The Art and Science of Teaching Orientation and Mobility 2013 Edition made Screen Readable for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons by Professor T K Bansal.

Not every student needs to use the long cane and the cane techniques described in this and later chapters. The O&M specialist will assess the student's current state of mobility functioning to determine the appropriate mobility device, as discussed in details in Chapter 2. For instance, for those individuals who have a residual vision, it may be more appropriate for the O&M specialist to recommend a low-vision monocular device and offer low-vision efficiency instruction. In that case, the O&M specialist would instruct the student with low vision on how best to utilize his or her remaining vision through visual fixating, scanning, and tracking techniques and exercises (Corn & Topor, 2010; Lawson & Wiener, 2010). For some of those students, it may be appropriate to learn how to use monocular telescopes for spotting distant landmarks, signs, and bus numbers, as examples. Their residual vision may be useful enough to locate and avoid obstacles in their paths, such that the use of a long cane would not be helpful.

Another group of students who would not be benefitted from using a long cane are elderly individuals with additional complications (e.g.,., balance and coordination problems), for whom a physical therapist may have prescribed a walker. These students might be living in a nursing home where there is only one floor and no obstacles to avoid. The prescription of a long cane would only burden and, perhaps, confuse the students.

On the other hand, there are many very good reasons for an O&M specialist to consider prescribing a long cane for her students. A student has no usable vision and needs to travel in novel and complex environments. Other students may have usable vision with good lighting, but as conditions darken, they cannot use their vision well enough to avoid tripping over obstacles and other hazards; a long cane and the appropriate techniques can provide them with protection and confidence to travel safely under any lighting conditions.