[Ohio-Talk] White Cane Awareness Day
Richard Payne
rchpay7 at gmail.com
Sun Oct 15 20:05:30 UTC 2023
Good afternoon,
I know that some people say that this list is busy but a great deal of the
information that members need is posted to this and other list. Most of the
time when I talk to members the questions that are asked to have already
been posted to one of our lists so in short here is another email with a
great deal of important information.
White Cane Awareness Day
The National Federation of the Blind celebrates White Cane Awareness Day
every year on October 15.
For blind people, the white cane is an essential tool that gives us the
ability to achieve a full and independent life. It allows us to move freely
and safely from place to place-whether it's at work, at school, or around
our neighborhoods.
White Cane Awareness Day is our way of emphasizing the critical role that
this tool plays in living the lives we want and informing the public about
its true significance. - NFB President Mark A. Riccobono
How to Celebrate White Cane Awareness Day
Organize an Activity or Event
On White Cane Awareness Day, and throughout Blind Equality Achievement Month
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/blind-equality-achievement-month/nfb.org/
blindmonth> , members of the NFB conduct activities in their local
communities such as white cane walks, film screenings, and social events.
* Work with your chapter or state president
<https://nfb.org/about-us/state-affiliates> to get the word out about your
event.
* Order materials like brochures and Braille alphabet cards through
the Independence Market
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/independence-market> .
* Email communicationsteam at nfb.org <mailto:communicationsteam at nfb.org>
for information about using the NFB logo and other branding questions.
* Email your activity or event details to web <mailto:web at nfb.org>
@nfb.org <mailto:kanderson at nfb.org> so that we can feature them on our
website.
* Connect with us on social media (Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind/> and Twitter
<https://twitter.com/nfb_voice> ) using the hashtag #BlindMonth.
Encourage Your Local Government to Issue a Proclamation
Anyone can encourage their local government to issue a White Cane Awareness
Day Proclamation. This is a great way to involve your local community and
educate the public about the blind. Please print out either the White Cane
Awareness Day Proclamation (HTML)
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/meet-blind-month/white-cane-awareness-day
-proclamation> or the White Cane Awareness Day Proclamation (Word)
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/word/white-cane-awareness-day-proclama
tion-final.docx> and share it with your local administration.
How White Canes Work
We use our senses of hearing and touch to explore and understand the world
around us. The white cane, in effect, makes our hands and arms longer, so
that we can assess the situation, and move quickly and confidently. The
white cane allows us to avoid obstacles, find steps and curbs, locate and
step over cracks or uneven places in the sidewalk, find doorways, get into
cars and buses, and much more.
What to Do When You See Someone Using a White Cane
When you see a blind person using a white cane, remember that the cane is
our tool to safely and independently navigate the environment. There's no
need to shout warnings or try to physically steer us so that our canes won't
bump into things. Remember that we are using our canes to explore what is
around us. If we need any help or direction, we will ask. If you are driving
or cycling and see someone using a white cane, you must follow the law and
stop to give that person the right of way. Here are more tips to keep in
mind when meeting a blind person
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/meet-blind-month/courtesy-rules-blindness
> .
The History of White Cane Awareness Day
While it was not uncommon throughout history for blind people to use a stick
or cane to navigate, society largely didn't accept that blind people could
travel by ourselves until recently. In the 1960s, the National Federation of
the Blind became a leader in fighting for the rights of the blind and in
pioneering innovative training programs using the white cane. At our urging,
the United States Congress adopted a joint resolution in 1964 designating
October 15 of each year as White Cane Safety Day and recognizing that white
canes enable blind people to travel safely and independently.
While the white cane does keep blind people safe (because drivers and other
pedestrians can easily see it), it is also a tool that blind people use to
explore and navigate our environment. For this reason, the emphasis of White
Cane Safety Day has shifted over time away from safety, and toward
independence and equality. We believe that it's important to celebrate this
history and recognize the white cane as the tool that allows the blind to
"come and go on [our] own" as President Lyndon Johnson said back in 1964.
To emphasize the shift in focus from safety to independence, and to continue
to use the white cane as a symbol, we have chosen to refer to this day as
White Cane Awareness Day.
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Richard Payne, President
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com <mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com>
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.
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