I would like to reiterate a few points in story form.
When I first started using alternative techniques in travel, I was determined to be able to get everywhere I wanted to go. After a few chicken out attempts to cross a four lane road I began to discover on my own things that I already knew that I could utilize nonvisual. For example at this intersection I knew that the perpendicular traffic would stop when it was my turn to cross. So I used that primarily to cross streets. The problem was I didn't know anything about lining up, so I continued to try to use the stopped traffic. This is great for half the street, but not so good for the other half!
So after some successful trips across this road which I had to cross to get to work, home from school, and cross it to and from the grocery store. I began to feel a little better. However I began to start crossing as soon as they first stopped which caused some different problems. Several times I turned with the left turn cycle and began walking down the street I was trying to cross. I knew this was not ideal but I didn't know what to do different.
I needed more structure to my technique used to cross streets. A few months down the road I arrived at a NFB training center. I learned many useful techniques to help with these problems and many others. This is what our job is to provide helpful skills and techniques so that they can be safe. At that point help others learn of there responsibility for them self, challenge them so they have a belief in the structure we have given them and incur age them to build on this by discovering everything else that we may not even recognize yet.
It is a tragedy to think we would make people rediscover everything we already know, when we can help guide them to surpass our current skills and techniques. Without the training I received I would not be where I am now. It seems li8ke the curve would have been a much more gradual curve.my own discovery helped with the structure I learned later on, and my continued discoveries can help with others learning process today. There discoveries can potentially help me gain some lessons in the future.
Thanks
David Nietfeld
Colorado Center for the Blind
2233 W. Shepperd ave.
Littleton, Co 80120
303-720-1434 ext. 228
dnietfeld at cocenter.org