White Cane Day
Posted October 15, 2020 by Mandy Smith in Blind and Low Vision
October 15th is White Cane Safety Day also known as Blind Americans Equality Day. Which is a day to celebrate and raise awareness about the white cane, that people who are blind or have low vision use to help with mobility. A white cane’s purpose is to identify objects on a traveler’s route and to identify the traveler as a person with vision loss. Kansas has the white cane law (KSA 8-1542) that states “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to any blind pedestrian carrying a clearly visible white cane or accompanied by a guide dog.”
A white cane is made up of three parts: a grip to make it easier to hold; the shaft that is reflective and white; and a tip that can be a heavy duty plastic or metal material.
White Cane Safety Day started in 1964 and the Lions were a big part of getting it started. A Lions member is also who came up with the cane being white. Many celebrate White Cane Safety Day by telling their story of why they like/love their cane or going to the Capitol to have the Governor sign a proclamation. Due to COVID-19 most people celebrated via Zoom but Governor Kelly and President Trump signed proclamations today as usual.
