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<DIV>Greetings to all!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>While I was reviewing the NFB website, I thought that the following
information was worthy to forward to those on the affiliate distribution
list.</DIV>
<DIV>Please review and share with others.</DIV>
<DIV>Keep well. Keep safe. Keep using your free white cane .</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Warmly,</DIV>
<DIV>Joe Ruffalo </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- </DIV>
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<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">The National Federation of the Blind has
distributed more than 64,000 free white canes since 2008.</FONT></P>
<P><IMG class=align-right
alt="A blind man helps a blind girl use her long white cane."
src="https://www.nfb.org/sites/default/files/image-content/programs-services/DSC_8147.JPG"
width=545 height=363 data-entity-uuid="0" data-entity-type="image"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The white cane gives blind people the ability to
achieve
a full and independent life, allowing us to travel freely and safely. We
started
our free white cane program because we believe that no blind person should
be
without a white cane, regardless of his or her ability to pay for
it.</FONT></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">Your gift of a white cane could not have
come
at a better time for me! My wonderful wife of forty-three years, who has
Alzheimer’s, has moved to an assisted living facility. The only place I
could
find to get a cane was a fourteen hour round trip for me and I can’t drive
anymore. What you have done for me I will remember for the rest of my
life.</FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE>
<H2><FONT face="Times New Roman">Request a Free White Cane</FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">To request a white cane, you can fill out
our
online application or mail a completed application to our office.</FONT></P>
<UL>
<LI><A style='href: "http://freecane.nfb.org/"' target=_blank><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Free White Cane Online Application</FONT></A>
<LI><A
style='href:
"https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/free_white_cane_application.pdf"'
target=_blank download=""><FONT face="Times New Roman">Free White Cane
Application (PDF)</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman">; please mail the
completed PDF application to Free White Cane Program, National Federation
of
the Blind, 200 East Wells Street<EM> at Jernigan Place</EM>, Baltimore,
Maryland 21230</FONT></LI></UL>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">Any blind individual in the fifty states,
the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico can request a cane for their personal
use.
Requests can be made as often as every six months.</FONT></P>
<H2><FONT face="Times New Roman">How to Choose Your Cane Size</FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">The canes distributed through our free white
cane program are straight fiberglass canes (i.e., not folding or
telescoping).
All canes are white with a loop on top of the handle and come with a cane
tip.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">For adult first-time cane users, we
recommend
measuring from your shoulders to the floor. The cane needs to reach about
two
steps in front of where you are stepping. The speed of your pace and length
of
your stride will make a difference. More experienced cane travelers may wish
to
have a longer cane, measuring at least chin height.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">For children, teens, and young adults who
are
first-time cane users, we recommend measuring from your chin to the floor.
More
experienced cane travelers may wish to have a longer cane, measuring at
least
nose height.</FONT></P>
<H2><FONT face="Times New Roman">Cane Travel Training</FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">Because we are committed to ensuring that
every
blind person can acquire the training he or she needs to use the white cane,
we
are proudly affiliated with top-notch model </FONT><A
style='href: "https://www.nfb.org/about-us/training-centers"'><FONT
face="Times New Roman">training centers</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New
Roman">.
The innovative training programs we have pioneered at these centers are
increasingly being replicated by other rehabilitation agencies and
providers.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">For more information on cane travel and
techniques, we invite you to read, "</FONT><A
style='href:
"https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/books/cfcane/canetc.htm"'
target=_blank><FONT face="Times New Roman">Care and Feeding of the Long
White
Cane: Instructions in Cane Travel for Blind People</FONT></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman">."</FONT></P>
<H2><FONT face="Times New Roman">More Information</FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman">For more information, please contact us at
</FONT><A
style='href: "mailto:freecane@nfb.org?subject=Free%20Cane%20Program"'><FONT
face="Times New Roman">freecane@nfb.org</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New
Roman">
or 410-659-9314.</FONT></P>
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