by Siobhan Midgley, CVRT, COMS, TVI
It’s a blizzardy Saturday in Chicago; sidewalks slick, visibility low, fingers and toes frozen. I get a text from my client, and he has a conundrum. His usual route to his book club is just one stop away on the L. He knows the route well and normally has no difficulties traveling it. But he […] Read More »
Tags: Independence, interdependence, Mobility
by Cody Froeter, CVRT
Back in December of 2020, Microsoft’s Seeing AI released an update for the app that included a brand new channel. The new channel, called World, uses an iPhone’s LiDAR sensors to gain a spatial, 3D depiction of the environment in the phone’s camera lens. Using 3D spatial audio, the app notifies the user of […] Read More »
Tags: iphone 13, Mobility, Seeing AI
by Siobhan Midgley, CVRT, COMS, TVI
Bats, whales and other animals create sounds that bounce off objects to learn information about their environments. This strategy, called echolocation, helps them find prey and navigate under deep ocean depths and dark nighttime skies. Echolocation is now currently being researched as a tool for people with vision loss to also learn about the […] Read More »
Tags: Echolocation, Mobility, O&M
by Eleni Gaves, COMS
As we celebrate White Cane Awareness Day, Eleni Gaves, our orientation and mobility specialist, talks about a skill that many with vision loss are reluctant to use – asking the public for assistance. Check out her suggestions and tips to become more comfortable with this useful tool for independent travel. Getting out and around brings […] Read More »
Tags: assistance, Mobility
by Eleni Gaves, COMS
When you travel to a new destination, how do you know how to get there? What steps do you take to prepare so you will find your destination with minimal risk of getting lost? A sighted person can use GPS, consult a physical map, read street signs and look out for visual landmarks. People […] Read More »
Tags: Independent Travel, Mental Map, Mobility, white cane
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 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
by Rachael Eschbach, COMS
I am a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, who is fortunate to be a full time employee at Second Sense. Although I am a young professional, I have been working in the field and training clients of all ages in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) for the past 6 years. I love what I do! I […] Read More »
Tags: Mobility, O&M, orientation and mobility
by Kathy Austin, CVA
His nose twitches constantly. Lamp posts cannot be resisted. Another slimy chicken bone taken out of his mouth. This is my regular two-block walk from the office to the train station. I have a very sweet, sometimes naughty, Labrador Retriever guide dog named Weller. He is a gorgeous dog with long ears, a sharp nose […] Read More »
Tags: guide dogs, Mobility, retirement
by Kathy Austin, CVA
You’re standing at a busy intersection, white cane in hand. Cars are whizzing by, turning in all directions and horns are honking. You need to cross the intersection. You feel like you are on the edge of a pool, waiting to jump in, but the water is icy cold and you are very hesitant. […] Read More »
Tags: guide dogs, Mobility, O&M