Cardinal directions are a skill many have lost, but for those of us who are blind, they are an essential tool for independent navigation.
This is how I navigate using cardinal directions.
When I am walking, if my feet turn slightly to the Left or Right, it changes the direction I am traveling. My Left or Right is no longer where it was before, and without realizing it, I can become disoriented or lost. However, using Cardinal directions, I always have a fixed reference point. NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, and WEST never change.
Victoria’s Confusing Streets vs. Edmonton’s Grid
Living in Victoria, BC, my whole life, I learned to navigate using landmarks and memorized routes. The street names in Victoria have no rhyme or reason and are completely random. Our roads are named, not numbered, and a street may have the same name but be followed by ROAD, TERRACE, STREET, PLACE, CRESCENT, DRIVE, AVENUE, or WAY. Some roads even have five different names along the same stretch. It is confusing for sighted individuals, so imagine navigating it with low or no vision. For me mapping in Victoria was a challenge.
Now, I live in Edmonton, where the city is built like a grid.
Streets run NORTH-SOUTH.
Avenues run EAST-WEST.
I can now visualize where I need to go.
If I am traveling NORTH, the numbers on the avenues get higher. If I am traveling SOUTH, they get lower. Every road that intersects with a STREET increases or decreases by one, depending on the direction I am traveling. On the EAST side of the STREET, the building numbers are odd, and on the WEST side, the numbers are EVEN.
If I am traveling WEST, the numbers on the streets get higher. If I am traveling EAST, they get lower. Every road that intersects with an AVENUE increases or decreases by one, depending on the direction I am traveling. On the NORTH side of the AVENUE, the building numbers are EVEN, and on the SOUTH side, they are odd.
This grid system makes it easy for me to navigate the city and get around independently. Mastering Cardinal directions isn’t just useful, it’s an essential life skill.
Navigating with Audible Signals
For myself and those of us who cannot see the walk and don’t walk visual signal, we rely on audible pedestrian signals.
At intersections, the audible signals let us know when it is safe to cross and in which direction. The sound mimics chirping birds and has two distinct tones.
When you hear coo-coo, coo-coo, it is safe to travel NORTH-SOUTH and cross over the EAST-WEST running avenues.
When you hear cheep, cheep, cheep, it is safe to travel EAST-WEST and cross over the NORTH-SOUTH running streets.
Using The Sun To Navigate
The Sun’s position in the sky also helps me determine direction.
In NORTH AMERICA, the Sun is always slightly SOUTH, meaning it will never be directly overhead. This makes it easy to find SOUTH simply by noting the Sun’s position.
The Sun rises in the EAST and sets in the WEST.
By observing where the Sun is in the sky, I can determine both direction and time of day.
Mastering navigation through Cardinal directions, audible signals, and natural cues like the Sun is an invaluable skill.
“Having a disability has not changed who I am, it has changed my interactions with the world.” Gina Marin
