THE PHYSICAL COSTS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL BENEFITS OF TRAVEL AIDS FOR PERSONS WHO ARE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED OR BLIND

This study investigated the musculoskeletal consequences of using trav el aids, particularly white canes and dog guides, as perceived by 21 i ndividuals, aged 27 to 68 years, who are visually impaired or blind, T hese individuals experienced a variety of negative physical effects th at they either denied, ignored, or minimized because of the fundamenta l biophysical, psychological, and social benefits derived from being i ndependently mobile and because of the need to attend to environmental cues to ensure safe travel, The implications of these findings for mo bility training and future research are discussed.