Winning against AMD.
4.3 Using a White Stick.
Everyone in our local support group have at least two and probably three white sticks.
We really dislike using them.
My favourite is a telescoping stick that drops into a pocket I have had added to all my trousers, but most of the time it stays at home.
Mainly I just avoid crowded footpaths, crowded shops, crowded ….. But have to accept stations and airports are a problem.
The big change, for me, came when I decided that I was not time-constrained and I could wait for other to move past.
Please remember that the White Stick convention originated in Chicago and has been adopted here. Other countries and cultures do not have the same recognition of sight impaired people and therefore do not realise they are expected to give way.
Some of our group feel they are showing a weakness and could be attacked, others that we are stigmatising ourselves.
It is always there if we need it.
Update 4th April 2019
It’s wonderful in airport terminals, for checking in, for easy route for security and for passport control. Absolutely brilliant.
I use any desk marked Special Assistance. Brilliant.
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Winning against AMD – Age-related Macular Degeneration