Ways Our Readers Navigate People use sighted guides, long canes and guide dogs, as well as their remaining vision to get around. Some use support canes to help with balance and to provide identification as a visually impaired person, while others do not want people to know that they have a vision problem because they feel more vulnerable. Members of one support group report that cane travel increases their independence and self-esteem, as they don't need to be driven everywhere. They can also provide positive motivation for others. Another woman is convinced that using a cane gets her better help.
Various groups report accessible pedestrian signals in their communities.
In Florence, Oregon, they were installed at several intersections after support group leader Robin DeVour, who is visually impaired, sent a letter to the Department of Transportation. The devices emit a chirping sound when you have the light. In Rochester, New York, a tactile pedestrian adapter was installed at a specific intersection that posed problems for an individual who is both blind and hard of hearing. To learn more about this technology, see page 4. There is no one solution to transportation problems.