Earlier this year, I needed to order some new blindness canes, and discovered that I could order custom colored blindness canes from Ambutech in a lot of my favorite colors. Since I love anything purple, I jumped at the chance to have a purple blindness cane, and ordered a few additional colors as well. Since then, several of my friends have told me how I walk much more confidently with my custom colored blindness canes, and have even ordered some for themselves. Here are my tips for how to order custom colored blindness canes from Ambutech, and a picture of my cane collection.
What are custom colored blindness canes?
Custom colored blindness canes are blindness canes that have been altered to have different colors than the traditional white or white and red canes that are common for people with visual impairments. The shape and functionality remain the same, but people may choose to add different colored tips or change the color of the body or bottom of the cane- or some people do all three! Since the white cane is universally accepted as symbolizing blindness, I chose to only customize the bottom color of my cane with the exception of one cane that has reflective golden tape- more on that later.
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Are they more expensive?
Custom colored blindness canes from Ambutech do not cost extra and can be ordered directly from the Ambutech website or by calling in a custom order to an assistive technology vendor such as Maxi-Aids. Some common colors such as pink, green, and blue are also available for sale on the Maxi-Aids website.
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Benefits of custom colored blindness canes
At first, I wondered if there were any benefits of using a custom colored blindness cane over my normal blindness cane, but I found that the small change of having a different colored cane made a difference in the following ways:
- Confidence- I was way more confident walking with a cane that had my favorite color on it than I did when walking with my other canes. My friend who was struggling to accept that they needed a blindness cane said that they were much more excited to show off their colored cane than they were their previous cane.
- Identification- When I bring the custom colored canes to conferences or with groups of friends, I can find my cane a lot easier and don’t risk accidentally picking up someone else’s cane, which has happened before
- Excitement from others- Children especially seem to love my colored canes and I love telling other visually impaired kids how they can get their own pink or purple canes.
- Fashion- Sounds silly, but I like matching my blindness cane to my outfit when I can.
Related links
- Incorporating Blindness Canes into Halloween Costumes
- How Do People With Visual Impairments… Guide Each Other?
How to order custom colored blindness canes
To order a custom colored blindness cane from the Ambutech website:
- Go to the “shop online” section of the Ambutech website and select the “mobility canes” option
- Choose the cane material you would like- mine is fiberglass
- Select the child or adult size, followed by the type of cane you want- mine is folding
- When you get to the cane customization menu, choose the tip you want- mine is the hook on roller marshmallow tip, though I also have a rolling ball tip that I love
- Choose the color you want for the main shaft of the cane- I choose white usually
- Choose the color you want for the bottom shaft of the cane
- Next, select the length of the cane that you need for your height- I recommend having a certified orientation and mobility specialist do this
- Choose how many sections you want your cane to collapse into, if relevant
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Available colors
Available colors for custom colored blindness canes on the Ambutech website include:
- White
- Red
- Pink
- Yellow
- Red stripes
- Green
- Gold
- Blue
- Orange
- Purple
- Black
My personal color combinations
I own the following custom colored blindness canes. Unless otherwise noted, all of my canes have a black handle and white marshmallow tip.
- White body, dark purple bottom
- Bright pink handle, white body, pink bottom
- Gold body, red bottom
- White body, red bottom, ball tip
- Yellow body with dark green bottom- not pictured, but these are my college colors and I use this cane at sporting events and when giving college tours.
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How others react
Since my custom colored blindness canes still look a lot like other blindness canes due to the white or yellow body, no one has ever accused me of having a fake blindness cane or questioned why it was a weird color. In fact, I get lots of compliments on my colorful canes from people with vision loss and vision loss professionals alike. Plus, one of my best friends ordered a matching purple cane when they saw mine because they loved it so much.
Related links
- How I Respond To Questions/Comments About My Glasses
- How I Respond To Questions/Comments About My Eyes
- How I Respond To Children’s Questions/Comments About Low Vision
Final thoughts
I love having my custom colored blindness canes, as they are an extension of myself because I get to show off my favorite colors, as well as an extension of my arms so that I can navigate an unfamiliar area. Even if you don’t want lots of different colors, I highly recommend getting a blindness cane in your favorite color if you are struggling with confidence or not using your cane as much as you should be- it really makes a difference!
