Hi Shea,Thank you so much for sharing your experiences in Canada. I read an article some years ago in Blind Citizens News, a magazine produced by our national advocacy organisation of and for people who are blind or vision impaird (Blind Citizens Australia). The article was written by a woman who visited Canada and the US to compare some of their blindness-related services. I remember she wrote about a residential facility the CNIB had. I think it was an apartment complex, and it was designed and set up to offer people the opportunity to gain independent living skills - cooking, cleaning etc, and it was even fitted out with assistive technology, including Braille displays. From memory, this was in Toronto, but the author did say that once in more outlying areas, the services were more fragmented. I hope the mobility situation (and indeed other services) finally improves for you.
Regards Vivien----- Original Message ----- From: "Shea Anker" <svanker@xxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 10:24 AMSubject: [access-uk] Re: Orientation & Mobility and other independent living training for blind people in England (and other countries represented on this list)
Hi,I am in British Columbia Canada, and I live in the north, so mobility is sometimes a bit speratic,but we now have a new O and M specialest, so things might get better. We have been without one for over a year, and someone was being sent up here every few months. But even now it can be hard, because the person has to serve such a large area. I live in the city where we have our main CNIB (canadian national institute for the Blind) office, so I'm lucky I'm not way out there in the middle of nowhere.SheaFind me on Facebook and on Skype Shea.Anker. Feel free to contact me on Messenger, sheabat70@xxxxxxxxxxx ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vivien Palcic" <vivienpalcic@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 1:23 AMSubject: [access-uk] Re: Orientation & Mobility and other independent living training for blind people in England (and other countries represented on this list)Hi Jackie,Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, and I'm glad they've been so positive. My last instructor I had last year is very nice (originally from England), but the service over here is not well resourced/managed, and it'snot uncommon to be waiting for several weeks to get mobility in the first place. I was hoping to try out a Trekker Breeze too, but someone else was using the only one the Association for the Blind had. I did try out theTrekker a few years ago at a technology expo held at the Association for the Blind, before the Breeze even came out, but I found it a pain navigating such a small keypad and was leaningmore towards the BrailleNote GPS, which I also had a go at, but in bothcases it was only virtual exploration, as there was noone available to demo them outdoors. I have a BrailleNote Classic and would have to upgrade to one of the models which supports the GPS. I don't have an iPhone, but it would be nice if a version of the BrailleNote GPs, or an equivalent product, were developed for the iPhone. Any way, thank you again for your reply, and I've read with geat interest your posts and those of others on the list about Braille displays and employment of blind people in these technology companies. Braille-related services are pretty poorly resourced over here, and this really comes to the fore when simply trying to find someone to demo a Braille display, let alone getting specific training on its use with a screenreader, as opposed to just the screenreader with its speech functionality.Kind regards Vivien----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Cairns" <jackie.cairnsplace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 9:10 PMSubject: [access-uk] Re: Orientation & Mobility and other independent livingtraining for blind people in England (and other countries represented on this list)Hi Vivien I can only speak for my own experiences, which have all been so positive and great fun.I moved to Northern Ireland in May of this year, and the Rehab Officer whocarries out orientation and mobility in this area is called Mark. Not only does he have an amazing and twisted sense of humour that I love, but he hasbeen fantastic at teaching me my way around the village. Maghera where Ilive is not a large place, and we live on the outskirts of the villageitself. But Mark initially came twice a week to give me orientation, andhe comes back every time I want to learn a new route. My partner, Martin, has also been great at helping me around so that I can go for walks and maintainmy independence. In the short time I have lived here, I have been to the shops on my own several times and felt comfortable about doing this with along cane. And people are so friendly in these parts that a lot of them speak whether I know them or not which is very nice. Prior to living here, I lived in Northampton for two years, and also had good orientation and mobility from a Rehab Officer in that area, despite itbeing much larger. All my experiences, I have to say, have been positive. The Officers I've worked with say it's just my attitude to wanting to getabout, even though I have a chronic back problem and find it so painful now. But I've had nothing but praise for everyone who has assisted me, and I'vethoroughly enjoyed the walks and routes I have had to map in my head. Infact, Mark came last week to show me the route to the Post Office which has been relocated in the supermarket. He was on top form, it was pissing with rain, but we had such a laugh I thought it was brill! A Rehab Officer for Guide Dogs has also lent me a Trekker Breeze to try outfor a while, and this too has been absolutely fantastic. No you can't dopostcode searches or anything too fancy, but it's great to shove it in your pocket, create a route and start walking. When you get to your destination,you terminate the route, but you can back-track on the return journey, andit points out any landmarks you've made. My experiences have been so positive I just can't begin to tell you how great it's been. Kind Regards, Jackie Cairns J&M Work-Ability jandm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx www.work-ability.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Vivien Palcic Sent: 08 November 2010 12:37 To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Orientation & Mobility and other independent living training for blind people in England (and other countries represented on this list) Hi list, I would be interested to know how good (or otherwise) O&M training and otherindependent living skills is in England and/or other countries representedon this list. I know all too well the typical scenario of being put on a waiting list and then, when one is finally attended to, one is lucky to get twice a week mobility training (I'm in Australia). I would be interested to know what the situation is like for you people - eg how long would one normally expect to wait for O&M, and how many hours a week would onereceive? And are mobility instructors in your country making use of modern aids such as GPS for the blind, or is this something which only happens ifand when the client has access to their own device? Regards Vivien ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.864 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3243 - Release Date: 11/07/10 19:34:00 ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq