This is an OPEN LETTER TO EARLY INTERVENTION FOR THE BLIND PROVIDERS – PLEASE READ AND LEARN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFE MOBILITY TO ACHIVING DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL IN BLIND CHILDREN UNDER FIVE Bodily collisions should not be the cost of independence, no matter the age of the learner. Now that you know you must do something different from now on- you can’t walk away from a blind person who lives in unsafe mobility world. The importance of safe mobility is well understood by sighted people. Sighted people do not like to walk in the dark-because that’s the very definition of unsafe mobility: Hence the candles, flashlights, overhead lights, street lamps, and iPhone flashlights that are always close at hand. Have you used the iPhone flashlight to view a darkened path ahead, that’s changing an unsafe mobility situation into a safe mobility situation. Safe mobility is preferred to unsafe mobility always. Even in the most familiar of places, like your home you turn on the lights, because no one likes to bump into stuff with their body. Nobody. Nowhere. NOT EVEN BLIND TODDLERS. When the light doesn’t help you see, then the long cane can be an effective safe mobility tool-but only when used correctly. The long white cane must be moved back and forth on the path ahead of each step. In this way the long white cane cushions the blow and provides information about the nature of the path ahead of the user. Kids under five are not able to use a long cane for safe mobility, because just holding a long cane does not provide the user with safe mobility. the cane must be moved back and forth in front of each step. When a child under five holds the long cane off the ground, behind or way off to the side it does not provide any safe mobility. Therefore, even when holding a long cane, blind kids under five live in a state of unsafe mobility. The state of unsafe mobility is not a nurturing place. Blind toddlers, like everybody else in the world, do not enjoy bumping into stuff or sudden obstacle conflicts. Safe Toddles wearable cane is the first solution to the problem of unsafe mobility inherent in learning to walk without visual next step warning. Wearable white canes are currently provided free to learners five and under with severe visual impairment and blindness. Free canes are provided through donations. To help support our mission for safe mobility or to learn more and see videos of blind toddlers in action wearing their canes go to <https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.safetoddles.org%2F&h=AT21aGEvL00irutE0m6FsaXPMXzb1XdnX5G73A8e5FsBdp9ATX4sDdQHfjk3TORwrSCeAfV0KFmI4ioHmpa2Gy6oKDyex7VIRd-VSwonyFDRDIuplSKueiY> www.safetoddles.org The elephant in the room is that is it unsafe to walk when you can’t see where you are going. Duh. NOW THAT YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T WALK AWAY FROM IT – FIX IT- FIND A SOLUTION. Grace