Kidston International Mobility Service

04/01/2023

Welcome 2023 and a reflection of 2022
As we move into 2023 KIMS would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and say Thank You all for your support and friendship in 2022.
As you may realize by now, I am not a regular contributor to Social Media, but I love the challenge and opportunity to be a regular contributor to all things Orientation and Mobility.
2022 has been a busy and fruitful year, both personally and with respect to Orientation and Mobility and I give thanks for all that has been achieved, both for myself and for the clients we have supported. As always with O&M, and most things in life, successful outcomes take many forms, from small baby steps to enormous changes, all equally as important as the last.
We have provided long cane programs for accompanied travel, through to independent mobility; increased client's confidence and safety with road crossing techniques, both simple and complex; and taught many new routes from local walks around the block to travelling confidently between cities across the state. Other rewarding programs have included assisting clients to transition to the next stage in their educational development from getting ready for the first day of Kindy right through to learning large University campuses.
We feel so blessed to be able to be part of the journey people undertake and to see the change in people as they develop their confidence. This too can take many forms, from the slow dawning of realization that the long cane can actually make walking around the community easier, to sharing the excitement of young people just moving out of home and discovering there is a whole world waiting for them to explore.
We have assisted with all levels of independence from support worker training to travelling solo. What does Independence mean to you?
In addition to these O&M programs, KIMS has assisted clients with writing Adaptive Technology Reports, resulting in the successful approval through the NDIS of devices that can assist accessing the visual world while out and about in the community.
Committed to the Profession of O&M KIMS has proudly been involved in assisting University of New South Wales students to learn the art of O&M training and ensuring the future succession of the profession. We were part of a large uprising when the NDIS announced O&M would no longer be included in the current price guide, writing to the Hon. Bill Shorten, Minister for NDIS. This joint action resulted in the prompt reversal of this erroneous decision. KIMS is a proud supporter of the OMAA - the professional body for all Orientation and Mobility Specialists who continue to work tirelessly to have O&M recognized as a profession in its own right, thank you all.
And so onwards into 2023 we proudly go. If you would like to have a chat about whether an O&M program is right for you, please reach out for a no obligation consultation. We can be contacted through this page, via email samanthakidston@gmail.com or phone 0403 550 214. KIMS is located on the Sunshine Coast but we travel several times a year to Maryborough and Hervey Bay, and can discuss more intensive programs anywhere in Australia or beyond!

Photo 1: The legs of a man wearing blue shorts and boots on the left of the photo, a long cane is held out in front of him. In the background two black swans and two grey cygnets (baby swans) swim on a lake with a grassy shore. It was amazing to watch these guys get older with each long cane lesson!
Photo 2: Steps lead down to an area paved with white tiles. 4 purple scooters can be seen blocking the path just at the bottom of the steps. A one way street with a white Ute parked at the curb can be seen in the background. This hazard provided a good opportunity to teach some self advocacy as they were reported to the council.
Photo 3: Image of a tactile map made to demonstrate the way blocks were set out in the student's neighborhood. We were learning map reading and how streets changed names as you turned the corner. The background of the map is black and the streets are shown with white and yellow stripes. The client's house and the house of a friend are shown with a red triangle and pink circle.
Photo 4: 5 University students are lined up with their backs to a wall. All have long canes out in front. These lessons were taught with Vickie Anderson & Associates and Vickie is facing the students and talking. A road with traffic lights can be seen on the far left of the image.

15/10/2022

Happy International White Cane Day everyone!
Today we celebrate a simple, timeless aid that brings so much freedom to so many people around the world.
People like this young lad who was so excited to be learning the cane that he wasn't content just to use his own, but demanded he use mine as well!! Providing identification, a chance to improve the use of any residual vision, detecting wayfinging information and alerting users to dangers on the path, this wonderful aid is worth the international celebration awarded to it.
We take our hats off to all white (or multicoloured) cane users out there and celebrate you today!
If you think this aid could benefit you, please contact us at KIMS to talk it over and discuss a trial.
Happy IWCD!!!!
Photo: a young boy facing the camera on a footpath with green nature strip on the left. He is wearing blue pants, a yellow top and sunglasses. In one hand he has his appropriately sized Bevria cane, with a black handle, white shaft with red section at the bottom and large white Supa Ball tip. In his other, which is held at head height, is a very long 50 inch Ambutech No Jab white cane with red handle and marshmallow tip. His father observes from behind with a coffee in his hand.

25/06/2022

Thanks Errol, for such a comprehensive outline of this breaking news.....
This is a serious concern for everyone who receives O&M services through the NDIS.
We thank the tireless efforts of those in the OMAA Professional Standards Committee and everyone else who has been working to have the O&M profession recognized by the NDIA. Rather than acknowledging the essential role O&M can play for people living with Low Vision and Blindness, it appears that the NDIA are moving towards not recognizing the profession AT ALL.
Please follow this closely as no doubt, as Errol says, this is just the beginning of an important journey to urgently have O&M reinstated as a valid service under the NDIS.

14/03/2022

Some great tips here, and a really interesting link to a page that advertises accessible accommodation, thanks Vacayit!

Raise your hand if you've ever had a bad experience while travelling 🙋🏽‍♀️

It's something we all dread but it's an unfortunate reality of tourist life... and it's even worse when accessibility becomes an issue. Luckily, we've put together a few of our favourite tips to make sure your holiday is as accessible as possible! Now all you need to worry about is lost luggage...

Check out our latest accessible tourism blog for all the tips you need to plan your dream accessible holiday:
https://www.vacayit.com/blog/plan-your-blind-and-low-vision-holiday



[Image description: "Plan your dream holiday" written in large pale pink and dark yellow text. The background is black, with overlapping light pink and dark yellow circles in the top left corner and bottom right corner of the image. The black VacayIt logo is centred at the bottom of the image]

24/02/2022

Kidston International Mobility Service is located on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland - not a bad place to be! We can, however, by negotiation, offer services right across Australia, or indeed, as our name suggests, the world!
Recently, we travelled to a small town in central New South Wales and spent a week providing an orientation program for Colin, an NDIS participant who had moved to the area. We set up a local exercise walk, learnt the route to the local shops and the bus into town. We had great success negotiating with the local council to get some trees cut back to improve access on the footpaths. It was a rewarding week for the Instructor and client.
If you live in a remote area and think Orientation and Mobility Services might be for you, please be in touch to see if we can assist, or help you to find locally based Certified Orientation and Mobility Instructors. Happy Travels!

Photo 1: A view of Colin from behind. He is walking on the grass footpath with the road to the left. His cane can be seen arcing to the left and he is wearing a khaki short sleeved shirt, grey shorts and a straw hat with a red band. In front of him is a large overgrown tree blocking the footpath (which the council subsequently cut back)
Photo 2: A view of Colin from his shoulders to his knees. He is almost side-on to the camera, wearing a red and blue checked shirt and brown shorts. He is holding his cane and miniguide. Colin is standing evaluating traffic at the T intersection he will learn to cross. The corner he is standing at has no footpath or pram ramp, and a broken gutter edge which was also reported to the council.

06/02/2022

Check out this great Braille Music Camp that is being offered in Brisbane in April 2022. Clients who have been to previous camps always rave about their experiences. It's a great way to develop your creative musical skills and network and meet other people. Who knows, maybe even form some life long friendships!

Variety Braille Music Camp Proudly presented and managed by Dotted Beats Pty Ltd Registrations Now Open Saturday 2nd – Tuesday 5th April 2022 St Joseph’s Nudgee College, 2199 Sandgate Rd, Boondall QLD Registration fees can be reimbursed by NDIS Variety Braille Music Camp has been designed to off...

15/10/2021

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WHITE CANE DAY EVERYONE!!!!
IWCD is celebrated all around the world on the 15th October.
It is a chance to celebrate the achievements of people living with blindness and low vision. The cane itself is celebrated as an amazing mobility aid, which can assist in giving confidence and independence to those who use it. It assists in detecting obstacles in front of the walker, as well as drop offs and ground surface changes. It allows the user to stand tall and proud, using any residual vision and hearing to the best of their ability and provides valuable identification.
But IWCD also celebrates the cane as a symbol of that independence, and the hard work that people put into training as they develop and maintain a huge variety of skills to overcome obstacles and barriers in their lives relating to their vision impairment.
Funnily enough, these days, many people are moving away from the traditional white cane, and personalizing their cane with a wide range of color options and combinations. While the color white is still recognized Internationally as the symbol for vision impairment, and still the most effective for identification, there is no reason not to color coordinate these days, and accessorize your cane! I wonder if one day it will be the International Colored Cane Day?
A huge shout out to all those clients I have seen dedicate time and energy to learn and improve skills in order to live life on their terms, Happy IWCD!! .
The picture shows a range of canes, tips and holsters available from Ambutech. Colors include a dark blue and gold cane with light blue handle, a red and yellow cane with a wooden handle, an all white cane with a black handle, a purple and green cane with a light green handle, an all black cane with a cork handle, a white ID cane and a pink and red striped slimline cane with a black handle. Two holsters, one blue and one pink, and some loose tips are also present.

18/08/2021

At KIMS, we recognize the importance of working out the correct Sunglasses for each individual in each situation. Glare can be a significant factor in how well a person can or cannot see and is significantly more problematic for most people with low vision. Whether it is in the supermarket, inside your home, outside on a cloudy or a sunny day, the right pair of sunglasses can often significantly improve comfort levels and clarity of vision, even if there is no prescription! This is because the glasses change the contrast of what you are looking at, which can make things easier to see. This should be the first step in any program, to ensure that residual vision is maximised before further rehabilitation strategies are determined.
We have a range of NoiR sunglasses, with several styles and around 40 different colours to trial, so please contact us if you feel this could be something that can assist you.
Photo 1 shows a blonde lady in a white tee shirt looking out from her verandah across her lawn. She is looking away from the camera and the image is taken from over her left shoulder. She is holding a pair of blue framed prescription glasses and has a range of NoiR sunglasses spread out on the table in front of her. On the far right, her german shepherd is sleeping on the verandah in the sun.
Photo 2 shows 9 of the sunglasses spread out on a table as well as the 'Ring Set' which consists of coloured disks you can look through to indicate the sunglass colours available. The Sunglasses on display are a range of different styles and colours from light to dark grey, red, orange and purple.

13/07/2021

Collaboration with other service providers, is the key to providing a wholistic service to our clients. A great afternoon was spent on Monday with Vickie Anderson & Associates brainstorming O&M ideas, discussing new products available and getting a much needed lesson from Vickie on how to use Facebook! Thanks Vickie!
For those that don't know, Vickie Anderson and Associates is one of Australia's leading experts in providing rehabilitation services for people who are Blind or Vision Impaired, with many services including Orientation and Mobility, Occupational Therapy, Braille Instruction, Counselling and more. And she is right here in Brisbane - check them out!!