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This Community Newspaper is a weekly publication of Escambia Santa/Rosa Bar Association Page 1 Vol. 15, No. 36 VISIT THE SUMMATION WEEKLY ONLINE: www.esrba.com September 8, 2015
4 Pages
What the Heck is White Cane Day? By: Ardye Graham
What the heck is White Cane Day? About this time last year, I asked myself the same question. The answer, although enlightening and educational, was not what I expected. I am ready to share the answer with you. In 1921, a photographer from Bristol, England, had an accident that left him blind. Although using a walking stick was helpful, it did not quite his fears of being hit when navigating the streets of his town. To make himself more visible, he painted his walking stick white . In 1930, the then president of the Peoria (Illinois) Lions Club, having learned of the painted walking stick, presented the idea to his fellow club members of painting a red band on the white cane as a means of making the visually impaired more recognizable. The idea was approved and the club had white canes with red bands made and distributed in their area. The Peoria City Council followed suit by adopting an ordinance giving the right-of-way to cross the street to anyone bearing the distinctive cane. The news of Peoria’s movement spread throughout the nation and the special cane was overwhelmingly accepted by the visually impaired as well as the sighted. Then in 1964, the US Congress, house bill H. R. 753, jointly approved a resolution authorizing the President to issue a proclamation declaring October 15th of each year as “National White Cane Safety Day”. Then President Lyndon B. Johnson immediately signed the joint resolution! As a result of the proclamation, every state in the US now observes White Case Safety Day! Each state also has passed “White Cane Laws” which bestow the bearer of a white cane legal, rightful status on public streets and in traffic. Independence for the Blind here in Pensacola sponsors various activities in connection with White Cane Safety Day. I attended and participated in those activities last year. Upon completion of the main agenda events: speakers, testimonials, lunch (you have to have lunch), tours of the center, etc., those who desired, and who were adventurous enough, took a walk along the streets of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Texar Drive, and Davis Highway blindfolded. Yes, blindfolded! The blindfolds totally eliminated all vision but, thankfully, we were kept out of harm’s way by sighted guides. Being unable to use visual cues to mark location distorted my sense of place and time. Even turning corners was barely noticeable. Being unsighted made it difficult, if not impossible, to detect obstacles such as uneven concrete, small objects, other people, and low hanging tree branches. Just walking along, cautiously and without warning, I had a close encounter with a branch full of leaves. Upon our return to the IB Center and the removal of the blindfold, it seemed that time had stood still! It was awesome! It was also a little embarrassing that I had not been more sensitive to the needs of visually impaired But wait, there’s more and this is REAL IMPORTANT! (continued page 3)