As part of our advocacy, #OneAccessibility, we will share information about differently able and profile one location with accessible trails. Look out every week for this enlightening post.
Caption: A writing said White Cane with a photo of a person holding a dog on the right hand and a cane on the left hand with the date October 15 (by @Erna_LaBeau )
Blindness and Visual Impairment:
Blindness is the inability to see anything including light while Visual Impairment is a term used to describe any kind of vision loss, whether cannot see at all or partial vision loss.
In this special October month marks as the World Blindness Awareness Month, I would like to talk in detail about White Cane, one of the tools used for people with the visually impaired. One Accessibility Team would Xray accessibility aids, products, and services for visually impaired individuals or communities.
In the 1930s White Cane was introduced as a way of assisting visually impaired persons to travel around individually and White Can Safety Day was established on October 15, 1964, by President Lyndon B . Johnson.
White Cane Safety Awareness Day is celebrated on October 15th annually to acknowledge the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired. The 15th marks the importance of recognizing the white cane, it is not just a tool but it represents the independence of those who have vision impairments to travel from one place to another independently and safely. White Cane is a principal symbol of blindness and a tool of independence.
The White Cane Law talks about the responsibility of the driver and the punishment can be imprisonment or a fine of up to $1,000 if breaking the law.
The White Cane symbolism, history, and etiquette about what do’s and dont’s. Do introduce yourself, talk directly to the person, and give specific directions. Do not assume the person needs help, do not grab and try to steer the person, do not rush a pedestrian with a white cane.
American Council of the Blind - White Cane Laws for all the States. This website talks about State Statutes, Penalties for Violations, and Excerpts from Driver Manuals.
Some important messages from the website:
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The law requires a driver to stop or yield the right-of-way when seeing a person with a white can or guide dog.
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Do not honk the horn or revive the engine, these noises can distract and cover the important audible cues the blind person uses.
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Do not stop your car more than five feet from the crosswalk, a blind pedestrian uses the sounds of the car engine as a guide to hear you.
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If the blind person takes a step back and pulls in his/her cane it means a definite sign that you should go.
Please spread this awareness: White Cane means the person is blind or visually impaired. Red and White Striped Cane means the person is deafblind with both sight and hearing impairments.
Curious about accessibility in Michigan, visit this website.
If you have a question, suggestion, or contribution, feel free to comment below. You can read last week’s roundup article, Deaf Awareness, here and check the list of our other articles under "Accessibility Uncovered"
#BlindnessAwarenessMonth #Michigan
