“I REMEMBER THINKING

IT WAS A NEAT THING

TO CARRY AROUND WITH ME.”

I’m passionate about technology, and the iPhone has opened up another world for me in terms of access, but this cane, with no components and nothing mechanical, has enriched my life in so many ways. I was probably four or five when a cane was first put in my hand, and I remember thinking it was a neat thing to carry around with me. When I was 16, I began using a guide dog, and over the years the cane has actually become a little more complicated for me. It’s allowed me to experience the world, but it’s also an object that causes people to see you differently and sometimes to assume that you need help, which can make you feel less independent. I still might use it to learn a particular route—where the bricks start or where two sidewalks meet—or just to have that tactile sense of where I am. This cane means a lot to me and it has its little place, right near my door.

~ Katie Frederick, digital accessibility specialist, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH