White cane

The White long stick, easy also called cane, enables people who are blind or severely visually impaired, sure to be self-reliant and effective mobile and oriented. Prerequisite for a safe and successful handling of the White long stick is the acquisition of these skills in a so-called orientation and mobility training (O & M). Moreover, the white long cane is a visual cue that signaled sighted to take into consideration.

Operation

With the help of the long stick of ground, curbs, stairs, obstacles or bumps on the floor or a reactive control system can be identified. This protects the user against falls, accidents and collisions with obstacles. The user also finds him already so well-known landmarks and finds himself so justly in its environment. The user can make a three-dimensional image of the immediate environment by scanning objects. This allows the clear width and height of passages, the position of vehicles, the height of curbs and steps, obtain information on climb and descent, and about the materials. A plastic sheath at the tip to minimize damage to the stock and the touched objects and alleviate hard impact on metal. There are various techniques users:

• With the pendulum technique of walkway in a certain rhythm is like a fan scanned for obstacles and potholes, simultaneously determined the distance from the curb and buildings. Each pendulum movement correlated with a step, each step comes to a place that was previously painted over the floor. The pendulum movement also signals other pedestrians a threat of collision, so they go in time out of the way or be able to communicate acoustically with the user.
• The grinding technique is a modification of the pendulum technique as a search technique where the user makes smaller steps. With the grinding technology of the stock remains on the ground and drags him from a fan. The step length determines the size of the search grid. This technique uses the user if he wants to find a very specific small or difficult to detect orientation point on the ground, a delicate transition between two floor or a reactive control system.
• With the colon technique, the user performs the normal pendulum still an additional pendulum to one side. This technique is a technique primarily for search to find landmarks. So he can find a particular object that is not directly located on the path, but slightly to the side of it, such as a lamppost, stands apart somewhat from the sidewalk.
• With the diagonal technique, the user holds the stick diagonally and touches on the fly along a wall, to a landing or a doorway comes. This technique is a search technique to find doors and passageways in buildings. This technique is also combined with the trailing technique in which the user's hand travels along the wall and with a certain finger posture protects the fingertips against overuse and injury.
• The user may notice obstacles at head height before contact by holding the stick in the middle and contributes prestretched arm in an oblique posture in front of them.
• There are stairs techniques for the use of stairs by the user loosely holding the stick and can strike at any stage. So he recognizes the pitch and height of the next stage and the end of the stairs.

Variants

The long cane is mostly white and additionally covered with reflector foil so that it can be perceived better in the dark by other road users. The sticks can be individually adjusted in length to the user, depending on body size and stride length. Most of the floor length approximately equal to the height of the user's sternum. On the basis of several hundred volunteers recommend modern, especially the blind mobility trainer but chin length from puberty and in adults. There are different variations of the handles and the handle materials. In addition, you can choose between different pole tips: There are, for example, rolling ball tips, marshmallow peaks, peaks with built-in steel balls or marbles and much more. The tips are subject to wear and are therefore interchangeable. The choice depends on personal preference and on the nature of running paths.

Also in the design there are differences. There are one-piece poles that are made of aluminum tube or carbon fiber. The one-piece floor is the simplest and easiest variant, which also provides the best dexterity. Then there are multi-part telescopic and Faltstöcke (usually made of aluminum alloys or other light metals ), which together push yourself or can be folded. There are blocks that can be folded and the handle is extendable. Telescopic and Faltstöcke preferably be used instead of the bulky one-piece stocks when vehicles or the public passenger transport to be used. In developing countries resorted as a readily available and inexpensive alternative to wood or bamboo sticks, but they are inferior to the rigid metal poles in their function.

Often, for children up to 6 years, one-piece, especially light poles recommended full height with long, thin handles, from about 7 years then sticks should approximately reach to the nose. After puberty or adult usually sticks are used which extend to the sternum. A goal is to early to the handling of the stick used to children who are blind or visually impaired as a caliper, even before learning to walk in order to use the long stick then later as a matter of course can. There currently are in Europe, many long sticks on the market, but they could also even be built, a procedure that allows a more individual Customize same.

The Laser Long Cane is a variant with a built- in handle rangefinder. This works with an infrared laser fan, which monitors the chest and head area of the user and indicates obstacles by the vibration of the handle.

Procurement and training

The cost of a long stick and an orientation and mobility training (short O & M), in which one learns the proper use of the resource, helps in Germany in general, the public health insurance with prior approval.