IATC Leads Youth with Blindness (Reprint)

(Note:  The following article was in a 2009 Alpiner issue. It has been edited to reflect current preferred language of people with disabilities.)

IATC LEADS YOUTH WITH BLINDNESS

By Doug Simpson

Sometimes it can be difficult to see clearly on a woodsy hike late in the day or during inclement weather.  Imagine how a trail would seem if you couldn’t see at all—if you were a person with blindness.  Several members of the Issaquah Alps Trails Club recently took six Korean and Native American youths with blindness and their leaders to Twin Falls on a sunny Sunday.

As hike leader Richard Mann asked, “How does one explain or lead when the word SEE is just incomprehensible?  As the old saying goes, very carefully. The whole concept of leading people with blindness was unknown to us, and this day we overlooked the ten essentials.”

The mostly Korean group was led by Sammamish resident Yang-su Cho, himself living with blindness, who has been hosting and coordinating activities for Korean students with vision impairment up to college age for six years.  He and his wife participated in the hike as well, and served as interpreters as needed.  They were accompanied by Mann, Steve Williams, Scott Semans, Dick Amidei and Doug Simpson from IATC.

After the initial introductions and pairings were made, the group set off with two white canes attached together.  The first was for the student with blindness to tap his/her surroundings, and the second was a tether or physical connection to a leader.

  “For us leaders, it was a very quick and necessary learning process,” Mann said, “to steer away from roots, rocks, etc., but most importantly away from the side of the trail and the ‘unseen’ drop-offs.”

Then the leaders were faced with the problem of trying to explain the sights along the way, especially the spectacular falls.  “For most of us,” Mann said, “it was nearly impossible to describe the wonderful scenery and types of trees and plants.  With the exception of Steve, we lacked the expertise.”   Touching the trees and other objects was one way for the youth to sense the trail.

“When we got to the falls,” Mann added, “all I could say was LISTEN and give a description without using that SEE word.”

According to Cho, the students had a great time and were very appreciative.  “It was good hiking with your group.  I look forward to having a similar opportunity next year,” Cho said.

“For us who do see,” Mann concluded “it was a great learning experienced to imagine how people with blindness experience nature without seeing, and it was great to give them a hiking experience.”