MORRISTOWN, NJ (May 26, 2022) — Guide dogs are part of Morristown’s fabric, but on Monday, participants from Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey used white canes to traverse the town’s sidewalks and intersections.
An individual holds a white cane while another has a guide dog at the checkout counter of a Morristown, NJ business.
Three orientation and mobility specialists from The Seeing Eye and VLANJ’s O&M expert provided one-on-one instruction to participants on a route that included several blocks of Maple Avenue and South Street. While one group of participants received instruction, the other toured a local business, and after lunch, they swapped roles.
“It’s so important for people with vision loss and blindness to learn mobility skills and practice how to safely navigate indoor and outdoor public spaces, as well as sidewalks, and crosswalks,” VLANJ Vice President of Programs Elsa Zavoda said. “It provides them greater self-confidence to venture out in their own communities and beyond.”
The O&M outing was the third in a series, generously funded by grants from the William G. and Helen C. Hoffman Foundation and the Lydia Collins deForest Charitable Trust. The O&M specialists from The Seeing Eye, including VLANJ trustee Lukas Franck, volunteered their services.
Two individuals stand at a street corner in Morristown. One holds a white cane.
Peggy Kane went out with The Seeing Eye’s Kristin Lake, who first fitted her with a global positioning system that alerted Kane to upcoming intersections. As they walked along Maple Avenue, Lake noted uneven sidewalks in places, and reviewed cane techniques. Kane knew the importance of listening to traffic flow to know when it’s safe to cross an intersection that doesn’t have a walking signal.
“I don’t travel out in the community by myself as much anymore, so it was good to have the opportunity to practice my outdoor navigation skills,” Kane said.
Franck, a senior consultant at The Seeing Eye, worked with Marvin Morgan. At the traffic light at Maple Avenue and Miller Road, Franck coached Morgan to raise his pole to signal his intention to cross before stepping into the crosswalk.
Inside Braunschweiger Jewelers on South Street, owner Gretchen Braunschweiger stood at a circular display case and took out highly textured estate pieces for the VLANJ participants to handle.
Feeling a thick gold chain, Matthew Graves said, “This feels like a glow stick.” He tapped on a thick, smooth sterling silver bangle and said,“it feels and sounds like glass!”
Two individuals stand at the counter of Braunschweiger Jewelers in Morristown. A woman greets them behind the counter.
After examining more than a dozen pieces of jewelry, the VLANJ participants showed Braunschweiger mobility techniques they learned. Mary Ann Zino demonstrated trailing, using her cupped hand to feel her way around the circular jewelry display. Nicole Klein showed her different cane techniques to move around the store.
A woman holds her guide dog in front of a counter filled with sweets at a local Morristown business.
Braunschweiger said people with vision loss often visit the store, but usually, they are with guide dogs. When they enter, “someone goes up to the front to greet them,” she said.
After lunch, the participants who did orientation and mobility training in the morning visited Blue Mercury, a makeup and skin care shop on the Morristown Green. The VLANJ participants learned about products and smelled perfumes and colognes, and demonstrated human guide technique to Blue Mercury staff. The outing ended with a visit to Kilwins Morristown for ice cream.
About Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey
Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) that provides practical training and emotional support to help those who have experienced profound vision loss regain self-esteem and self-reliance. Since its founding in 1943, Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey has used a holistic approach to empower those with profound vision loss to live engaged, productive and independent lives. Explore vlanj.org for more information.