Growing up Blind Conversations with Dr. G

Send a text Jo was gifted in math and was quite capable, the first born – she helped look after her 3 siblings. Although long white canes had been used for 5 years when she became blind, one was not provided to her when she needed it. In school, there were plenty of ways for her to learn independently -she had talking books and eventually learned braille to read independently, but the most natural...

Send a text Terri prophetically remarked that without the radio’s noise as a beacon she would “end up going off track 2” is chilling for many reasons. First and foremost, that Terri died exactly as she prophesized, she walked (without a mobility tool) off track 2  into the path of an Amtrak train.   One problem that may seem benign to sighted people, is her misplaced pride in fooling sighted peopl...

Send a text Suzanne grew up with severe visual impairment – she had no way to know if the drop was 6 inches or 60 inches. She got a long cane three short years after the veterans administration started using them and after a few hours of training incorporated it into her travel. Her family wasn’t thrilled by it – but she wasn’t about to go back to having risk her safety just to get around independ...

Send a text Marion became blind at age 60 after a life of having one good eye and one bad eye. She was independent cane traveler before, but the methods of teaching her orientation and mobility at 60 left her in tears and a belief that it was her fault that she was no longer able to be independent when walking outside on her own.  Marion tells us about a serious injury resulting from walking witho...

Send a text Grace gives an insightful summary of her interviews with Alvin, George and Frank.  Visit our website : Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a review, ask questions and share with your friends!! Please donate to help Safe Toddles Inc. achieve our mission to provide blind toddlers with a solution for walking independently with safety....

Send a text Alvin said, "I have two daughters and six grand kids. In my career I’ve done everything there is to do in my career. I used to teach mobility. I was superintendent of the Illinois visually handicapped, that’s the rehab center in Chicago. I’ve held about ever job there is. I even tried to drive a truck... This interview was conducted August 23, 1999 – Alvin was 69 years old – his l...

Send a text Not to take away anything from George about his ability to travel – instead it is important to shine a light on the definition of independence and ability – George was first provided a short Lions Club Cane at 14- but given no instruction, save from his classmate. He was also given a long cane, again with no formal instruction. His entire life was lived in the climate of not one person...

Send a text The Safe Toddles belt cane is an early 21st century innovation –Some might assume the long white cane is a much, much older mobility tool. Who would believe that it is a mid-20th century innovation – the first long white cane was introduced in 1945. In the grand scheme of blind people – the long white cane being the only mass produced, ubiquitous tool for independent walking with safet...

Send a text Kelvin Crosby, the deafblind potter, has become quite famous on TikTok and this has led to appearances on Good Morning America and CBS News. On this episode Grace asks Kevin to discuss his inventions, the smart guider and the lighted blind cane. The also discuss some of the challenges inaccessible technology create for people with disabilities seeking equal access to popular platforms....

Send a text Daniel Simmons has been an O&M Specialist for 14 years. He taught adults before beginning his career providing O&M through early education services. The two O&M specialists discuss the meaning of safe mobility and the need for effective cane tools. Both agree safe mobility is a universal need. Visit our website : Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks fo...

Send a text Dr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken reads the single-subject research report on a two-year-old who is blind playing before and wearing pediatric belt canes. The text, figures, and photos with Alt Text can be found - safetoddles.org/blog and gambrosez.wordpress.com Visit our website : Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a review, ask questions...

Send a text Ashley's son Damien was one-year-old when she learned about pediatric belt canes from a Wisconsin State Coordinator for Vision Services. Damien wasn't a fan, but has since come to depend on his belt cane.  Visit our website : Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a review, ask questions and share with your friends!! Please...

Send a text Andrea learned about the Safe Toddles' pediatric belt cane from a Facebook ad. She introduced Safe Toddles to the world of Tik Tok - her videos of her daughter Kenedi using her first pediatric belt cane went viral! @guiding_Kenedi is her Tik Tok handle. Andrea is a hard-working entrepreneur, single-mother of two toddlers. She has a clothing line and does graphic design - to learn...

Send a text Blog post on gambrosez.wordpress.com and safetoddles.org/blog read aloud by Dr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken. The single-subject study on a one-year-old girl with optic nerve hypoplasia showed greater number of independent steps after wearing her pediatric belt cane for one month. Visit our website : Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a re...

Send a text Important update on the progress since airing her recent podcast. Mary's update -he's wearing it more, in more places and those that know him best see positive changes! Yay Mary Stap and Van Buren Michigan schools for being such innovators!! Visit our website : Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a review, ask questions a...

Send a text Audio of the blog post on gambrosez.wordpress.com and safetoddles.org/blog. The single-subject figure and photos of Audrina are available there. Visit our website : Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a review, ask questions and share with your friends!! Please donate to help Safe Toddles Inc. achieve our mission to provide blind t...

Send a text Kylie's son Matias was 20 months old when she discovered pediatric belt canes. He is blind due to leber congenital amaurosis and wasn't walking independently. He is four now and is able to use his long cane correctly, artfully as he walks independently in his neighborhood. Matias didn't want to wear his cane, at first. Kylie recommends that parents stick it out- as she c...

Send a text June Allison discovered Safe Toddles through a social media post. She immediately recognized the pediatric belt cane as something that could help her adopted 2-year-old son Caeden. Caeden has cortical visual impairment and cerebral palsy.  Caeden has lower field loss and reduced contrast sensitivity which makes it difficult for him to have confidence in what he's seeing on the gro...

Send a text Mary Stap is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility specialist trained early intervention and elementary school teacher. She describes her approach to working with Donovan, a child with septo optic dysplasia (SOD) who has significant sensory challenges. Visit our website : Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave u...

Send a text The first known, dedicated wheelchair was invented in 1595 for Phillip II of Spain. Now there are pediatric motorized wheelchairs made so that children who are three years old can operate them independently.  The first electric hearing aid was created in 1898. It is possible to be fitted with hearing aids within the first weeks or months after birth. The first long cane was invented in...

Send a text Elga Joffee has been an advocate of the pediatric belt cane since its inception and in this interview describes the positive outcomes it had for two of her students in North Carolina. She knows of what she speaks. Elga entered the O&M profession as a graduate student in 1971. She has taught O&M to children in the US and Israel. She is the recipient of the Newcomer-Hill Service...

Send a text This study compared the running times of two groups of children with visual impairments, those taught at home and those taught by a physiotherapist at school. They improved running times, but were still significantly slower than sighted children the same age. This review explores how the measuring of running in children who cannot see the path ahead and are not provided tactile path in...

Send a text Becky Hommer talks about introducing the pediatric belt cane to a two-year-old who cried, a three-year-old who started running, and a 4-year-old who beat the odds. What they had in common is that wearing the belt cane improved their quality of life. Becky, Grace and Kel explore her experiences and delve into important topic of acceptance of the white cane as an essential tool for peopl...

Send a text Geri Darko got her first pediatric belt cane in March 2020- and then COVID arrived in Montana like everywhere else. However, she describes wonderful outcomes. It allows her teacher to say, Jack go wash your hands, and three-year-old Jack and 4-year-old Wyatt know the way, they don't need a hand or a guide - they know the way and they like being independent.  Geri said, the belt ca...

Send a text Dr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken, COMS and Kelvin Crosby explore some of the assumptions Safe Toddles made about blind toddler and preschooler reactions to pediatric belt canes before they were created. Lessons learned included toddlers and preschoolers who are blind and mobility visually impaired did not need to be taught to walk wearing them, nor how to hold them- but instead they became the...