[blindlaw] Adorn the unused strap not your cane

[Steve P. Deeley]

Great e-mail Bruce!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce E. Naccari" <bnaccari at cox.net>
To: <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 3:08 PM
Subject: [blindlaw] Adorn the unused strap not your cane


> As former Legal Counsel to New Orleans Human Relations Commission, I used 
> to teach classes  on the White Cane  Safety  laws and anti-discrimination 
> laws affecting public accommodations to police recruits and  police 
> officers studying to  be examined for possible promotions. At least here 
> in the Isle d’Orleans, it is hard enough as it is to get peace officers 
> to understand and enforce and  the public to obey these laws. The long 
> white cane clearly identifies those who are entitled to the  intended 
> safety and  social participation benefits of these laws. In my opinion any 
> alterations or  adornments that  change the white cane itself will only 
> lead to confusion and make compliance and  comprehension and enforcement 
> even less likely in the long run. But: may I suggest, if you don’t’ use 
> the strap, why not use it too individuate or  adorn your cane? Depending 
> on your  taste, you might append  to the cane strap but not the cane 
> itself any number of sorts of things  : bear bells, religious pendants, 
> Native American medicine bags or feathers, a reticule like HRH Elizabeth 
> II’s, ludicrous rearview mirror hanging baubles,  bows, medallions—and 
> this will leave your cane itself an unequivocal and legally-significant 
> and reflective white. If I were you  though I would not append anything 
> from the strap that  makes annoying  clanking sounds as it hits the cane 
> during  walking movement or  in places like theatres restaurants,  places 
> of worship, etc. And anything too heavy  on the strap will destroy the 
> usual balance of your cane and make it give less intelligible information 
> to you. I have  used cane straps in this way during New Orleans Carnival 
> celebrations but not at other times; and whatever  bells and decorations I 
> hung from the strap left my long white cane  the clearly white it should 
> be.
>
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