One of the most important parts of learning to use the cane is crossing the road. By using the sound from traffic, there will be a clear understanding of when you can cross the road. After finding an intersection with the sense of touch, you can then discern what direction to face exactly before crossingTo find an intersection, walk to the end of the sidewalk. The end can be recognized by listening to traffic that is going in front of you from left to right. Another good marker is using truncated domes that feel like bumps at the end of the sidewalk. When there are no domes, a great way to know is that the road to stop at will feel very rough compared to the sidewalk.
Once the crossing has been found, use parallel traffic to face the correct direction. Make sure that this sound of traffic is going straight ahead of you and not diagonal to the left or right. When you are completely lined up, listen to traffic beside you to know when it is safe to cross. When you are lined up well use the sound of parallel traffic to know the right time to cross. To know when it is safe to cross, listen for parallel traffic. This will indicate when you can cross but, there could also be turning traffic. For the turnig lane, always listen for the traffic to your side to go ahead for a couple seconds. When this turning stops, that indicates that it is your time to cross but be sure that the turning has stopped completelyOnce the traffic at your side is going in a straight line, use this as an auditory guide to walk beside so you can go forward without turning. If you hear that you’re getting closer then you need to turn away from it slightly, realigning yourself with the flow of traffic. however, if you hear that you are going away from it, turn back towards parallel traffic a little, being sure not to turn into it.
To know that you are on the other side of the street, there are three indicators for this. The easiest way to tell is that you may find truncated domes at the end of the sidewalk that feel like bumps. If there are no domes to indicate this, use the texture of the road to compare to the side walk. You will feel lots of friction in your cane suddenly become smooth, indicating the beginning of the sidewalk. When you are back on the sidewalk, line yourself up with parallel traffic to ensure that you are facing straight forward.
With practice, you will learn the skill of crossing the road even though you cannot see. Using sound and your cane, you will be able to identify where any crossing is Over time, this will become natural and you will know when to cross without hesitation.