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

[stanley torow]

thanks so much for this info. i run a low vision support group & this 
will be interesting to them.
Eileen Torow


On Sat, Oct 15, 2016 at 07:58 PM, Gary Allen via CT-NFB wrote:

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. 

Infographic for Pinterest


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