Many times as a blind person, you might get confused about where you are. This often happens because there is so much information to keep track of, even through touch alone. If you lose track of where you have been, it can be hard to re-orient yourself without assistance of other people. There is a method to use the cane in order to take in much more information than the usual way of swinging it.
There is a method known as three point touch to help with identifying things around you. This method makes it so that you will get a wide feel of things from left to right. You will start by tapping your cane to the far left. Then, reaise the cane only about one inch off the ground. You don’t want to raise it too high because this could make it to where you miss feeling things like sticks, rocks, or other low obstacles. You will then swing the cane to where it is pointing straight forward and tap down again. This is done because if you just went to the far right, you would miss about 3 to 5 feet of information on the ground. To conclude the three point touch, raise it for the last time and swing it to the far right to touch down. Once you’ve tapped to the far right the third time, you will have been able to feel all the information from left to right.
With this great method, you will be able to figure out information about your surroundings. Knowing even the most simple details about the ground can give you much clarity when searching for destinations with no sight. For example, if you use this and tap something that feels like a pole, that could tell you that you’re at a crosswalk where the traffic light is. This technique can go a long way in blind travel because you will be able to collect much more information than what the usual swing will get you.