Back when I could vaguely see that people were there, my O and M told me to hit their ankles with my cane on purpose if they didn't move. O and Ms are savage lol. I adore them all
Yes! Mine too! I was so worried about hitting someone’s ankles and my mobility guy said “@&)) em’ swing away!! If they aren’t paying attention then you need to wake them up anyway. They can see you so if they don’t give you space, they deserve to get smacked. Lol.
@@manduhm5112 Oh sorry, Molly mentioned it in the vid I think, I should have restated it. O and M stands for Orientation and Mobility. But we often use it to mean Orientation and Mobility Instructor. So my O and M is my orientation and mobility instuctor, the person who taught me how to navigate blind, and in my case use my white cane, but they can work with people who use guide dogs too. Thank you for asking so respectfully
“It’s this genetic defect from my parents because they were awful people and are cursed” omg laughed so hard snd have said very similar things about my genetic defect from my parents. If can’t joke about your situation what’s the point ?!?!? ❤️❤️❤️ you Molly
I'm not blind but we have loads of different chronic illnesses and mental health issues and neurodivergency in my family and the way we laugh and tease eachother would SHOCK people from the outside!
My doctor the other day I can’t even remember for what. But she was like we could try this or that, but you got the short end of the totem pole on the genetics, so we are just going to jump right into medications.
I’d love to know how you mentally distinguish different hues, for example: purple vs lilac. You do such a great job of it when you describe fashion it blows me away. I’m fully sighted and still this can be difficult
@@boop6169 that’s my point exactly! Lilac is one of many shades and hues of purple. As sighted people when someone says lilac there is a specific color that comes to mind that most people would see and agree it’s lilac. But if you just said purple, I would not immediately think of lilac. So I’m asking how she is so good at understanding the difference between these shades
@@courtneymackey9942 ah ok I gotcha. I was thinking you meant distinguishing them as two different colors lmao I was like they aren’t two different colors. Ones a hue one other general description of a color. But that makes sense. Ik her boyfriend can tell because he has enough sight to see color. But it would be interesting to have molly describe it
I second this! I'm mildy colourblind (red-green) and differentiating between hues is the thing I struggle with. I always find it interesting to hear how other people describe their perception of colours.
regarding the helen heller barbie, i'm a barbie collector and i have some tips! in-box barbies are great, but i find that they tend to... disintegrate easier in the box. the elastics get brittle and snap and can crust onto hair and clothes, the plastic limbs can literally decompose (i think this is only an issue with older babies), they get sun bleached... to prevent this, i'd recommend keeping her out of sunlight, in air conditioning, and if you can, carefully taking her out of the box every few months and checking any of the elastics on her, her clothes, her hair, and making sure she's still in good shape!!!
I am so glad you explained the ID cane versus the mobility cane. I've seen both in use and never knew there were different purposes. Since moving to a larger city, I've also seen walking canes (with the rounded handle) that have white and red stripes. I had never considered people who need a cane to walk with who are also blind or visually impaired. I've been misidentified as a blind person when I was with my service dog...at the oil change place after having driven my vehicle in. I am always a little surprised when I hear people ask how blind people drive. If only they knew how often rideshares/cabs discriminate against guide dog users.
i have a service dog (not a guide dog! she's for psych and light mobility), getting an uber with her is a NIGHTMARE. when i message the driver ahead of time to tell them i have a service dog (not required to do, but i don't wanna waste my time) they cancel about 75% of the time, and i have to find another driver. there have also been times where i have messaged to tell the driver about my service dog, and then they arrive... and cancel the ride and drive away once they see my service dog... it's infuriating! i have to be ready to leave at least 30 minutes earlier to account for the time that gets wasted by drivers canceling on me.
I'd love to see more about the braille display and the smart cane. I'm just so curious to find out how they both work to assist you in day to day life. This video was fascinating and really made me a bit more aware of all the different things blind people need to get around!
So today I saw a blind gentleman crossing the street with his guide dog. You are SO right. If it hadn't been for his ID cane my mind probably would have categorized him as a guy walking his dog. We have so much visual info to process quickly, especially when driving. My first thought was why was this guy Jay walking on a fairly busy street. Then when I processed he was blind, I realized he was crossing at a driveway, I bet his orientation got off and he crossed just a bit too soon. I stopped my car in a way to give him plenty of space and to block other cars from coming up around me. That ID cane was helpful for him and me, although it really does suck that it's necessary. Juggling the dog and cane can't be easy.
Part of the thousands of people watching Molly's videos without any connection to the blind community, but just because she'd amazing. Molly, as a fellow future veterinarian, I'd love to know how veterinarians can help your community and the guild dogs that come with you all!!! Love you so very much ❤
Oh I love that! That's amazing and honestly so cute. And you can get the ones that are different shapes and depths! And for those like Molly who can see light/sparkles it might be a fun little way to spice up the home ❤
As an accessibility advocate, I’d love a video about the Braille displays. I’m also interested in your experiences with city infrastructure for blind/low-vision (talking crosswalks, detectable warning devices, etc).
Are there any affordable communities that are good for low vision? I have little support where I live and really don’t do much outside of my home anymore because navigating on my own is scary and legit dangerous.
Random blind person popping in to say talking crosswalks are awesome first time I encountered them in a city it was so comforting and reassuring they're my favorite I wish they were everywhere
I feel like if you’re going slow you should definitely be able to tell the difference. If you’re going fast though I can understand that a quick glance may make the guide dog look like a normal owner and dog.
I think a lot of it comes from people with *fake* service dogs. Dogs who aren’t trained for any purpose, but their owner bought them a “guide dog” vest on Amazon so their dog can come to stores with them. Then someone wants to pet their “service dog” and the owner is all for it. It happens enough that people don’t understand that real working dogs can’t be distracted like a pet.
Idea: put one of the airtags on Lavendar's collar. Heaven forbid there's a fire, she might hide somewhere. The tag will allow you to find her and get her in her crate and leave.
If there is a fire I think Molly should get herself safe first and have a sighted person find Lavender. A fire seems like a really dangerous situation for a blind person to navigate. That's up to her of course!
Saw a firefighter say its best to get yourself out. Most of the time cats will find their way out, and you might put yourself in danger trying to find a cat that's already found an escape route, and the firefighters that have to come rescue you. I dont know if it applies to every cat.
I have a permanent brain injury that causes dizziness and whatnot and I feel so lucky to have my regular stores I run errands in respect that and help me if needed. Since I look like a normal, healthy 25 year old, it was never acceptable to ask for help where I used to live and now I can run errands alone and feel independent. I have watched your channel for years and it has motivated me and inspired me through my own challenges with my disabilities. Because I have 24/7 severe migraines I have taken some of your tips, since the pain will cause me to lose sight during the episodes (which could last days to weeks). I’m not sure if there is a community for those with brain injuries, but your content is what I have looked to, and I’m sure there are others who may not be blind and relate to your struggles. Thank you for making us feel less alone 💕
I am also blind, the things that I have gotten in the past month or two. Or the Qusori smart air fryer. So it syncs with Alexa and it’s really easy to use and clean. I also got the ewfy vacuum cleaner. It’s one of the robot vacuum cleaners that go around and clean your floor. It picks up dog hair like nothing else LOL.
@@TheHatter42 It sure does. You have to download an app called Vsync and connect your device. Just as you would if you got another google home mini or any of their products. Pretty simple setup. You only have to touch and hold the start button on the air drier and the rest you can setup with the app.
@@tiryaclearsong421 Haha! I at first only got it because my kiddos are kids! They are messy. Since they were doing virtual school, everyday the dining room would have, everything, on the floor! I love my robo vacuum! His name is Sven! I love him!!!
Yes please I would like to see that you describing the colors. Because I never ever was able to see colors. So I do not know what colors are. I’ve been like that ever since I’ve been six months old blind and never able to see color. So can you please in your next video till all your blind followers on how you see colors with your book? Please and thank you. Lots of love always❤️🤟🤟
If you want to modify your we walk cane, you can get reflective red tape pretty inexpensively online. I know we always want to make ourselves more visible and identifiable to the public.
I'm glad you were able to get your hands on so many cool accessibility aids! The one thing I've noticed as a disabled person is the price of accessibility aids. It's like these companies think we make soooooo much money on our disability income🤦♀️
A large part of the reason for the prices is probably because they cannot mass produce these things like similar products that are for a wider market. For example, there are far more bicicles then there are wheelchairs. This makes bicicles relatively cheaper
@@christafranken9170 yep, it comes down to economies of scale and unfortunately the market for a lot of disability aids are too niche to benefit from those. I saw another commenter suggest the market might grow if they were reasonably prices since many disabled folks are low income. Personally, I find it another instance of desperately wishing for universal fair healthcare. If it’s too expense to produce and sell at a fair price, it should be supplemented as a necessity of life. We live in a broken world sadly that never really was whole to begin with.
@@frostyskeletons8950 On the flip side, high prices can also be driven by the government buying things too because they can charge as much as they want. Just think of other things that have the cost artificially covered, like other government projects, government and loan funded college, healthcare paid for by insurance. It's a bit of a catch 22
About the braille display. I would compare it to sighted people plug external monitors into their PCs. I would compare a braille note taker to how some monitors have computers built into them. Ones like the 24 inch iMac or an HP all in one.
What we use for my mom instead of the clear bump it’s is just clear cabinet bumpers. Super cheap on Amazon and sooooo many sizes, shapes, Textures of them. We put them on things like the microwave and stove that don’t have physical buttons, so she knows where the numbers and settings are.
Braille displays are a game changer. I think you’ll love having them! I got my first Braille display in fourth grade and have been using them ever sense. The school district purchased it for me. I am not sure why they didn’t buy one for you. They really made your life harder by not providing one, because I’m sure you had to carry a bunch of heavy braille books around all the time and with a Braille Display you can download them to a phone or computer and read them in braille. I totally understand what you mean about understanding things better when you read in braille. I like audio for pleasure reading, but when it’s something I need to analyze I prefer braille.
I’m not sure either, but my guess is that technology wasn’t as advanced when Molly was in school or the school didn’t want to pay for Molly to have a Braille display.
As a sighted person thanks for this comment! It makes so much more sense to me now! Question: can you write documents and things on the Braille display or is it more about reading things like the textbooks? Because that could help a sighted person understand it too like is it closer to a computer or is it more like a ebook reader like a kindle?
@@callabeth258 it really depends on the display. Some are fancier than others. Some are designed to just work in conjunction with a phone or a computer, but there are others with built in wordprocessors, Clock, calculator and even a way to check email and browse the web. They have internal memory so books and textbooks can be stored directly on the device. A lot of the ones with more complicated features are referred to as electronic notetakers rather than braille displays. Those are the ones that are like mini computers. The one Molly has, the focus, is strictly a Braille display.
I know I saw someone else saying they were going to use an air tag to find their cane when they misplace it, might be a place to put one of your tags if you ever lose your cane in your house (or wherever else).
Sighted person here- this is another one of your videos that makes me truly appreciate the work you do and sheds light on a world that I may never be exposed to otherwise. Definitely love seeing what’s out there to accommodate different abilities. I learn to much here, thank you for being you!
Even though I am walking with my guide dog I will sometimes pull the indicator cane out as people tend to think that I am just training her as "I don't look blind" lol. I am not sure what a blind or visually impaired person is suppose to look like.
A lot of blind people in the US wear a certain kind of dark glasses so I guess maybe they’re expecting that? It would impair someone who has some limited use of their eyes though (such as when you involuntarily react to moving objects but can’t see them, or if you can see lights).
I think it is just that we sighted persons can't imagine to navigate/move around without sight with such an ease the blind people do. Until I came upon Molly's channel, I also used to think "Oh, this person has a guide dog but he walks with such a confidence that he is probably just training it!". Now I know better :) But never would I interupt or not move out of way of a people with a service dog, even when the person with it is obviously sighted. Maybe it is because I live in Czech republic in Europe, we don't have ESA animals here and I don't know about faking service dog here at all. Maybe it's because we have a lot of dogs here so everybody is accustomed to them and some places are even dog friendly (or people would just tie their leash to something before the shop and go shopping while the dog is waiting outside - I don't agree with that, but lots of people do it...)
I found it interesting to hear some of the prices for those items. I think a video on the cost of items would be awesome because so often people are falsely under the impression those things are given freely or covered by government or insurances.
YES! The rest of the world needs to know just how insanely expensive a lot of adaptive products are. Most of these products are developed for a niche market so there is not much that can be done to bring prices down. In other words, there is no opportunity for using economy of scale to bring costs down, because the scale of users is so small, relative to the rest of the population.
@@jeffsyvertsen all true but most of the disabled population live well below the poverty line and the only way to obtain funds for those items at those prices is to fundraise the money so the market they are meant for can't purchase them anyways. So reducing the price point to a more attainable one for a wider range of the disabled population would actually be a great marketing idea.
@@DesMowadeng Excellent point. Thank you for bringing this up. I guess I've been living here below the poverty line for so long that I lost sight of that fact.
@@jeffsyvertsen whether or not that means you took offense to what I said or sarcasm is hard to determine in written text. Or for that matter it truly be blunt honesty of being below the poverty for so long you really don't think about it anymore. That happens when you are disabled...it becomes your normal and seems to never be able to be changed so you give up hoping it ever will.
The fact that you can use your fingertips/sense of touch to impart written information in the form of entire speeches and scripts to your brain for memorization is AMAZING the human brain is UNREAL. WHAT.
Not blind, Molly, and can tell you way too many cyclists don't give a fig about the rules of the road, let alone for plain, old, common courtesy. I recently got a book, "Show Me History: Helen Keller, Inspiration for everyone", it's a graphic novel.
Same, I've almost gotten run over by cyclist several times, as a pedestrian crossing in the crosswalk. Most don't know they need to follow the same rules as a car lol
I’m in the Pacific Northwest, so lots of cyclists. The hippies tend to be polite, but all the others are indeed assholes. They take over hiking trails and act like it’s made for them on clearly not bike paths. I get stopping is annoying, but that doesn’t take away the responsibility of safety.
Are use those bumper dots all over my house! You don’t have to buy the one specifically made for the blind either, they make those so people can put them on their cabinets and make them clothes more quietly. You can really find them anywhere like Publix or Walgreens or target.
Hear in the UK all gude dogs have a reflective green harness that they wear so it's super super visible what dog is a gude dog and what's not, compared to the brown harness that you have witch to me blends in just because I'm so used to the reflective neon green harness that's used in the UK 💚💚
We have similar in Australia. Official guide dogs have a blue vest and a lot of users have that as well as their working harness on the dog to help people see it’s a guide dog.
@@all_is_well_Mara Hey, so making fun of and pointing out people's grammatical errors isn't cool. You don't know who is not a native English speaker, who has a disability, who wasn't blessed with access to a good education, who is blind and using text to speech so they can't see which form they're using... or who was just in a hurry and didn't notice the mistake. Your comment doesn't add to the conversation. I hope you can find things to bring you joy besides pointing out other people's mistakes.
I’d like to know - as you can see glitter (depending on the light) whether you can then interpret a “colour” or shade difference between the glitters? Xx 😘
Thank you for making this video! I had no idea about ID Canes so I just ordered one! I don’t need a mobility cane, but definitely feel like I need some identifier at airports and other busy places.
girl jumping in to help Molly out. I think of a braille display as being similar to a screen. It's like the thing that let's us read without having to listen to something. It's so much less intrusive when you're in conversation and personally - as a foreign languages student - it gives me context that I wouldn't get from just audio (Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.). Yes, there are devices, like the braille note, that have so much more capacity wise. They can be used as stand-alone devices. I used one in grade 6. But something like the focus isn't good as a stand-alone device and wouldn't be good for note taking unless you were connected to another device via bluetooth or USB.
Full disclosure, I am sighted and I have no idea how to properly use a cane, but from lever knowledge I would actually suggest a cane with a heavier handle (especially behind the hand) to counter the new heavier tip. A lighter cane will have a larger force required from your wrist to move the tip the same amount.
Fellow. Lind girl here. Firstly, thank you for all you do for the community, you’re amazing. I’m so jelly if your smart cane. I’m in the UK and keep being told about it. Can’t wait for your video on it. I would describe the Braille reader as a translator. It translates words to brail after all. We have a very similar sense of humour. You can yell you’re Canadian, it’s a similar humour to the UK. Me and my family constantly take the mick out of my sight too. Every time I leave my dad’s house he says, let your sister drive lol
Miss Molly Burke, I have one of those it’s called a blue focus 14 well display. I got mine three years ago. And I also have from HUMAN WARE a braille note touch plus. So I got the blue focus 14 from Freedom Scientific and from HUMAN WARE I got a braille note touch. And I love them both I got the big one two years ago and I got the little one three years ago. They was both purchased by a company for people who are both deaf blind from a can connect. They paid for both of them for me and trained me on both of them. I am so happy you got a small braille display. Because that one you can just put in your backpack or your purse.
Hi Molly I think you are right about people not realizing you are blind when you are walking with your dog. In my town their are a few blind people with dogs and they often wear big sunglasses and the dog has a specific type of harness. If they did not have that harness and they weren't wearing sunglasses I probably would not even know they were blind. I do think one person also has a Cain. The only reason I recognize this is because someone told me once. So maybe it's a good thing that you mentioned it for people who do not know. Though I'm not sure if it will help anything. The only difference it makes for me is that I'm usually not worried about the dog jumping on me and I usually say "hello" and i move out of the way if they are passing me on the sidewalk. I've never had a blind person ask for help though.
Thats really interesting in relation to the ID cane, that’s not was I was taught. ID canes can also be used for people like myself who are legally blind and are at more familiar locations such as at a mall with friends where they don’t need a mobility cane. They can helpt to not run into walls or items and can help identify items or obsticals as well as indicating to others that the person is visually impaired. Thanks for this video though, I really needed these ideas!
The big thing that has helped me is the Ruby Magnifer. It helps zoom in on things and puts things in contrast so I can see. Basically a black background and displays things in white font. I use it mostly to draw and play Cards Against Humanity with my family.
I’ve seen some blind and deaf blind people say that they don’t like the Hellen Keller Barbie because Mattel changed her face, removing the droop that she actually had. I wish they had done an accurate doll.
Hello Molly. I have been watching your channel for a while. I am deaf and use very different tools. I am also in a wheelchair. However, in my active years as a social worker, I worked with a few people who were in the process of losing their sight and I had to quickly learn about all kinds of tools for them and refer them to locations where they could get training and the needed tools. It is still interesting to me what tools each person chooses to help them in their daily lives. I am now retired as a social worker and just focused on taking care of my unpredictable/crazy health. I do have a channel for wheelchair users. That gives me a healthy outlet. Take care and will continue watching. Liza
"I would say my purse, but Lord knows I have many." I have never related more to a statement than that. As a fellow Molly, I too have many bags. There's simply a bag for every occasion!
a girl i knew in college was blind and she used a braille display! It was very cool, we had an English class together! I was a technical note taker for her even through she took her own notes. but I would email her things like due dates and important tid bits so she wouldn't miss them. I also would guide her from our class to the next place she had to be which usually changed. all that to say molly, you taught me everything I needed to know on how to help someone who is blind and how to ask questions so that I could be most helpful! so thank you!
I have been partially blind due to ROP for over 13-14 years and there are basic accessibility aids etc that I never learned about that could have helped me so much growing up and as an adult. I was only ever given access to magnifiers which didn’t give me the help I actually needed or they simply didn’t work. I also didn’t begin learning braille until after I had graduated when I had started losing vision 10 years prior, but I only learned from A-H before being forced to leave the program because of how unhappy I was there. So I have never personally had access to a lot of these things and when there’s a mobility or accessibility aid I want or need, it’s on me to learn how to use it properly. So I am glad you were finally able to obtain your braille displays, I can only imagine how much more enjoyable and easier it’s going to be to memorize digital print 🖤
The I.D. cane is such a great concept to learn about. I have a disability that necessitates using a walking cane to lean on for long distances, and I need it almost every day... some days though I'm just going to be taking the train then sitting down all day, so I don't 100% need to rely on the cane and it's pretty inconvenient to only have one hand. However, even on days where I'm feeling better and not doing much physically, I'm now always sure to bring my cane (a folding one, so it can go in my bag) because it signals to people on the train that I'm disabled & will need to sit down/may need someone to offer their seat. Since I started realizing that the cane automatically signals to people in public, at work, on the train, crossing the street, etc. that I'm disabled even though I don't look it, I've been pretty vocal to all of my disabled friends to get folding ones for their bags! It helps so much to have the little visual cue that shows I may need accomodation. So it's so cool to hear that blind people have the same thing figured out with I.D. canes!! :)
Hey Molly! I enjoy watching your videos. I'm also legally blind and use the Focus 40 as well. With that said, I'd like to give you a suggestion. You don't have to take it if it doesn't make you feel comfortable. So, here it is. Since you mentioned in the video that you recently got a Focus 40 from Freedom Scientific and they also gifted you the Focus 14, I'd recommend that in your settings (either on your computer, tablet or smartphone), you set your Braille code to Unified English Braille Code so that you can slowly learn it. I'm saying this because I had no choice other than to teach myself this new code using this Braille display and I slowly became accustomed to using it. It's not too different from the Grade 2 English Braille code that you're used to but there are definitely some differences that you will notice and that will take some getting used to. Of course, everyone's learning experience and style are different, so while I managed to teach myself this code, this method might or might not work for you. Therefore, if you feel more comfortable learning the Unified Braille Code in the presence of a Braille instructor rather than on your own, I completely understand.
in the uk when i had O and M training, with a cane i did use a symbol cane (id cane) but i prefered a normal one as it was easier. Also my OM instructor said to do the same thing with the bikes!
I grew up in BC and got my first brail display when I was 11. There was a program called SETBC that provided all my special technology. I’ve never been able to afford one as an adult though and haven’t even used a computer in almost 10 years since finishing college and getting my first iPhone. It would be so helpful sometimes to have a Braille display!
Not gonna lie, sometimes I'd rather hold a strap than my boyfriend's sweaty hand. Especially if I'm falling off a cliff Lion King-style. #universaldesign 😂
Yeah. Had never heard about the straps until now and I am totally keen to get one. Especially for a longer walk I at times find a strap a lot easier to grip
My favorite was the Hellen Keller Barbie! Also wanted to tell you that I work as a dog bather for a groomer and today I washed a dog named Gypsy and she was blind! Some sort of spaniel, super sweet.
Omg I'm early for once!! I was just at Air Force BMT for 8 weeks and honestly, I looked forward to getting my phone back and watching your videos so much 😂❤ Love ya girl!
As someone with monochromatic vision (and is possibly going blind myself) I'd be very interesting to see how you describe grey, black, red, green and purple!
I think a reason people often don't realise your blind when you are out with your guide dog, in a dog-filled public area is that most dogs where harnesses now, due to it being kinder than clipping there lead to there collar and so people just mistake you for just having a well-behaved dog on a lead. Also in the UK I believe that guild dogs where a high vis vest that says guild dog so people are a where of that.
I was at target yesterday and someone’s “service dog” was growling and barking so so loud they had to ask the person to leave. It was so ridiculous all I could think is what would Molly do?
I'm legally blind. I've used the sticky dots but I prefer using the neon orange ones because they are easier for me to see. I have a friend who is part of the NFB (National Federation for the Blind). She had told me about the new Helen Keller Barbie and about the braile on the box. Thank you for showing her because I wasn't sure I'd get to see her. I'd love to see that new cane.
In Germany guide dogs usually also have a bright orange "vest" under there walking harness. That way you can see them better. Also you need a registration for service dogs as far as I know.
I absolutely adore the fact that you have a "fun cane." That phrase just encapsulates your personality so well; love, love, love it, and love you! P.S. How's Adrian doing? LDR is hard--hope all is well for both of you amidst these changes.
My mobility instructor told me to use my identification cane (the same as Molly explained)when I’m with my guide dog 🦮 on a busy path near my house, always navigating people bikes and dogs.
The ID cane is such a good idea. A cycle-walker accident would be a disaster. It pisses me off so much that you get guide dog discrimination. I used to work in a dental practice that had a lot of the staff from a guide dogs training centre attending. We pretty much told them they weren't allowed to come in WITHOUT their dogs 😂. Well, we highly encouraged it because we are all dog lovers, and we can see the obvious importance of guide dogs understanding medical practices.
I definitely recommend the Samsung Smarttag, there's so much you can do with one and you want to personally set it up. We use both airtags and smarttags depending on the item or use.
For the braille display, I’ve always said they were like mini computers. To me that is the hands-down best way to explain it to able-bodied people who do not need or know about braille devices. There is a difference between a braille display and a braille note taker. However, for both I always say they are like computers. And, I got my first braille note taker and or braille display in eighth grade. Many many years ago LOL. 18 years ago!!!
I have been legally blind for 9 years now and my ONM instructor told me to pull out my cane all the way when crossing streets so that cars can see me and know that I am blind. I never used a Braille display but one of my friends who is totally blind who uses one said it is like a small square/rectangle shaped device that provides tactile feedback in Braille rather than in voiceover. I love buying the clear bump dots for my laptop and microwave☺️ I am 26 and married to my husband of almost 2 years and I cannot wait to live in our place to make it more accessible!
I just want to say I love hearing about these cool devices and learning more about blind culture and needs. Please deep dive into them on other videos. Also, as I was watching this video I had a "be my eyes" app call which I thought was a crazy coincidence since you are the only blind TH-camr I watch :)
I am getting the the ramble tag guide guard for my dad. I think it would be better than grabbing his hand. He is in his 80’s and recently blind. I think this will help too with balance, as long as the guide is walking slow enough. I’ll let everyone know how it goes with him.
Hey Molly just wanted to know because I didn’t know for four months I was using the Omni cent tip and then I was taught that the outer wheels can extend once they extend it makes manipulation of the cane much much easier
I am not a blind girl but the brail displays are an option as a display or monitor for a computer. They allow for a blind person to read and listen to things because they can use the brail like a sighted person can read on a monitor. This leaves their hearing open to listen to music, lectures, or enjoy silence and not have to listen to computer voices all the time.
As a disabled woman, I too grew up as a bit of a Helen Keller fan girl. However, I do disability studies now and have since learned her history of eugenics.
Yeah, that part of her life kind of gets swept under the rug. She definitely did many things to break down barriers for people with disabilities, especially blind and or deaf people, and I’m happy that these accomplishments give people inspiration, but I hope people also spend time to research the things she did and said in her later years.
I love videos like this I find them so interesting. I found your channel due to being a long term diabetic not taking care of myself when I was younger causing damage to my eyes and I was terrified I was going to go blind so obsessive googling brought me to your channel. Thankfully my eyesight is fine due to having good diabetic control now and injections in my eyes to keep the damage already done at bay. A long story but had to say I love your channel and watching your videos helped me through a challenging time in my life! It was like having a friend talk to me. Sorry this is really long and rambling!
Totally love your sense of humor, because my family and I are exactly the same. I am disabled, in a wheelchair with a service dog and my godfather has dwarfism and we joke about it all the time. Recently at a shop my godfather (my mom's brother) told my mom not to forget her purse and she replied that he could get it, because he's closer to the floor. Everyone around us was in shock and was ready to yell at us for being rude, but this is how we joke around all the time. One of the funniest ones ever was when I was going through the halls of a sports complex with my godfather to where we had to be and a young kid shouted 'oh look mommy, that woman's child has a beard!' to which my godfather grabbed my hand and started skipping and singing. The look on that child's mother's face was hilarious! And I had to try my hardest not to start laughing. We just do this stuff all the time and the more creative, the better and people are shocked, but we don't care one bit. We're not changing how we manage our disability for others.
I also grew up visually impaired and did learn braille, but didn’t use it because I was too stubborn and didn’t want to stand out. So I wanted to do it just like everybody else on my regular school and used my remaining vision. At that time I could still cope, but now especially my energy levels are very low, due to all the visually compensating for years. That said, the last couple of years I’m trying to use my screenreader (NVDA) and braille reader more, which I also didn’t know the existence of until only five years ago. It was not offered to me as an option too when growing up and I don’t know why. I got mine via health care, but you can also get one for work or school. I’m very glad that this technology and also audiodescription and voice over do exist nowadays. Very glad, but it also comes with a piece of grief about what I could have had growing up in the ‘90’s and ‘00’s making it easier to watch movies and access information. There’s also a Dutch startup, Hable, that’s making a very small brailling device that’s as big as your phone. You cannot read braille with it, but the physical typing seems interesting to me, because the voice over screen braille typing is not agreeing with me atm haha Again, very happy that you and so many others today are talking online about having similar experiences that come with visual impairment adn so much more basic AF stuff! :)
In the uk the guide dog harnesses have a neon yellow patch that says that the person may need help Is also has guide dog written on the side . They are great Love your dogs molly !😍🥰
In the UK, DeafBlind cane is red and white stripes (large sections, not small stripes). So it is different to the US where the red is only at the tip of the cane. Standard guide canes are all white, with no red tip at the end. Granted most people still don't know that is what the colour difference means, even here in UK. I use both, but more recently tend towards standard guide canes, as people seem to understand that better as meaning Blind.
LMAO ! When I was in school a very long time ago cause I'm old! I had a teacher get really upset because I made a joke about being crippled and she FLIPPED OUT and asked me "How would your parents feel if they heard you say that?" My response was they'd laugh very very hard because they've got the same twisted sense of humor! We're Irish and Scottish being blunt is what we're good at!
As an avid cyclist, I can tell you that there are so many types of dog harnesses it is really hard to know. Also, I hardly ever see a genuine service dog so it doesn't spring to mind. I try to be aware, but help is greatly appreciated.
What COLORS would you be interested in hearing me describe from my persona perspective as a blind person? :)
The colors of the rainbow plus black and white please!!
The colors of the rainbow.
Mahogany & olive
I would love you to do pink or blue
Cyan and fuchsia, my favorite eyesores
I love how ur mom was like “oh, you’re blind? I didn’t know.” That made me laugh
I know my brothers forget that I am visually impaired.
Back when I could vaguely see that people were there, my O and M told me to hit their ankles with my cane on purpose if they didn't move. O and Ms are savage lol. I adore them all
That's hilarious! It will definitely make them move.
Seems like a totally reasonable thing to do to me! 😇
Yes! Mine too! I was so worried about hitting someone’s ankles and my mobility guy said “@&)) em’ swing away!! If they aren’t paying attention then you need to wake them up anyway. They can see you so if they don’t give you space, they deserve to get smacked. Lol.
I’m curious as to what O && M stands for !?!? If yu don’t want to explain I completely understand♥️
@@manduhm5112 Oh sorry, Molly mentioned it in the vid I think, I should have restated it. O and M stands for Orientation and Mobility. But we often use it to mean Orientation and Mobility Instructor. So my O and M is my orientation and mobility instuctor, the person who taught me how to navigate blind, and in my case use my white cane, but they can work with people who use guide dogs too.
Thank you for asking so respectfully
I'd love to see more about the braille display
Me too!!
Me too
Me too!
I wasn’t worried about the cactus, but I was worried about you setting your ponytail on fire 🔥 due to candle 🕯 xx
me toooooooo
could it be a fake candle? one of those with just a paper lit from below with an LED?
I was thinking the same thing 😭
Sameeee 😭🤣
@@lauranolastnamegiven3385 Nah, especially not with the matches kept next to them
“It’s this genetic defect from my parents because they were awful people and are cursed” omg laughed so hard snd have said very similar things about my genetic defect from my parents. If can’t joke about your situation what’s the point ?!?!? ❤️❤️❤️ you Molly
I'm not blind but we have loads of different chronic illnesses and mental health issues and neurodivergency in my family and the way we laugh and tease eachother would SHOCK people from the outside!
My doctor the other day I can’t even remember for what. But she was like we could try this or that, but you got the short end of the totem pole on the genetics, so we are just going to jump right into medications.
i tell my mom she did a bad job on me because of back problems xD i tell her her genetics are shitty
@@deniselisboa1 What kind of back problems? I am just curious, no need to tell me since I am a stranger
I only get my sarcasm from my dad; I joked with my mom that she's why I'm partially deaf, and she cried to one of her students... ... >,>
I’d love to know how you mentally distinguish different hues, for example: purple vs lilac. You do such a great job of it when you describe fashion it blows me away. I’m fully sighted and still this can be difficult
Lilac is purple
@@boop6169 that’s my point exactly! Lilac is one of many shades and hues of purple. As sighted people when someone says lilac there is a specific color that comes to mind that most people would see and agree it’s lilac. But if you just said purple, I would not immediately think of lilac. So I’m asking how she is so good at understanding the difference between these shades
Good idea Courtney! Perhaps lilac vs lavender, cyan vs periwinkle, olive vs sage, fuchsia vs bubblegum pink, etc.
@@courtneymackey9942 ah ok I gotcha. I was thinking you meant distinguishing them as two different colors lmao
I was like they aren’t two different colors. Ones a hue one other general description of a color.
But that makes sense. Ik her boyfriend can tell because he has enough sight to see color. But it would be interesting to have molly describe it
I second this! I'm mildy colourblind (red-green) and differentiating between hues is the thing I struggle with. I always find it interesting to hear how other people describe their perception of colours.
regarding the helen heller barbie, i'm a barbie collector and i have some tips! in-box barbies are great, but i find that they tend to... disintegrate easier in the box. the elastics get brittle and snap and can crust onto hair and clothes, the plastic limbs can literally decompose (i think this is only an issue with older babies), they get sun bleached... to prevent this, i'd recommend keeping her out of sunlight, in air conditioning, and if you can, carefully taking her out of the box every few months and checking any of the elastics on her, her clothes, her hair, and making sure she's still in good shape!!!
I am so glad you explained the ID cane versus the mobility cane. I've seen both in use and never knew there were different purposes. Since moving to a larger city, I've also seen walking canes (with the rounded handle) that have white and red stripes. I had never considered people who need a cane to walk with who are also blind or visually impaired. I've been misidentified as a blind person when I was with my service dog...at the oil change place after having driven my vehicle in. I am always a little surprised when I hear people ask how blind people drive. If only they knew how often rideshares/cabs discriminate against guide dog users.
i have a service dog (not a guide dog! she's for psych and light mobility), getting an uber with her is a NIGHTMARE. when i message the driver ahead of time to tell them i have a service dog (not required to do, but i don't wanna waste my time) they cancel about 75% of the time, and i have to find another driver. there have also been times where i have messaged to tell the driver about my service dog, and then they arrive... and cancel the ride and drive away once they see my service dog... it's infuriating! i have to be ready to leave at least 30 minutes earlier to account for the time that gets wasted by drivers canceling on me.
I'd love to see more about the braille display and the smart cane. I'm just so curious to find out how they both work to assist you in day to day life. This video was fascinating and really made me a bit more aware of all the different things blind people need to get around!
So today I saw a blind gentleman crossing the street with his guide dog. You are SO right. If it hadn't been for his ID cane my mind probably would have categorized him as a guy walking his dog. We have so much visual info to process quickly, especially when driving. My first thought was why was this guy Jay walking on a fairly busy street. Then when I processed he was blind, I realized he was crossing at a driveway, I bet his orientation got off and he crossed just a bit too soon. I stopped my car in a way to give him plenty of space and to block other cars from coming up around me. That ID cane was helpful for him and me, although it really does suck that it's necessary. Juggling the dog and cane can't be easy.
Part of the thousands of people watching Molly's videos without any connection to the blind community, but just because she'd amazing. Molly, as a fellow future veterinarian, I'd love to know how veterinarians can help your community and the guild dogs that come with you all!!! Love you so very much ❤
That is a very good question. How can vets help guide dogs be respected and cared for properly? How can vets help blind people get respect and praise?
My grandma used to use cute stick-on earrings for marking buttons on the microwave, laundry machines Etc.💖
Oh I love that! That's amazing and honestly so cute. And you can get the ones that are different shapes and depths! And for those like Molly who can see light/sparkles it might be a fun little way to spice up the home ❤
As an accessibility advocate, I’d love a video about the Braille displays.
I’m also interested in your experiences with city infrastructure for blind/low-vision (talking crosswalks, detectable warning devices, etc).
Are there any affordable communities that are good for low vision? I have little support where I live and really don’t do much outside of my home anymore because navigating on my own is scary and legit dangerous.
Random blind person popping in to say talking crosswalks are awesome first time I encountered them in a city it was so comforting and reassuring they're my favorite I wish they were everywhere
It's a shame that people cannot tell the difference between a pet dog and a working guide dog.
I feel like if you’re going slow you should definitely be able to tell the difference. If you’re going fast though I can understand that a quick glance may make the guide dog look like a normal owner and dog.
I have a service dog, even with a bright orange vest on people go “I can’t touch it so I want to”
@@Mothman.69 thats so uncomfortable like its obvious they arent supposed to pet them why are they saying they know they cant but want to
I think a lot of it comes from people with *fake* service dogs. Dogs who aren’t trained for any purpose, but their owner bought them a “guide dog” vest on Amazon so their dog can come to stores with them. Then someone wants to pet their “service dog” and the owner is all for it. It happens enough that people don’t understand that real working dogs can’t be distracted like a pet.
They can. I think many just don’t care. We live in an incredibly selfish world.
Idea: put one of the airtags on Lavendar's collar. Heaven forbid there's a fire, she might hide somewhere. The tag will allow you to find her and get her in her crate and leave.
Good idea!
If there is a fire I think Molly should get herself safe first and have a sighted person find Lavender. A fire seems like a really dangerous situation for a blind person to navigate. That's up to her of course!
@@flugansomintekomhem She lives alone. I can't imagine Molly just leaving Lavender behind to send someone in later.
Someone tested air tags on a cat and said they are kind of large and tend to get in the way of food and drink so it’s not practical for the cat
Saw a firefighter say its best to get yourself out. Most of the time cats will find their way out, and you might put yourself in danger trying to find a cat that's already found an escape route, and the firefighters that have to come rescue you. I dont know if it applies to every cat.
I have a permanent brain injury that causes dizziness and whatnot and I feel so lucky to have my regular stores I run errands in respect that and help me if needed. Since I look like a normal, healthy 25 year old, it was never acceptable to ask for help where I used to live and now I can run errands alone and feel independent.
I have watched your channel for years and it has motivated me and inspired me through my own challenges with my disabilities. Because I have 24/7 severe migraines I have taken some of your tips, since the pain will cause me to lose sight during the episodes (which could last days to weeks). I’m not sure if there is a community for those with brain injuries, but your content is what I have looked to, and I’m sure there are others who may not be blind and relate to your struggles. Thank you for making us feel less alone 💕
Put the cat one on lavender for when you can’t find her or when she’s in the closet 😂
You know that clever girl will remove it in some three seconds flat!
Yes!
It might be a little loud to be right on her neck :(
don’t you just always want a hug from molly? like you know it’s gonna be a quality hug
aww
@@MollyBurkeOfficial ahhh yes! hugs are a MUST!!
I am also blind, the things that I have gotten in the past month or two. Or the Qusori smart air fryer. So it syncs with Alexa and it’s really easy to use and clean. I also got the ewfy vacuum cleaner. It’s one of the robot vacuum cleaners that go around and clean your floor. It picks up dog hair like nothing else LOL.
I want a eufy. I don't even have pets. I just want one because I forget to vacuum a lot.
I just looked it up. I didn’t know that brand and I see it has a lot of positive reviews. I’ll definitely buy it
Does the Airfryer also work with Google?
@@TheHatter42 It sure does. You have to download an app called Vsync and connect your device. Just as you would if you got another google home mini or any of their products. Pretty simple setup. You only have to touch and hold the start button on the air drier and the rest you can setup with the app.
@@tiryaclearsong421 Haha! I at first only got it because my kiddos are kids! They are messy. Since they were doing virtual school, everyday the dining room would have, everything, on the floor! I love my robo vacuum! His name is Sven! I love him!!!
HOW DARE U HAVE YOUR OWN NEEDS 😂😂😂 I love that Molly great vid as always
You should use an air tag for your luggage when you start traveling again!
Yes please I would like to see that you describing the colors. Because I never ever was able to see colors. So I do not know what colors are. I’ve been like that ever since I’ve been six months old blind and never able to see color. So can you please in your next video till all your blind followers on how you see colors with your book? Please and thank you. Lots of love always❤️🤟🤟
If you want to modify your we walk cane, you can get reflective red tape pretty inexpensively online. I know we always want to make ourselves more visible and identifiable to the public.
I'd like to hear about hot pink, teal, turquoise, and NEON COLORS!
Would love to see more on the braille display! Seems super interesting
I'm glad you were able to get your hands on so many cool accessibility aids! The one thing I've noticed as a disabled person is the price of accessibility aids. It's like these companies think we make soooooo much money on our disability income🤦♀️
A large part of the reason for the prices is probably because they cannot mass produce these things like similar products that are for a wider market. For example, there are far more bicicles then there are wheelchairs. This makes bicicles relatively cheaper
@@christafranken9170 yep, it comes down to economies of scale and unfortunately the market for a lot of disability aids are too niche to benefit from those. I saw another commenter suggest the market might grow if they were reasonably prices since many disabled folks are low income. Personally, I find it another instance of desperately wishing for universal fair healthcare. If it’s too expense to produce and sell at a fair price, it should be supplemented as a necessity of life. We live in a broken world sadly that never really was whole to begin with.
@@frostyskeletons8950 agreed! The 'free market' simply doesn't work for everything
@@frostyskeletons8950 On the flip side, high prices can also be driven by the government buying things too because they can charge as much as they want. Just think of other things that have the cost artificially covered, like other government projects, government and loan funded college, healthcare paid for by insurance. It's a bit of a catch 22
I would love to see a video of how the Braille display works. I am so intrigued!
About the braille display. I would compare it to sighted people plug external monitors into their PCs. I would compare a braille note taker to how some monitors have computers built into them. Ones like the 24 inch iMac or an HP all in one.
What we use for my mom instead of the clear bump it’s is just clear cabinet bumpers. Super cheap on Amazon and sooooo many sizes, shapes, Textures of them.
We put them on things like the microwave and stove that don’t have physical buttons, so she knows where the numbers and settings are.
I use those too, super easy to get and they work well.
I was thinking the same thing! :)
@@Narnendil Yeah, as a sighted person my first thought was the little plastic bumps that you get with your ikea furniture!
Braille displays are a game changer. I think you’ll love having them! I got my first Braille display in fourth grade and have been using them ever sense. The school district purchased it for me. I am not sure why they didn’t buy one for you. They really made your life harder by not providing one, because I’m sure you had to carry a bunch of heavy braille books around all the time and with a Braille Display you can download them to a phone or computer and read them in braille. I totally understand what you mean about understanding things better when you read in braille. I like audio for pleasure reading, but when it’s something I need to analyze I prefer braille.
I’m not sure either, but my guess is that technology wasn’t as advanced when Molly was in school or the school didn’t want to pay for Molly to have a Braille display.
Even if the technology were there, perhaps her school/teachers weren't educated about the topic and didn't know braille displays existed?
As a sighted person thanks for this comment! It makes so much more sense to me now! Question: can you write documents and things on the Braille display or is it more about reading things like the textbooks? Because that could help a sighted person understand it too like is it closer to a computer or is it more like a ebook reader like a kindle?
@@callabeth258 it really depends on the display. Some are fancier than others. Some are designed to just work in conjunction with a phone or a computer, but there are others with built in wordprocessors, Clock, calculator and even a way to check email and browse the web. They have internal memory so books and textbooks can be stored directly on the device. A lot of the ones with more complicated features are referred to as electronic notetakers rather than braille displays. Those are the ones that are like mini computers. The one Molly has, the focus, is strictly a Braille display.
I know I saw someone else saying they were going to use an air tag to find their cane when they misplace it, might be a place to put one of your tags if you ever lose your cane in your house (or wherever else).
Sighted person here- this is another one of your videos that makes me truly appreciate the work you do and sheds light on a world that I may never be exposed to otherwise. Definitely love seeing what’s out there to accommodate different abilities. I learn to much here, thank you for being you!
Even though I am walking with my guide dog I will sometimes pull the indicator cane out as people tend to think that I am just training her as "I don't look blind" lol. I am not sure what a blind or visually impaired person is suppose to look like.
“Not sure what a blind or visually impaired person is supposed to look like”
😂😂😂
Nice pun!
A lot of blind people in the US wear a certain kind of dark glasses so I guess maybe they’re expecting that? It would impair someone who has some limited use of their eyes though (such as when you involuntarily react to moving objects but can’t see them, or if you can see lights).
@@soniccookie655 LOL I have to wear dark glasses all the time.
I think it is just that we sighted persons can't imagine to navigate/move around without sight with such an ease the blind people do. Until I came upon Molly's channel, I also used to think "Oh, this person has a guide dog but he walks with such a confidence that he is probably just training it!". Now I know better :)
But never would I interupt or not move out of way of a people with a service dog, even when the person with it is obviously sighted. Maybe it is because I live in Czech republic in Europe, we don't have ESA animals here and I don't know about faking service dog here at all. Maybe it's because we have a lot of dogs here so everybody is accustomed to them and some places are even dog friendly (or people would just tie their leash to something before the shop and go shopping while the dog is waiting outside - I don't agree with that, but lots of people do it...)
Usually their eyes are more faded out or crossed, but who can even notice that when you’re crossing a street?
I found it interesting to hear some of the prices for those items. I think a video on the cost of items would be awesome because so often people are falsely under the impression those things are given freely or covered by government or insurances.
YES! The rest of the world needs to know just how insanely expensive a lot of adaptive products are. Most of these products are developed for a niche market so there is not much that can be done to bring prices down. In other words, there is no opportunity for using economy of scale to bring costs down, because the scale of users is so small, relative to the rest of the population.
@@jeffsyvertsen all true but most of the disabled population live well below the poverty line and the only way to obtain funds for those items at those prices is to fundraise the money so the market they are meant for can't purchase them anyways. So reducing the price point to a more attainable one for a wider range of the disabled population would actually be a great marketing idea.
@@DesMowadeng Excellent point. Thank you for bringing this up. I guess I've been living here below the poverty line for so long that I lost sight of that fact.
@@jeffsyvertsen whether or not that means you took offense to what I said or sarcasm is hard to determine in written text. Or for that matter it truly be blunt honesty of being below the poverty for so long you really don't think about it anymore. That happens when you are disabled...it becomes your normal and seems to never be able to be changed so you give up hoping it ever will.
@@DesMowadeng No offemse taken...just being brutally honest! :)
The fact that you can use your fingertips/sense of touch to impart written information in the form of entire speeches and scripts to your brain for memorization is AMAZING the human brain is UNREAL. WHAT.
Not blind, Molly, and can tell you way too many cyclists don't give a fig about the rules of the road, let alone for plain, old, common courtesy.
I recently got a book, "Show Me History: Helen Keller, Inspiration for everyone", it's a graphic novel.
There is a neighborhood where I live that has a lot of bicycle users, and they are indeed assholes.
Same, I've almost gotten run over by cyclist several times, as a pedestrian crossing in the crosswalk. Most don't know they need to follow the same rules as a car lol
I’m in the Pacific Northwest, so lots of cyclists. The hippies tend to be polite, but all the others are indeed assholes. They take over hiking trails and act like it’s made for them on clearly not bike paths. I get stopping is annoying, but that doesn’t take away the responsibility of safety.
Are use those bumper dots all over my house! You don’t have to buy the one specifically made for the blind either, they make those so people can put them on their cabinets and make them clothes more quietly. You can really find them anywhere like Publix or Walgreens or target.
Anyone else worried about molly's ponytail catching fire as she flips her head back and forth right near it???
😬😆 never noticed until you mentioned it, now I'm gonna be concerned... 🔥
Hear in the UK all gude dogs have a reflective green harness that they wear so it's super super visible what dog is a gude dog and what's not, compared to the brown harness that you have witch to me blends in just because I'm so used to the reflective neon green harness that's used in the UK 💚💚
“Hear”?!? 😂😂😂
We have similar in Australia. Official guide dogs have a blue vest and a lot of users have that as well as their working harness on the dog to help people see it’s a guide dog.
I thought the same thing. I think there are also different colours for the different types of dogs.
@@all_is_well_Mara Hey, so making fun of and pointing out people's grammatical errors isn't cool. You don't know who is not a native English speaker, who has a disability, who wasn't blessed with access to a good education, who is blind and using text to speech so they can't see which form they're using... or who was just in a hurry and didn't notice the mistake. Your comment doesn't add to the conversation. I hope you can find things to bring you joy besides pointing out other people's mistakes.
@@HeidiJoy94 ❤️
the way your ponytail was hovering over that candle had me real nervous for a minute
Same
Same same.
I was literally holding my breath! Then when she said mama bee was not in the room, I was sure her hair was gonna go up in flames 😳😳😂
Same
Not a real candle ya’ll
I’d like to know - as you can see glitter (depending on the light) whether you can then interpret a “colour” or shade difference between the glitters? Xx 😘
Thank you for making this video! I had no idea about ID Canes so I just ordered one! I don’t need a mobility cane, but definitely feel like I need some identifier at airports and other busy places.
girl jumping in to help Molly out.
I think of a braille display as being similar to a screen. It's like the thing that let's us read without having to listen to something. It's so much less intrusive when you're in conversation and personally - as a foreign languages student - it gives me context that I wouldn't get from just audio (Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.).
Yes, there are devices, like the braille note, that have so much more capacity wise. They can be used as stand-alone devices. I used one in grade 6. But something like the focus isn't good as a stand-alone device and wouldn't be good for note taking unless you were connected to another device via bluetooth or USB.
Full disclosure, I am sighted and I have no idea how to properly use a cane, but from lever knowledge I would actually suggest a cane with a heavier handle (especially behind the hand) to counter the new heavier tip. A lighter cane will have a larger force required from your wrist to move the tip the same amount.
Fellow. Lind girl here. Firstly, thank you for all you do for the community, you’re amazing. I’m so jelly if your smart cane. I’m in the UK and keep being told about it. Can’t wait for your video on it.
I would describe the Braille reader as a translator. It translates words to brail after all.
We have a very similar sense of humour. You can yell you’re Canadian, it’s a similar humour to the UK. Me and my family constantly take the mick out of my sight too. Every time I leave my dad’s house he says, let your sister drive lol
Miss Molly Burke, I have one of those it’s called a blue focus 14 well display. I got mine three years ago. And I also have from HUMAN WARE a braille note touch plus. So I got the blue focus 14 from Freedom Scientific and from HUMAN WARE I got a braille note touch. And I love them both I got the big one two years ago and I got the little one three years ago. They was both purchased by a company for people who are both deaf blind from a can connect. They paid for both of them for me and trained me on both of them. I am so happy you got a small braille display. Because that one you can just put in your backpack or your purse.
Hi Molly I think you are right about people not realizing you are blind when you are walking with your dog. In my town their are a few blind people with dogs and they often wear big sunglasses and the dog has a specific type of harness. If they did not have that harness and they weren't wearing sunglasses I probably would not even know they were blind. I do think one person also has a Cain. The only reason I recognize this is because someone told me once. So maybe it's a good thing that you mentioned it for people who do not know. Though I'm not sure if it will help anything. The only difference it makes for me is that I'm usually not worried about the dog jumping on me and I usually say "hello" and i move out of the way if they are passing me on the sidewalk. I've never had a blind person ask for help though.
Thats really interesting in relation to the ID cane, that’s not was I was taught. ID canes can also be used for people like myself who are legally blind and are at more familiar locations such as at a mall with friends where they don’t need a mobility cane. They can helpt to not run into walls or items and can help identify items or obsticals as well as indicating to others that the person is visually impaired. Thanks for this video though, I really needed these ideas!
The big thing that has helped me is the Ruby Magnifer. It helps zoom in on things and puts things in contrast so I can see. Basically a black background and displays things in white font. I use it mostly to draw and play Cards Against Humanity with my family.
Just started the video and I just want to say, Mrs. Burke, you have a lovely voice. It makes me smile. 😀
I’ve seen some blind and deaf blind people say that they don’t like the Hellen Keller Barbie because Mattel changed her face, removing the droop that she actually had. I wish they had done an accurate doll.
Gasping..when Molly’s ponytail almost goes into candle flame!
Hello Molly. I have been watching your channel for a while. I am deaf and use very different tools. I am also in a wheelchair. However, in my active years as a social worker, I worked with a few people who were in the process of losing their sight and I had to quickly learn about all kinds of tools for them and refer them to locations where they could get training and the needed tools. It is still interesting to me what tools each person chooses to help them in their daily lives. I am now retired as a social worker and just focused on taking care of my unpredictable/crazy health. I do have a channel for wheelchair users. That gives me a healthy outlet. Take care and will continue watching. Liza
"I would say my purse, but Lord knows I have many." I have never related more to a statement than that. As a fellow Molly, I too have many bags. There's simply a bag for every occasion!
a girl i knew in college was blind and she used a braille display! It was very cool, we had an English class together! I was a technical note taker for her even through she took her own notes. but I would email her things like due dates and important tid bits so she wouldn't miss them. I also would guide her from our class to the next place she had to be which usually changed. all that to say molly, you taught me everything I needed to know on how to help someone who is blind and how to ask questions so that I could be most helpful! so thank you!
I have been partially blind due to ROP for over 13-14 years and there are basic accessibility aids etc that I never learned about that could have helped me so much growing up and as an adult. I was only ever given access to magnifiers which didn’t give me the help I actually needed or they simply didn’t work. I also didn’t begin learning braille until after I had graduated when I had started losing vision 10 years prior, but I only learned from A-H before being forced to leave the program because of how unhappy I was there. So I have never personally had access to a lot of these things and when there’s a mobility or accessibility aid I want or need, it’s on me to learn how to use it properly. So I am glad you were finally able to obtain your braille displays, I can only imagine how much more enjoyable and easier it’s going to be to memorize digital print 🖤
The I.D. cane is such a great concept to learn about. I have a disability that necessitates using a walking cane to lean on for long distances, and I need it almost every day... some days though I'm just going to be taking the train then sitting down all day, so I don't 100% need to rely on the cane and it's pretty inconvenient to only have one hand. However, even on days where I'm feeling better and not doing much physically, I'm now always sure to bring my cane (a folding one, so it can go in my bag) because it signals to people on the train that I'm disabled & will need to sit down/may need someone to offer their seat. Since I started realizing that the cane automatically signals to people in public, at work, on the train, crossing the street, etc. that I'm disabled even though I don't look it, I've been pretty vocal to all of my disabled friends to get folding ones for their bags! It helps so much to have the little visual cue that shows I may need accomodation. So it's so cool to hear that blind people have the same thing figured out with I.D. canes!! :)
You’re such an inspiration. Even though I’m not blind, you inspire me to move on and live with very bad eyesight. 😘
Hey Molly! I enjoy watching your videos. I'm also legally blind and use the Focus 40 as well. With that said, I'd like to give you a suggestion. You don't have to take it if it doesn't make you feel comfortable. So, here it is. Since you mentioned in the video that you recently got a Focus 40 from Freedom Scientific and they also gifted you the Focus 14, I'd recommend that in your settings (either on your computer, tablet or smartphone), you set your Braille code to Unified English Braille Code so that you can slowly learn it. I'm saying this because I had no choice other than to teach myself this new code using this Braille display and I slowly became accustomed to using it. It's not too different from the Grade 2 English Braille code that you're used to but there are definitely some differences that you will notice and that will take some getting used to. Of course, everyone's learning experience and style are different, so while I managed to teach myself this code, this method might or might not work for you. Therefore, if you feel more comfortable learning the Unified Braille Code in the presence of a Braille instructor rather than on your own, I completely understand.
in the uk when i had O and M training, with a cane i did use a symbol cane (id cane) but i prefered a normal one as it was easier. Also my OM instructor said to do the same thing with the bikes!
I grew up in BC and got my first brail display when I was 11. There was a program called SETBC that provided all my special technology. I’ve never been able to afford one as an adult though and haven’t even used a computer in almost 10 years since finishing college and getting my first iPhone. It would be so helpful sometimes to have a Braille display!
Not gonna lie, sometimes I'd rather hold a strap than my boyfriend's sweaty hand. Especially if I'm falling off a cliff Lion King-style. #universaldesign 😂
Yeah. Had never heard about the straps until now and I am totally keen to get one. Especially for a longer walk I at times find a strap a lot easier to grip
My favorite was the Hellen Keller Barbie! Also wanted to tell you that I work as a dog bather for a groomer and today I washed a dog named Gypsy and she was blind! Some sort of spaniel, super sweet.
Omg I'm early for once!! I was just at Air Force BMT for 8 weeks and honestly, I looked forward to getting my phone back and watching your videos so much 😂❤ Love ya girl!
Aww
Molly, this video is timeless. From Canada to all over the world, this is the way to spread awareness for the blind. God bless you, kid.
As someone with monochromatic vision (and is possibly going blind myself) I'd be very interesting to see how you describe grey, black, red, green and purple!
I think a reason people often don't realise your blind when you are out with your guide dog, in a dog-filled public area is that most dogs where harnesses now, due to it being kinder than clipping there lead to there collar and so people just mistake you for just having a well-behaved dog on a lead. Also in the UK I believe that guild dogs where a high vis vest that says guild dog so people are a where of that.
I was at target yesterday and someone’s “service dog” was growling and barking so so loud they had to ask the person to leave. It was so ridiculous all I could think is what would Molly do?
I'm legally blind. I've used the sticky dots but I prefer using the neon orange ones because they are easier for me to see. I have a friend who is part of the NFB (National Federation for the Blind). She had told me about the new Helen Keller Barbie and about the braile on the box. Thank you for showing her because I wasn't sure I'd get to see her. I'd love to see that new cane.
Molly, you are my role model! Thank you for being such a positive light to me!
In Germany guide dogs usually also have a bright orange "vest" under there walking harness. That way you can see them better. Also you need a registration for service dogs as far as I know.
I absolutely adore the fact that you have a "fun cane." That phrase just encapsulates your personality so well; love, love, love it, and love you! P.S. How's Adrian doing? LDR is hard--hope all is well for both of you amidst these changes.
My mobility instructor told me to use my identification cane (the same as Molly explained)when I’m with my guide dog 🦮 on a busy path near my house, always navigating people bikes and dogs.
The ID cane is such a good idea. A cycle-walker accident would be a disaster. It pisses me off so much that you get guide dog discrimination. I used to work in a dental practice that had a lot of the staff from a guide dogs training centre attending. We pretty much told them they weren't allowed to come in WITHOUT their dogs 😂. Well, we highly encouraged it because we are all dog lovers, and we can see the obvious importance of guide dogs understanding medical practices.
I definitely recommend the Samsung Smarttag, there's so much you can do with one and you want to personally set it up. We use both airtags and smarttags depending on the item or use.
For the braille display, I’ve always said they were like mini computers. To me that is the hands-down best way to explain it to able-bodied people who do not need or know about braille devices. There is a difference between a braille display and a braille note taker. However, for both I always say they are like computers. And, I got my first braille note taker and or braille display in eighth grade. Many many years ago LOL. 18 years ago!!!
I have been legally blind for 9 years now and my ONM instructor told me to pull out my cane all the way when crossing streets so that cars can see me and know that I am blind. I never used a Braille display but one of my friends who is totally blind who uses one said it is like a small square/rectangle shaped device that provides tactile feedback in Braille rather than in voiceover. I love buying the clear bump dots for my laptop and microwave☺️ I am 26 and married to my husband of almost 2 years and I cannot wait to live in our place to make it more accessible!
I just want to say I love hearing about these cool devices and learning more about blind culture and needs. Please deep dive into them on other videos. Also, as I was watching this video I had a "be my eyes" app call which I thought was a crazy coincidence since you are the only blind TH-camr I watch :)
I am getting the the ramble tag guide guard for my dad. I think it would be better than grabbing his hand. He is in his 80’s and recently blind. I think this will help too with balance, as long as the guide is walking slow enough. I’ll let everyone know how it goes with him.
Hey Molly just wanted to know because I didn’t know for four months I was using the Omni cent tip and then I was taught that the outer wheels can extend once they extend it makes manipulation of the cane much much easier
I am not a blind girl but the brail displays are an option as a display or monitor for a computer. They allow for a blind person to read and listen to things because they can use the brail like a sighted person can read on a monitor. This leaves their hearing open to listen to music, lectures, or enjoy silence and not have to listen to computer voices all the time.
I’m so excited I just ordered my Helen Keller Barbie! I’m hearing/visually impaired and it’s progressive.
As a disabled woman, I too grew up as a bit of a Helen Keller fan girl. However, I do disability studies now and have since learned her history of eugenics.
Yeah, that part of her life kind of gets swept under the rug. She definitely did many things to break down barriers for people with disabilities, especially blind and or deaf people, and I’m happy that these accomplishments give people inspiration, but I hope people also spend time to research the things she did and said in her later years.
I love videos like this I find them so interesting. I found your channel due to being a long term diabetic not taking care of myself when I was younger causing damage to my eyes and I was terrified I was going to go blind so obsessive googling brought me to your channel. Thankfully my eyesight is fine due to having good diabetic control now and injections in my eyes to keep the damage already done at bay. A long story but had to say I love your channel and watching your videos helped me through a challenging time in my life! It was like having a friend talk to me.
Sorry this is really long and rambling!
Hey Molly yeah I'm blind also and have a guide dog Plaza! I love your message! Thank you for the update.
I've never heard of a Ramble Tag! That would be so great for a lot of situations, especially long-term guiding vs. just a short sighted guide trip.
Totally love your sense of humor, because my family and I are exactly the same. I am disabled, in a wheelchair with a service dog and my godfather has dwarfism and we joke about it all the time. Recently at a shop my godfather (my mom's brother) told my mom not to forget her purse and she replied that he could get it, because he's closer to the floor. Everyone around us was in shock and was ready to yell at us for being rude, but this is how we joke around all the time. One of the funniest ones ever was when I was going through the halls of a sports complex with my godfather to where we had to be and a young kid shouted 'oh look mommy, that woman's child has a beard!' to which my godfather grabbed my hand and started skipping and singing. The look on that child's mother's face was hilarious! And I had to try my hardest not to start laughing. We just do this stuff all the time and the more creative, the better and people are shocked, but we don't care one bit. We're not changing how we manage our disability for others.
The notification squaaad is here 🔥🔥🔥🔥 BTW Molly’s ponytail is the star of this video😂. Molly and her mom’s jokes are so raw and funny🤣
I also grew up visually impaired and did learn braille, but didn’t use it because I was too stubborn and didn’t want to stand out. So I wanted to do it just like everybody else on my regular school and used my remaining vision. At that time I could still cope, but now especially my energy levels are very low, due to all the visually compensating for years. That said, the last couple of years I’m trying to use my screenreader (NVDA) and braille reader more, which I also didn’t know the existence of until only five years ago. It was not offered to me as an option too when growing up and I don’t know why.
I got mine via health care, but you can also get one for work or school.
I’m very glad that this technology and also audiodescription and voice over do exist nowadays. Very glad, but it also comes with a piece of grief about what I could have had growing up in the ‘90’s and ‘00’s making it easier to watch movies and access information.
There’s also a Dutch startup, Hable, that’s making a very small brailling device that’s as big as your phone. You cannot read braille with it, but the physical typing seems interesting to me, because the voice over screen braille typing is not agreeing with me atm haha
Again, very happy that you and so many others today are talking online about having similar experiences that come with visual impairment adn so much more basic AF stuff! :)
Brilliant! Very informative and funny. Happy ramblings and hello from Scotlands Ramble Tag team! 🙂👍
In the uk the guide dog harnesses have a neon yellow patch that says that the person may need help
Is also has guide dog written on the side . They are great
Love your dogs molly !😍🥰
I like to call it a "brown thumb" LOL.. Nothing stays green!! 😂😁❤️🪴
In the UK, DeafBlind cane is red and white stripes (large sections, not small stripes). So it is different to the US where the red is only at the tip of the cane. Standard guide canes are all white, with no red tip at the end. Granted most people still don't know that is what the colour difference means, even here in UK. I use both, but more recently tend towards standard guide canes, as people seem to understand that better as meaning Blind.
Your hair girl! While talking about worrying about hitting the cactus.. I held my breath over your pony tail hitting the candle!
The candle isn’t real…………..
LMAO ! When I was in school a very long time ago cause I'm old! I had a teacher get really upset because I made a joke about being crippled and she FLIPPED OUT and asked me
"How would your parents feel if they heard you say that?"
My response was they'd laugh very very hard because they've got the same twisted sense of humor!
We're Irish and Scottish being blunt is what we're good at!
The rumble strap makes me want to help someone hike bc that is my favorite thing to do
Love the Barbie! Hellen Keller is from Alabama and just 10 minutes from my hometown. We had field trips to her home when I was in elementary school.
How's your boyfriend doing? Are you guys still apart? I hope he's well!
As an avid cyclist, I can tell you that there are so many types of dog harnesses it is really hard to know. Also, I hardly ever see a genuine service dog so it doesn't spring to mind. I try to be aware, but help is greatly appreciated.