the back and side of the non-driving side of the guide with congested area cane? Where so they grip?? Can’t wait to read your kind responses!

Aloha

Amy
-- 
-- Dona
-------------------------------
Dona Sauerburger, COMS
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the blind

Anne Evrard (MCQ)

#1622

开云体育

Anne Evrard (MCQ) reacted to your message:

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Dona Sauerburger via groups.io <dona@...>
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2023 2:05:59 AM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [OandM] Guide in a motorized wheelchair

?

?	Avertissement automatisé : Ce courriel provient de l'extérieur de votre organisation. Ne cliquez pas sur les liens et les pièces jointes si vous ne reconnaissez pas l'expéditeur.

?

wow, Amy, you keep coming up with great questions!

I'd say whatever they feel comfortable with.? Walking to the side while holding the handle would seem as safe as walking in the normal position with a walking human guide.-- in both cases the guide has to allow for enough clearance.? If the blind person doesn't trust the guide, then walking behind would be good.

OR, they can do what one young couple did when I went to the University of Pittsburgh as an undergrad (before they had an O&M program there).? I think they eventually got married -- the guy was blind and the gal was in an electric wheelchair, and it was a common sight to see them flying through the campus with him riding on the back, standing up and leaning forward!? I'm sure their PT would object but . . .

On 8/10/2023 9:46 PM, Amy Downard wrote:

Hi friends,

Here’s one that is interesting. If a school staff person is in a motorized wheelchair and providing human guide to a young student who is blind using a white cane, where’s the positioning of the student? Hold onto back of wheelchair and no cane? To the back and side of the non-driving side of the guide with congested area cane? Where so they grip?? Can’t wait to read your kind responses!

Aloha

Amy

-- 
-- Dona
-------------------------------
Dona Sauerburger, COMS
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the blind

--

Anne EVRARD?-?????? ???????

COMS, Spécialiste en Orientation et Mobilité

? ? ? ? ? ???? ? ?

CIUSSS de la Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec

Centre de réadaptation en déficience physique-Déficience Visuelle?Vachon

375, rue Vachon

Trois-Rivières (Québec) G8T 8P6

Tél: 1 (819)??378 4083? ext.1504

fax: 1 (819) 374 4967

E-Mail:?anne_evrard@...