Motor Development

The visual impairment activity was very interesting and difficult at the same time. I learned that it takes a lot for a blind person to get around and now having experienced what they go through

, and I will be more willing to help them in their time of need. My partner was Rachel Lee, and she was a great help in leading me around the campus to retrieve my information.

The problem that I encountered the most was walking through

the doors and finding where each door was. The reason I had problems with this was because I didn't use my stick very well to feel around the areas that I was walking into. Rachel would hold the door for me, but she would let me feel my way through

instead of telling me where it was and which way to go through

. Another problem I went through

in the process was going up and down the stairs. You take for granted being able to see the stairs that you walk up and down everyday, and for a blind person, it can be extremely hard. I used my stick very well when it came to going up and down the stairs, I only tripped once or twice. The problem I had was I didn't know how many stairs there were, and I'm so used to looking at them as I walk, that I wanted to do it then and couldn't.

The distance of the walk was also an issue. I had to walk to the union and to North Texas bookstore. The walk seemed so long, yet I walk it everyday without the blindfold and it doesn't seem long at all. What made the trip so long was that I didn't know where I was going, which made it difficult. Also having to cross oncoming traffic was very scary. Not knowing whether or not the oncoming car is going to yield to you can be very nerve racking. You could get hit at any time. I believe that the main problem I had overall was that I kept walking into rocks that were on the ground, and my stick kept getting caught in cracks on the ground. That frustrated me so much, I had to develop a new way of holding my stick so it didn't get caught.

Finally, when I was the person providing support, it was a whole lot easier. I told Rachel which was to go, even though she didn't listen to me most of the time. The most difficult thing about being the provider is that you must notify the other person of every twist and turn that they come upon. It seems somewhat easy, but