DAN TRAVELLING WITH A WHITE CANE
By Kim Pilic

Forward Steps Mobility recently provided some Orientation & Mobility (O&M) services to Dan during his visit to the Gold Coast. Dan is one proficient white cane traveller, whom I have the pleasure of knowing for approximately twenty years. This was a wonderful reunion since our last catch-up.

Dan's (long) white cane techniques are top notch textbook style, and orientation skills impeccably impressive. Dan makes navigating with a white cane look easy!

For those sighted people reading this post, try donning an eye mask so as to block out all of your vision, then attempt navigating with a white cane, (with an Orientation & Mobility Specialist by your side, of course)! You'll soon come to discover that navigating the wider community without any functional vision, with the assistance of a white cane, is no easy task.

That's where O&M Specialists come in handy. Our specialised professional knowledge, experience and expertise are important for assisting people who are blind or have low vision to become independent, confident and competent travellers in the wider community.

O&M is about empowering and equipping people with specialised skills, techniques and strategies, in order to promote their safe and dignified independent travel.
Next time you see someone navigating with a white cane, respectively provide a genuine word of encouragement on how well they are doing in navigating their surrounding environment.