My parents ran a sheep farm from when I was a couple of years old. Although I was only home on holidays, I believe that environment did much to develop my mobility and particularly orientation skills.
I went to a blind school, leaving after four years of high school. Partly due to regular hospitalization, my achievements at school were relatively modest.
I later did a Welfare Work Certificate at what was then called a Technical College in NSW. This subsequently allowed me to get a provisional matriculation to Macquarie University. I achieved honours in psychology there. My empirical thesis was on the initial ability of subjects to use the SonicGuide (more of that later).
My first mobility aid was a Guide Dog. I trained with her in 1967 and she worked until 1978.
I was in the second class of two to train in a pilot study with the forerunner to the SonicGuide (my brother, Graham was in the first class). I trained in (I am almost certain) 1970. I received an hour or so of long cane training in 1978 when the dog retired (more about that later).
I began "playing with" the Mowat Sensor in 1990 and bought my own shortly afterwards.
My training with the Canterbury Aid, which was the forerunner to the SonicGuide, was at the Guide Dog Centre in Melbourne. Two trainees worked with one instructor. Although we were both Guide Dog users and had our dogs with us, we did not use them during training. Nor did we use long canes. Instead, when we began walking outside the safety of the Centre, the instructor was close enough to intervene if we were about to make a costly error. I can only recall one such intervention due to my making an error. I believe that this early high reliance on the aid, with the security of the instructor's presence, was an important factor in developing skills and confidence.
We began with simple exercises, walking towards a wall and retreating from it. We then began working with thin poles driven into the ground. Later, we graduated to a broad footpath with a substantial wall on one side (the wall of a cemetery as it happened). Ultimately, we walked through shopping centres.
The training lasted for (I am fairly sure) less than two weeks. More time had been set aside, but we all agreed that it was not necessary.
At the end of training, I could do some very useful things with the aid. However, and of extreme importance for members of this list, I was still developing skills for a couple of years. I remember one very good example. About six months after training, for several days upon crossing a small road on the way to work, I heard a descending tone I hadn't previously noticed. After a few days of puzzling as I crossed the road, I realized it was the curb I was approaching. The numerous references in the literature to the aid not detecting low objects are therefore incorrect. That is not to say that it is the aid's strong point but, in the right circumstances, it will detect low objects. I have long since developed my skill with up curbs to the point where I often don't bother to touch the curb with the cane. That is, I can judge both the height of the curb and its location. This is even possible in unfamiliar surroundings. To put those comments into perspective, there are plenty of situations where I can't do that. However, there is no ambiguity - either I can locate the curb or there is too much clutter.
There was a further period of adjustment when the dog retired. As she was slowing with arthritis, I believed I could do it faster by myself. I had a couple of sessions of instruction with the long cane, not previously having had such instruction. Both the instructor and I believed that further cane training would be superfluous. The main problem I had with the cane initially was snagging it. Practice resolved that problem and, after bending a couple of canes in fairly short order, I have now had one cane for about ten years. I use a rigid cane with a conventional tip because of the light weight and good tactile feedback.
When initially using the SonicGuide with the cane, my major problem was with navigating around other pedestrians. I sometimes found that I would step the wrong way. This would result in both of us propping, apologizing and continuing. This problem resolved fairly quickly, however.
Some O&M instructors may regard the following as blasphemy. However, it is crucial to convey the importance of the SonicGuide to my mobility. The SonicGuide is my primary aid and the cane is the secondary aid. Although I carry the cane almost everywhere, the only time I regard it as crucial is where there are dangers such as on railway stations. I usually hold it with the tip just ahead of my feet and often with the tip not contacting the ground. I stress that this is not due to foolhardiness but because I know from the SonicGuide what is ahead. On railway stations, I usually use the cane to scan the edge of the platform and the SonicGuide to watch for obstacles.
One of the things I really enjoy doing with the SonicGuide is to navigate through crowds. Interestingly, I can clearly remember when first using it being in a crowded area and trying to find a way through the people. Sometimes, just as I worked out where to go, one person would move and I would lose the whole pattern. That initial confusion in complex surroundings, I suspect, is an important factor in some people not persisting with the aid. While I can still remember that confusion, there is no way I can now replicate it. Even where people are moving in various directions at different speeds, I generally cope well.
I have used the SonicGuide in a wide range of settings. The following are some more novel ones.
My father and I were stacking wool bales in a shed. Each bale was being brought to the shed by a tractor, the bale lying on a front end loader. Dad, who was driving the tractor, could not see the platform holding the stack of bales. I was on the platform and gave accurate instructions as to his progress.
I used to use the SonicGuide when mowing the lawn. At the time, our back yard was dotted with trees, which made navigation difficult. I have since become more familiar with the yard and reduced the tree population (they were not of much ecological value), so don't bother using the SonicGuide when mowing these days.
I once used the SonicGuide when ice skating. I fitted a sports strap to reduce the risk of damage to it. Although skating slower than when accompanied by someone else (the rink was quite crowded), it was wonderful to have the freedom to do it myself. During the evening I guided another blind skater and didn't leave the ice until cramping a leg.
It was while working in an office a few blocks from the train station that Tony Heyes introduced me to the Pathfinder. We walked to the station and back. I am cautious about making strong comments about the aid, having used it only for such a brief period. However, my impression was that its information was less precise than that provided by the Mowat. There was an aid with which I could not detect low objects. On returning to the office, I put the SonicGuide in my backpack and used the Mowat and cane to walk to the station. I was very pleased with the result and, having bought my own Mowat, have continued to use it. I now use it when walking around the fairly large building in which I currently work, usually without a cane. This involves several flights of stairs and open plan areas, with desks scattered seemingly at random throughout. When going to lunch, a walk of two blocks or so, I also use it, with a cane. Pedestrian traffic is fairly light and it stops my skills from becoming rusty. I occasionally use the Mowat in the centre of Sydney. In 1997, I used it constantly for several months, while the SonicGuide was being serviced.
I like the simplicity of the Mowat. I carry it in a pouch attached to my belt and this, for me, improves convenience. The fact that it uses a standard 9V battery is also good. It is also relatively reliable, provided it is not dropped.
While it is only detecting the closest object and giving no textural information, the Mowat conveys more detail than might first be expected. With the narrow beam, the scanning process can yield quite a bit of information about the size of objects. Kinaesthetic feedback from the wrist angle can also say much about the direction and size of objects.
I think it was someone on this List who commented that aids with narrow beams can only tell the user about an object as the aid is pointed at it. In principle that is true, but the regular scanning action is providing a constant update of environmental feedback. I usually do not scan in the diagonal pattern advised in the instructions (scan right when stepping on the left foot and vice versa). This, it seems to me, is simply continuing the logic of using a cane. Given that the Mowat, even on the short range, extends well beyond the reach of a cane, the same rate of scanning seems like a wasted opportunity to gather information. I scan more quickly, but must be careful not to over do this or smaller objects can be missed. Incidentally, I usually use the same cane technique with the Mowat as the SonicGuide. That is to say that even the Mowat is providing me with much more information than a cane. I can detect the height and location of curbs with the Mowat. However, I don't do this except in familiar areas; it is not possible to monitor the approaching curb and check for poles and other obstacles on the edges of roadways at the same time.
In most situations, especially in complex ones, the SonicGuide provides considerably more information and I can respond more quickly to it. A good example is negotiating other pedestrians in a crowd. When using the SonicGuide, I can alter speed and/or change direction or, in the worst case, stop. With the Mowat, I am much more likely to stop, albeit usually momentarily. At very close range, I find the Mowat loses accuracy, especially when aimed at people (as distinct from more solid objects). On the other hand, the SonicGuide allows me to judge those close distances with a high degree of accuracy. When in a crowd boarding a train, I am rather less confident with the Mowat than the SonicGuide for this reason.
On the other hand, the Mowat's portability and its ready availability (no putting on glasses and pouch on shoulder strap), make it very convenient. It is generally very good for getting through the office. I also enjoy using it farther afield. I can use my hearing more than with the SonicGuide, but have to.
When the SonicGuide was being service in 1997, I took the opportunity to see how I coped with the Mowat over an extended period. Initially, the challenge was enjoyable. As time went on, however, I found that I was getting rather irritable due to the increased concentration required. When the SonicGuide came back, I was amazed at how much the trees at the end of my street had grown.
When I was using the dog, I conducted an experiment. While walking in a noisy area, I would focus with the SonicGuide on a person walking ahead. I would then turn off the aid and try to keep track of the person. Unless they had particularly noisy shoes, it was not possible. The point is that the signal from the SonicGuide was far more useful for this task than listening to the person's footsteps. The aid does not, however, drown out sounds. Rather, potentially useful environmental ones are drowned out by sounds from such things as motor vehicles. As I said earlier, I do listen more to environmental sounds when using the Mowat. However, the net result is less helpful information.
I have had only limited experience with Leslie's automatic gain control in sonar aids, and that was some time ago, so these comments are made with some caution. I like to set the volume according to the surrounding noise level, together with what I am doing. If waiting for lights to change, for example, I don't require much volume. If walking very quickly, however, extra volume is important. The Pulfrich phenomenon demonstrates that, the stronger the stimulus the faster the response. Therefore, if I am walking fast, I will use more volume than if walking slowly. I believe it is very important for users of ETAs to be aware of this issue, but wonder whether many instructors recognize its significance.
I will say this with at least as much conviction. Future ETAs must be comfortable. I have endured considerable discomfort from the SonicGuide and, were it not for the value I place on the information it provides, I could have easily given up many years ago. For some years, I placed pads on the arms to relieve pain on my ears. They (the ears) must have toughened, as the level of discomfort is now much less than previously. Nevertheless, after walking for over an hour while shopping recently, I was most happy to board a train and put the aid in my pocket.
While on that point, I remember some criticism when the SonicGuide was released with hinged arms, which must have almost certainly increased cost and reduced reliability/durability. This feature, together with the detachable cable (it's a shame it didn't detach at both ends), made a huge difference to the usability of the aid. Apart from anything else, it did a great deal to reduce the level of pain. It also allows convenient transport of the aid when not in use. Without going into further detail, my argument is that an aid must be comfortable, ergonomically sound and convenient to use and to "park" when not in use.
For some time, I held much hope for an aid in a head band. While Leslie will leap across the Tasman to kick me in the shins for saying this, experience with his head band devices in 1982 raised a concern for me. The aid was secured by an elasticized strap which fastened behind the head. My lasting recollection is of the head bands producing a great deal of heat and the weather was not especially hot. I dread to think how the user of that sort of head band would cope in Sydney in recent weeks - temperature into the 30s (over 90 degrees Fahrenheit) with humidity over 90 percent. The Child's Aid version of the SonicGuide, of which I only saw one example, would probably resolve the overheating problem, but would likely be well down the beauty scale. An aid mounted in a head band would, then, have to be usable in a range of weather conditions, comfortable and cosmetically acceptable to people who are much more conscious of their appearance than me (some people may say that anything covering my face is an improvement).
I have mentioned the Sonic Torch and Mowat Sensor. While the Torch was (I think Leslie would confirm this) something of a prototype, it had a great deal to recommend it. I wonder whether a stereo version of the Torch with today's technology (a hand held Kaspa perhaps) may be a valuable compromise. Depending on its size, it may be retained in a pouch attached to a belt or to a shoulder strap. Especially with the variety of lightweight headphones now available, many people's need could be met.
I suspect there is also potential to make a more powerful tactile aid. In the early nineties, a device was made in Melbourne to help deaf people with such tasks as lip reading. Called the Tickle Talker, it provided electro-tactile stimuli to the fingers. Signals were sent to different fingers in sympathy with particular frequencies. This sort of approach may well have merit when conveying spatial information.
I haven't discussed the work various members of this list are doing where computers are utilized. We surely must now have the computing power to provide some useful interpretation of surroundings to a blind person. I am particularly fascinated by Peter's work with The Voice, but do not fully understand what is involved. I also like the concept of the Guide Cane. From a different perspective, satellite navigation also has much potential. Even in this part of the world, sat nav is becoming available to the masses in relatively low cost cars.
Of course, if aids could be produced which were both effective and acceptable to a broad cross section of people with vision impairments, this ethical dilemma would be resolved. It does seem to me that the majority of those who have severe vision loss are not convinced that ETAs can be effective. It almost seems like a fatalistic standpoint along the lines that if we were supposed to navigate effectively we would have eyes. My own strong suspicion is that, apart from anything else, there will necessarily be a long learning curve if blind people are going to use ETAs which provide meaningful environmental information. I have a parallel suspicion that many blind people do not grasp this and give up before they have recognized the aid's potential. Interestingly, the only really useful finding from my empirical thesis was that there are very marked individual differences in initial ability to use the SonicGuide. This has major implications for training. There have of course, also been the accompanying issues of comfort and cosmetics (or lack of) already mentioned.
Just prior to taking leave to make way for the Olympics (I work a few kilometres from the main venue), I want to contribute to the discussion. There has been comment about the lack of funding for research and development into electronic mobility devices. My own strong belief is that this is not true. If blindness agencies wanted to, they could provide more than sufficient funds. Leslie (Kay, inventor of KASPA) mentioned $24 million lurking somewhere. I understand that one mobility agency alone in America has at least four times that amount which could be made available if it wanted to do so. The Guide Dog Association in NSW (my home state in Australia) has just spent quite a few million on a dog training centre - not in itself an unacceptable thing to do, but imagine what could be achieved if a small proportion of that amount were put into research.
Some years ago, a blind executive of that organisation commented to me that the Sonicguide, at around $4000, was too expensive. I protested that a dog costs at least $20,000. The response (and the person was a competent Sonicguide user) was, "But the dog is our flagship." And yes, the dog is a great fund raiser - again, in itself, not a bad thing. Nor am I saying that a dog guide isn't an effective aid in the right circumstances. But it does have some inherent drawbacks. In summary, I think it is reasonable to state that blindness agencies still put fund raising above the needs of blind people. Speaking for myself, if all the blindness agencies in Australia closed tomorrow, my life would hardly be affected. They continue to exist, however, by persuading the public that they are meeting my needs. The public perception of blind people's capacity to travel independently is still quite negative - I am often asked if I want help onto a train and, more irritatingly, often simply seized by the arm. Very few, if any, of those people would know that I am using an electronic device, whether I am using the Sonicguide or Miniguide. Even if they did, they wouldn't understand its potential and, I fear, that's the way the agencies want to keep it. And let's face it, while applauding efforts thus far, none of the existing aids are the last word in independent mobility for blind people. Some resources need to be made available to move in that direction. That the progress made thus far is stifled by the agencies is, to say the least, most unfortunate.
The attitudes discussed above also seem to permeate blindness advocacy groups. People have grown up believing that this is the way things are and are most reluctant to explore options. The enthusiasm for electronic communication aids has not extended to mobility aids. Unless this cycle can be broken, the frustrations of inventors and the few blind people who recognise the potential of the equipment will continue.
Andrew Downie
