Alternative Mobility Device
Photo shows Dona walking with an AMD. It has two vertical 4-foot metal rods, each with a handle at the top and a wheel at the bottom. The rods are connected and held about a foot apart with a horizontal bars near the top and at the bottom (the horizontal bar at the bottom extends a few inches beyond the long vertical rods and curves back to the rods). "Alternative mobility devices" (AMD's) can provide as much protection (or more!) as a long cane, but without having to use proper cane technique. They can reliably detect obstacles, slopes or drop-offs (such as curbs or stairs) ahead of the user.

AMDs are often used by people (children and adults) who cannot use the long cane for various reasons, such as being physically unable to move the cane properly or being unable to learn to correctly use the cane reliably. AMDs are also useful for people who require advanced warning of slopes because of precarious balance. And AMDs are sometimes used for jogging, as they don't require coordination of the cane with the feet. However it is important to know that traditionally designed AMDs do NOT provide any support.

The first photos on this page show an AMD that was developed for research purposes by the Veterans Administration. It is not available for sale, but I use it as a prototype to determine if an AMD will be useful for clients and if so, what length is needed. Before this prototype was available, I used luggage carriers and 2-wheeled shopping carts to demonstrate to clients how an AMD might work for them. Actually, such carts and carriers have been used by some people as an AMD (if you use such a ready-made device as an AMD, be sure the wheels are far enough apart -- see below).

AMD's can detect drop-offs, as shown in the photos below.
Two photos show Dona pushing the AMD along the sidewalk and one of the wheels drops over the curb, which tips the AMD sideways, alerting the user. Two photos show Dona pushing the AMD along the sidewalk and one of the wheels drops over the curb, which tips the AMD sideways, alerting the user.

AMDs are more effective than canes to detect and anticipate changes in slopes, as illustrated below.
Photo shows Dona pushing the AMD along the sidewalk, approaching a driveway with a slope going down to the street to her left. Photo shows the wheels of the AMD in the slope of the driveway, which tilts the entire AMD so the left handle is lower than the right handle.


AMDs in Use
AMDs can be made from PCV pipe, customized for size, handle and wheel design as shown in the examples below.
Thanks to "An Illustrated Guide to Cane Repair and More" by Lynn Gautreaux for very helpful instructions to assemble the AMD! This book is available from AER -- order at AER's online bookstore or phone 877-492-2708 or 703-671-4500.


AMD for walking without pain

A woman holds an AMD made of white plastic pipe in the shape of a rectangle, with long sides and short top and bottom (the bottom piece extends a few inches to each side of the rectangle) with two wheels at the borrom. She holds the top like a person would hold the handle of a shopping cart, and the bottom bar is about a foot and a half in front of her forward foot. Using a cane correctly was awkward and sometimes painful for this woman, and she decided that an AMD would be useful. She wanted to be able to push it with a bar along the top (like pushing a shopping cart) rather than with handles at the side (like pushing a wheelbarrow). She may add pipe insulation along the handle to make it larger and softer, and pegs on the bottom so the AMD can stand on its own for storage.



Photo shows the woman's feet and the bottom bar of the AMD, which is horizontal to the ground and supported by two wheels. The wheels are about 17-18 inches apart, and behind the bar we see that as her feet move forward to where the AMD bottom is now, her feet will step within the space between the wheels.

Wheel position and AMD dimensions
It is crucially important that the distance between the wheels be wider than the space in which the feet walk, so that there is sufficient warning of drop-offs to the side, such as curbs. The distance between the wheels should be even wider for people who occasionally move their foot to the side to correct their balance.

The front bar should be far enough ahead of the user to allow sufficient warning of drop-offs, depending on the person's reaction time and walking (or running!) speed. The bottom bar of this AMD is extended to each side to increase detection of obstacles.




AMD for negotiating obstacles easily

Two photos show a woman walking along a hall, approaching the edge of an open door. Her left hand trails the wall and her right hand holds a cane with the tip on the floor straight ahead of her hand. The cane never touches the door, and she is about to collide into it. Two photos show a woman walking along a hall, approaching the edge of an open door. Her left hand trails the wall and her right hand holds a cane with the tip on the floor straight ahead of her hand. The cane never touches the door, and she is about to collide into it.

The doors propped open in this building create hazards, particularly when someone trails the walls. The cane does not provide protection and warn about the doors when it is not consistently used correctly, as demonstrated here (click here for an explanation of the stages of learning to use a cane, and the importance of full mastery of the technique in order to provide protection).

Three photos show the woman approaching the same door but holding an AMD instead of a cane. The AMD is in the shape of a rectangle with wheels on the bottom, and she is pushing it like one would push a lawnmower. Three photos show the woman approaching the same door but holding an AMD instead of a cane. The AMD is in the shape of a rectangle with wheels on the bottom, and she is pushing it like one would push a lawnmower. Three photos show the woman approaching the same door but holding an AMD instead of a cane. The AMD is in the shape of a rectangle with wheels on the bottom, and she is pushing it like one would push a lawnmower.

By contrast, the AMD provides full protection simply by being pushed ahead, without having to use proper cane technique.


AMD made by Eldre Boggs, COMS


Photo shows the woman with her left hand trailing a wall approaching a corner, and pushing the AMD with her right hand.




A lightweight AMD is easy to maneuver with one hand while still providing full protection, leaving the other hand free to trail the walls looking for corners and doorways.


Three photos show the woman approaching the same door edge she approached in the first photos, trailing the wall with her left hand and pushing the AMD ahead of her with her right hand. When the AMD reaches the edge of the door, it stops while the woman is still a few feet away from the door. Three photos show the woman approaching the same door edge she approached in the first photos, trailing the wall with her left hand and pushing the AMD ahead of her with her right hand. When the AMD reaches the edge of the door, it stops while the woman is still a few feet away from the door. Three photos show the woman approaching the same door edge she approached in the first photos, trailing the wall with her left hand and pushing the AMD ahead of her with her right hand. When the AMD reaches the edge of the door, it stops while the woman is still a few feet away from the door.

Return to Teaching the Cane and Non-Visual Skills
Return to home page