Latest White cane Podcast Episodes
Don McBride born 1936 became blind at age 11, O&M instructor before it was a grad degree.
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - March 31, 2024 19:00 - 1 hourThis week is a real treat- I found Don McBride’s interview, he was born in 1936. He is a great storyteller and gives amazing insight into what it was like to be blind child in the 1940s and 50s- he became blind at age 11, he attend residential school and so had certain advantages – but, there wa...
Frances born 1952, RLF, prefers her Dog Guide over Long Canes
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - March 26, 2024 23:00 - 1 hourWe are entering the 1950s with Frances who was born 1952 seven years after the first white cane was taught to a blinded veteran of WWII. She remembered knowing that she had to wait to learn to use a long cane once she became 15. This is a terrific discussion of her dog guide use and paratransit....
Taletha born 1951 with no light perception
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - March 20, 2024 01:00 - 1 hourIf you want some assurances that growing up blind, waiting until school age to get the first long cane can result in a well adjusted, fully employed and outgoing adult- then listen to Taletha. She compares working with O&M specialists who were sighted and blind. Overall, she felt she should hav...
Patricia, born 1951 - To Use or Not To Use the White Cane The conflict is real
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - March 02, 2024 14:00 - 44 minutesPatricia Montgomery is a terrific example of the seeds the world has sown. People with visual impairments are expected to be visually capable and blind people are expected to be treated as if they are sighted. Blindness and visual impairment are the most blatant form of stereotyping and marginal...
For far too long adults have held an unrealistic expectation that blind babies will walk independently without the protection of a white cane.
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - January 29, 2024 03:00 - 12 minutesThis is the soundtrack of the video posted on YouTube. It shows footage from 1960s and audio tape interviews of children born blind in the 1950s. Marcia new she was blind when she entered kindergarten. She noticed her peers ran around and she didn’t. Running without a two-step safety buffer is n...
Maureen born 1950 - Dives Deep into Real Life of Living Blind in NYC and Beyond
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - January 19, 2024 04:00 - 2 hoursMaureen Moscato – a really good friend of mine – she is so funny. It is a tragedy that I don’t have the original tape – I had to try and recreate my friend’s NY accent. I think if you stick with me – I do get better halfway through. Maureen is a real treasure – her stories reveal a woman who gr...
BREAKING NEWS! Real Tape of Interview with Maureen born 1950 - Dives Deep into Real Life of Living Blind in NYC and Beyond
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - January 19, 2024 04:00 - 1 hourMaureen Moscato – a really good friend of mine – she is so funny. I found the original tape – It is worth a relisten!! She is much funnier than I am playing her!! Yay!! Maureen is a real treasure – her stories reveal a woman who grew up in the school of hard knocks and her resiliency go her thr...
Marcia born blind in 1950 Classic Story of Growing up Independent without a Mobility Tool
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - September 29, 2023 02:00 - 1 hourMarcia, born in 1950, is an example of what everyone would like me to understand – she is such a successful person (may she rest). Born blind she was an independent child – from her accounts she hated the long cane as a child, and she didn’t need it. This is the story that every parent wants to ...
Jerry born visually impaired in 1950 difficulties traveling at night especially winter conditions
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - September 19, 2023 01:00 - 1 hourToday I’m sharing the interview with Jerry, conducted March 11, 2001. He is visually impaired, but not mobility visually impaired, except at night. His experiences at night in winter snow demonstrate the resilience of mankind in the face of daunting odds, but also how alone people with visual im...
Betty born 1950 with ROP first cane 1967
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - September 01, 2023 01:00 - 1 hourBetty grew up without a mobility tool – she will not admit to having any difficulties in her life, and on the surface one can attest – she is the embodiment of success. She is educated, she has a job, she is well-spoken and capable. As an O&M instructor – my interest is in the travel decision. S...
Kathleen born 1946 with low vision and acquired a long cane at age 48
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - July 06, 2023 02:00 - 1 hourToday’s interview is with Kathleen, born in 1949 with retinopathy of prematurity. Her story life with this vision is one of living in the margins as far as getting services. She had no specialized services as a child, conceivably she was considered to have too much vision – she was not “legally ...
Gloria born with low vision in 1949 talks about her transition to a cane user at age of 40
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - July 02, 2023 02:00 - 58 minutesGloria grew up with low vision, she couldn’t read street signs or see important details but moved about her world with her peers. She remembered having no difficulty getting around her hometown or otherwise, until she lost more of her vision when she was 40 years old. That caused her to lose her...
Doug born 1948 began O&M instruction in 1976
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - June 17, 2023 01:00 - 1 hourToday’s show is with Doug Schading. We spoke together August 15, 2001. He was born in 1948 and was visually impaired he had one good eye that had narrow field, but acuity of 20/80. At age 28 his vision deteriorated even in his good eye and he couldn’t travel independently any more. His perspect...
Steve born 1947 first O&M lesson in High School
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - May 20, 2023 19:00 - 1 hourStephen Dresser –was born in 1947, he got his first long cane in 8th grade, but he wasn’t taught to use it as a probe and just hooked it on his arm. It wasn’t until high school that he finally received O&M instruction. He remembers having to be convinced that it was possible to move through spac...
Jim born 1946 One Year After the Long Cane was Invented
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - May 11, 2023 02:00 - 55 minutesJim said he wished he had had cane travel in grade school – instead of always sitting on the sidelines. He remembered moving about without the long cane and didn’t recall getting hurt, but when he attended his reunion getting about the campus as an adult he didn’t understand, how he managed wit...
Beatrice born mobility visually impaired in 1944, blind in 1956, first O&M lesson in 1960
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - April 25, 2023 01:00 - 58 minutesBeatrice weighed 2 pounds when was born into a family that already had four children. Her mom and dad didn’t have insurance and avoided hospitals. I don’t think my mother real…my mother or father realized how poor my vision was. She remembered that she was only able to see partially out of...
Michael was born sighted in 1943 and became blind in 1945
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - April 15, 2023 00:00 - 1 hourThis week is Michael born in 1943 – 2 years before the long cane was invented. He became blind at 2 years of age due to retinoblastoma. He received his first O&M instruction at the school for the blind from a blind adult. Michael details some of the strategies that the instructor employed to tea...
Myrna born blind in 1939 Used GPS Before it was Cool!
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - March 13, 2023 02:00 - 1 hourMyrna is a very intelligent woman who studied music, a career many bright children born blind were funneled into, her husband was a blind piano tuner – another career historically taught to intelligent students at schools for the blind. Myrna broke free of it and joined the modern world in caree...
Dr. Jo born with low vision, became blind age 11
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - February 26, 2023 20:00 - 1 hourJo was gifted in math and was quite capable, the first born – she helped look after her 3 siblings. Although long white canes had been used for 5 years when she became blind, one was not provided to her when she needed it. In school, there were plenty of ways for her to learn independently -she ...
Dr. Jo born 1939 with low vision, became blind age 11
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - February 26, 2023 20:00 - 1 hourJo was gifted in math and was quite capable, the first born – she helped look after her 3 siblings. Although long white canes had been used for 5 years when she became blind, one was not provided to her when she needed it. In school, there were plenty of ways for her to learn independently -she ...
Terri Born 1933 Mobility Visually Impaired Never had O&M instruction
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - February 19, 2023 19:00 - 1 hourTerri prophetically remarked that without the radio’s noise as a beacon she would “end up going off track 2” is chilling for many reasons. First and foremost, that Terri died exactly as she prophesized, she walked (without a mobility tool) off track 2 into the path of an Amtrak train. One pr...
Suzanne born 1924 - got her first long cane when she was 24
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - February 06, 2023 01:00 - 1 hourSuzanne grew up with severe visual impairment – she had no way to know if the drop was 6 inches or 60 inches. She got a long cane three short years after the veterans administration started using them and after a few hours of training incorporated it into her travel. Her family wasn’t thrilled b...
Marion born 1917 with one good eye and one bad eye
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - January 29, 2023 23:00 - 42 minutesMarion became blind at age 60 after a life of having one good eye and one bad eye. She was independent cane traveler before, but the methods of teaching her orientation and mobility at 60 left her in tears and a belief that it was her fault that she was no longer able to be independent when walk...
January Wrap Up
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - January 23, 2023 03:00 - 16 minutesGrace gives an insightful summary of her interviews with Alvin, George and Frank. Visit our website: Email: [email protected] TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a review, ask questions and share with your friends!! Please donate to help Safe Toddles Inc. achi...
Alvin born severely visually impaired in 1930 in Illinois
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - January 14, 2023 04:00 - 1 hourAlvin said, "I have two daughters and six grand kids. In my career I’ve done everything there is to do in my career. I used to teach mobility. I was superintendent of the Illinois visually handicapped, that’s the rehab center in Chicago. I’ve held about ever job there is. I even tried to drive a...
George was born blind in 1928 17 years before the Long Cane was invented
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - January 06, 2023 03:00 - 1 hourNot to take away anything from George about his ability to travel – instead it is important to shine a light on the definition of independence and ability – George was first provided a short Lions Club Cane at 14- but given no instruction, save from his classmate. He was also given a long cane, ...
Frank Born Blind in 1915 30 years Before The Long White Cane
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - December 27, 2022 02:00 - 42 minutesThe Safe Toddles belt cane is an early 21st century innovation –Some might assume the long white cane is a much, much older mobility tool. Who would believe that it is a mid-20th century innovation – the first long white cane was introduced in 1945. In the grand scheme of blind people – the long...
Grace Asks Kelvin About His Career, Inventions and Beef with TikTok
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - May 10, 2021 00:00 - 36 minutesKelvin Crosby, the deafblind potter, has become quite famous on TikTok and this has led to appearances on Good Morning America and CBS News. On this episode Grace asks Kevin to discuss his inventions, the smart guider and the lighted blind cane. The also discuss some of the challenges inaccessib...
Interview with O&M specialist Daniel Simmons
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - May 03, 2021 03:00 - 42 minutesDaniel Simmons has been an O&M Specialist for 14 years. He taught adults before beginning his career providing O&M through early education services. The two O&M specialists discuss the meaning of safe mobility and the need for effective cane tools. Both agree safe mobility is a universal need. ...
Wearing pediatric belt canes encourages independent walking in Blind 2-year-old
Safe Toddles Talks Orientation and Mobility - April 28, 2021 02:00 - 9 minutesDr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken reads the single-subject research report on a two-year-old who is blind playing before and wearing pediatric belt canes. The text, figures, and photos with Alt Text can be found - safetoddles.org/blog and gambrosez.wordpress.com Visit our website: Email: info@Safetoddle...
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