by Kathy Austin, CVA
Rowen is a go-go, very active guide dog. When our stay at home orders were imposed because of COVID 19, I was a little concerned that our walks around the neighborhood for exercise wouldn’t be quite enough for him. My neighborhood is quiet with little traffic, very different from downtown Chicago on a busy weekday […] Read More »
Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, guide dogs
by Reprinted with permission from the International Low Vision Support Group Newsletter, Volume 14, Issue 11 – November 2019
You are the best judge of when driving is no longer safe. But, don’t wait until you have an accident before you give up the car keys. Signals That Might Mean it’s Time to Give Up the Car Keys You are nervous behind the wheel. Your reactions are too slow due to your […] Read More »
Tags: driving, giving up driving, Vision loss
by Kathy Austin, CVA
Puppy Raisers A lot of love, hard work and dedication go into the first year of life for a guide dog puppy. Who does this kind of work? Families of all sizes, single men and women, kids in 4H and FFA, grandparents and college students, just to name a few. They have all done […] Read More »
Tags: Guide dog, puppy raiser
by Rachael Eschbach, COMS
Do you turn into a pumpkin if you are not home by a certain time? For Cinderella, midnight was her unforgiving curfew. But for many people with vision loss, it’s around dusk. Many adults with partial vision express that they have more challenges when it becomes dark outside. Although they may travel freely and […] Read More »
Tags: mobility at night, night travel, orientation and mobility
by Cheryl Megurdichian
Learning to use a white cane can be terrifying. You have to trust this simple tool to find your way in a world that can be very complicated – from cracks in the sidewalk to traffic signals to electric cars that make no noise. For 20 years, Mary Pat let fear dictate part of her […] Read More »
Tags: Mobility, white cane
by Rachael Eschbach, COMS
Mobility in Every Season Chicago! It’s so wonderful to have all four seasons. Of course, every season presents its own set of challenges when traveling with vision loss. Here are some of the mobility problems that crop up season-to-season. And some tips for overcoming them. Winter Ice Ice is something that worries everyone, vision […] Read More »
Tags: mobility training, O&M
by Polly Abbott, CVRT
Have You Ever Considered a Self-Defense Class? Many challenges come with vision loss. You may have a fear of not being fully aware of the environment. When you lack the details typically gained through visual information, you may feel a loss of control when making choices that may affect your personal safety. You miss […] Read More »
Tags: 1Touch, self-defense class
by Rachael Eschbach, COMS
“You know what’s weird, I feel like I did better walking to your office blindfolded using the cane, than I did walking to your office using my vision…” ~Nicole Many people who have some useable vision may have trouble learning to use a white cane. They are still trying to rely only on […] Read More »
Tags: blindfold training, mobility training, O&M
by Kathy Austin, CVA
We’ve all been told how important exercise is for our health, again and again. But when we lose vision, movement starts to become more difficult. Perhaps it is our own fear of hurting ourselves. Maybe it is the people around us who fear for our safety and startle us with “watch outs” or “be carefuls.” […] Read More »
by Polly Abbott, CVRT
For many people, the challenge of walking along a crowded train platform is intensified by the fear of falling off the edge onto the tracks. A person could be hurt by the fall, hit by an oncoming train or zapped to death by the electric third rail. To avoid taking the ‘L’ is to […] Read More »
Tags: Mobility, mobility training, white cane