From: Steve Jacobson - IT Marketing Applications
3M Company - 555-01-03 Phone: (612) 733-9780
St. Paul, MN 55144 FAX: (612) 736-6037
The ability to travel independently and the role of electronic travel
aids are subjects of particular interest to me. Therefore, after reading
the comments of Mr. Downie and Mr. RaynerI decided to throw in a couple
myself, along with some questions.
First, I did not interpret the comments of Dave Andrews as saying that
American or United States travel training was necessarily superior to
that of the rest of the world. He may choose to speak for himself on
this, but I understood him to say that persons in other countries were
not familiar with the work being done by the training centers in the
United States in which the NFB is involved. Our training centers have
taken a different approach to teaching cane travel from that of most
other U.S. training centers. We see the teaching of specific techniques
as important, but only in conjunction with the development of a positive
image of oneself as a blind person.
Those of us in the NFB have been trying to change our system in the U.S.
that often discourages the use of a cane indoors and has not until
recently taught the use of the cane to children until the age of
thirteen or later. Some of our skepticism regarding Electronic travel
aids arises from the attempt of the United States Rehabilitation
establishment to offer electronic travel aids as a substitute for a
cane, or at least cane training, in the late 1970's. This was done even
though, as was stated elsewhere, the developers of such aids did not
recommend their use as a cane replacement. I found it particularly
ironic that we as blind kids were often told that it was socially
unacceptable to snap our fingers occasionally to get information about
our environment and that we should not use our canes indoors, but that
it was okay to wear or hold a variety of electronic devices, even though
we might be mistaken for visitors from space. Of course I am making a
small attempt at humor here, but the point is that in the United States,
and to some degree in the western world as a whole, we tend to take the
following approach: If ther is an expensive way to accomplish something
with technology and a cheap low-tech way to achieve most of the same
goals, we'll go with technology even if it means many people can't
afford it.
I had an opportunity to try the Sonic Guide back in the 1970's and I was
impressed with the information I could collect about my environment. Of
course I was no expert by any means, and I realize that Mr. Downie and
Mr. Rayner would be able to recognize far more than what I did during my
short exposure. Even so, I could differentiate a flat surface from one
covered by a curtain, a rising staircase and a free-standing support
pole in the center of a room.Yet, I couldn't see what the Sonic Guide
would give me that would be worth paying, say, $50 per month for five
years plus whatever service costs. The price at that time was roughly
two thousand dollars. I didn't see the information received as essential
to my traveling, seeing it more as a luxury. Yet, I applauded the Sonic
Guide then and other research now as essential for the development of
future travel aids. Further, I could see some specific applications of
the technology that could be important. For example, traveling in rural
areas or across large open spaces as parking lots near shopping malls
could be greatly enhanced by such a device. Something that could assist
in locating the exit from the center of the exhibit hall at our national
convention could certainly be useful.
Yet, I was somewhat confused by the example of the usefulness of an
electronic Travel Aid that was provided by Mr. Downie. If I understood
correctly, he said that he told a fellow blind traveler to "stop"
because a car was blocking the sidwalk, before his companion encountered
the car with the cane. When I am traveling, the reflected sound of my
tapping cane will usually warn me that something is across the sidewalk.
However, if I miss that clew and touch the obstacle with my cane, I view
it as my cane doing its job, not as some kind of failure. In that
instance, the range of the travel aid is certainly more than that of my
cane, and it is likely better able to get certain kinds of information
than my hearing, but it would not make a difference as to whether or not
I physically collided with the car. If we're talking about a moving
vehicle, the engine noise should provide a sound source as obvious as
that provided by a travel aid. What am I missing here? I would not argue
with the superiority of a travel aid such as the Sonic Guide in
detecting overhead objects such as tree branches. The question here is
how often does that problem arise?
Along the same lines, the comparison between not using computer access
equipment and not using electronic travel aids illudes me. I have on
more than one occasion seen blind persons in a real jam because the
batteries on their note-taking device were dead and they did not know
how to use a slate and stylus. I would not give up my slate and stylus
and I rarely go to a business meeting without it. Yet, there is no
physical way to access a computer with one so I use a speech synthesizer
and screen access software. The lack of an electronic travel aid does
not prevent my traveling, though. Therefore, I don't see the parallel.
But still, I would probably buy and use a travel aid of the capability
of the Sonic Guide if it were cheap enough, compact enough, rugged
enough, and if it were easy on batteries. It would also need to function
when sharing the sonic space with another similar unit. I understand
that the effectiveness of most electronic aids is greatly reduced when
they intercept the signals radiated by other travel aids.
The ideal travel aid will never be developed unless there is continuing
research and a supply of people to evaluate the results. But from what I
have seen and read, it is fairly understandable as to why most of us
don't use them as part of our everyday travel. I, for one, would be
interested in hearing more from electronic travel aid users both as to
their usefulness and where I may be wrong.
Regards,
Steve Jacobson
INTERNET: SOJACOBSON@MMM.COM
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