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.