EDITOR'S NOTE: As mentioned in my message, this section will be devoted to personal experiences you have had as a blind person, be it funny or serious, in dealing with the public, or if you have tips that might help someone, be it a household tip, cooking, or how you dealt with getting out of an awkward situation using your cane or dog. You know, we're all in the same boat and someone's suggestion may be helpful to others.

To start out, I have a few "cane tips" for you! Al DeLucia, our CT State President, and I will throw out the first ball! Here goes!

FROM ESTHER LEVEGNALE:
As luck would have it, my beautician lives around the corner from me and her place is very accessible to me by walking over there without a hitch-except in the winter! As we all know, snow can be a real problem, especially where definition of landmarks is concerned. What makes things worse is that my street has no sidewalks, so I have to "shoreline" and follow grass, driveways and storm drains to get where I want to go.

One time a couple of years ago after one of our famous New England old-fashioned blizzards where snow was piled up along the side of the road, I took my usual trip to my beautician. I walked there with no problem, using my cane. Well, on the way back home, it was a different story. Before getting to my front sidewalk, there's a curb along my property which under ordinary circumstances, I have no trouble following. This particular day, however, the snow was piled so high along the side, I couldn't find the curbing and couldn't find my house! I felt like an idiot, trying to retrace my steps, and then after a few frantic and frustrating minutes, I did find my sidewalk after raising my cane exaggeratedly and bingo! There was the sidewalk leading up to my front door! Whew! What a relief!

I decided that I had to remedy the problem, so here's what I do now. I have a little transistor radio with a strap of sorts on the end. I turn the radio on and hang the strap over my storm door. I chuckle thinking about what people think, driving by, and seeing a radio hanging from my front door! They're probably wondering what kind of nut lives in that house! Needless to say, I don't care if the snow is piled up two feet or five feet! I just follow the music and boogie-woogie up the sidewalk, up the steps and into my house!

FROM AL DeLUCIA:
Accepting or Refusing Assistance - A blind person should understand that if they wish to receive assistance, they must accept it graciously and politely. Once they have accepted it, they must kindly and patiently instruct the guide in how to correctly do the job of guidance.
If the blind person wishes to reject any assistance, verbalization should be firm but polite. For the physical refusal of aid, turning the upper portion of the body slightly away from the guide while raising the arm toward the opposite shoulder may be all that is necessary to release the individual's grip.

For more information, E-mail us at: info@nfbct.org