[Ct-nfb] Little known facts about the iconic White Cane

Gary Allen garyallenct at gmail.com
Sat Oct 15 23:58:23 UTC 2016


10 fascinating facts about the white cane
To celebrate National White Cane Safety Day, here are some little-known
facts about the iconic white cane






October 15, 2015
BILL WINTER

Tap tap tap. That’s the sound of independence.

That’s the sound of people with visual impairments around the United States
– and all over the world – using a white cane to confidently navigate to
work, around their neighborhoods or to wherever their plans take them.

There’s no better day to celebrate the power of the white cane than October
15 – White Cane Safety Day
<http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/white-cane-safety-day>.  It’s the
day set aside by the federal government to recognize the independence and
skill of people who use white canes. It’s also a reminder that laws in all
50 states require drivers to yield the right of way to people with white
canes, even when they’re not on a crosswalk.

In honor of White Cane Safety Day, here are 10 quirky facts about the white
cane:

   1. Yes, it’s legal to take a white cane through security at an airport
   <http://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures>, according to the TSA,
   but it has to go through the X-ray machine.
   2. White canes are white because of George A. Bonham
   <http://www.lionsclubs.org/resources/EN/pdfs/iad413.pdf>. In 1930,
   Bonham, president of the Peoria Lions Club (Illinois), watched a man who
   was blind attempting to cross a street. The man’s cane was black and
   motorists couldn’t see it, so Bonham proposed painting the cane white with
   a red stripe to make it more noticeable. The idea quickly caught on around
   the country.
   3. White canes are going high-tech. Inventors in India
   <http://assistech.iitd.ernet.in/smartcane.php>, Great Britain
   <https://www.ultracane.com/>and France <http://handisco.com/en/> have
   equipped white canes with ultrasonic devices that detect obstacles up to
   nine feet away. Vibrations in the cane’s handle warn users of potential
   hazards in their path.
   4. The standard technique for using a white cane
   <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_cane#History> was pioneered in 1944
   by Richard E. Hoover, a World War II veteran rehabilitation specialist. His
   technique of holding a long cane in the center of the body and swinging it
   back and forth before each step to detect obstacles is still called the
   “Hoover Method.”
   5. Most people who are visually impaired don’t use a white cane. In
   fact, only an estimated 2 percent
   <http://www.dsb.wa.gov/resources/dispellingmyths.shtml> to 8 percent
   <http://www.whitecaneday.org/canes/> do. The rest rely on their useable
   vision, a guide dog or a sighted guide.
   6. There are actually three different kinds of white canes
   <https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/blind/whitecane/information.htm>. There’s
   the standard mobility cane, used to navigate. There’s the support cane,
   used by people with visual impairments who also have mobility challenges.
   And there’s the ID cane, a small, foldable cane used by people with partial
   sight to let others know they have a visual impairment.
   7. Unless you’re willing to “walk the walk,” you can’t become a
   certified Orientation & Mobility specialist. O&M specialists teach white
   cane technique to people who are blind, but to become certified, you
   must spend at least 120 hours blindfolded
   <http://www.perkins.org/stories/magazine/oandm-specialists-walk-in-their-students-shoes>,
   navigating with a white cane.
   8. Today’s modern, lightweight canes
   <http://www.visionaware.org/info/everyday-living/essential-skills/an-introduction-to-orientation-and-mobility-skills/what-type-of-cane-should-i-use/1235>
are
   usually made from aluminum, fiberglass or carbon fiber, and can weigh as
   little as seven ounces. Some white cane users prefer straight canes, which
   are more durable, while others prefer collapsible canes, which can be
   folded and stored more easily.
   9. White caning can be fun. The Braille Institute sponsors an annual Cane
   Quest <http://www.brailleinstitute.org/cane-quest-home.html>, where
   youngsters aged 3-12 compete to quickly and safely navigate a route in
   their community using their white canes. The contest helps kids master
   proper white cane techniques and encourages independence.
   10. In some states, it’s illegal for a person who is not legally blind
   <http://acb.org/whitecane>to use a white cane to gain right-of-way while
   crossing a street. Get caught in Florida, for example, and you’ll face
   second-degree misdemeanor charges and up to 60 days in prison.

[image: Infographic for Pinterest]
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