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White Cane Awareness Reaches New Heights
Blinded veterans from BVA regional groups throughout the country
recently joined members of other organizations of and for the
blind in promoting public awareness of the issues facing the blind
and visually impaired.
"Our hats go off to the veterans and their families who
were committed to the cause of getting the word out this year,"
said Valerie Duffy, VIST Coordinator at the Boise, Idaho, VA Medical
Center.
Members of BVA’s Gem State Regional Group, the regional
group with which Val is most familiar, handed out literature at
an Albertson’s Food Market and two different Wal-Mart stores.
The literature discussed the criteria for healthy eyes, eye diseases,
and helpful tips for those who have impaired vision. The group
also accepted donations for a small lapel pin shaped and colored
like a white cane, gave presentations in local schools, and distributed
information about BVA.
"I think we made some real headway in making the public
more aware of who we are and the meaning of a white cane,"
said Art Motz, regional group president and coordinator of the
White Cane Awareness effort in Idaho. Other regional groups engaged
in similar activities at local VA medical centers, community centers,
shopping malls, and churches during the month of October.
A record number of BVA calendars, brochures, stickers, and other
literature were sent to the groups from BVA National Headquarters
this year. Although the issue is publicized the entire month,
often to accommodate local needs and schedules, White Cane Awareness
Day is officially October 15. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed
the White Cane Safety Day proclamation in 1964, asking all citizens
to recognize the white cane as a symbol of a blind person’s
ability to come and go on his/her own.
The proclamation further states: The white cane’s use has
promoted courtesy and special consideration for the blind on our
streets and highways. To make our people more fully aware of the
meaning of the white cane, and of the need for motorists to exercise
special care for the blind persons who carry it, the Congress,
by joint resolution approved October 6, 1964, has authorized the
President to proclaim October 15th of each year as White Cane
Safety Day.
Members of the Gem State Regional Group have developed a white
cane safety program handbook that they are now making available
to other BVA regional groups. The handbook consists of a section
detailing the history of the white cane, an explanation of the
presidential proclamation, potential white cane day activities,
resources for handouts and other educational materials, recommendations
for white cane program development, and a list of contacts for
further information.
Handbooks can be ordered for $10.00 to cover the cost of printing,
a binder, and postage. Contact Art Motz at motzart@cableone.net
or Stuart Nelson at BVA National Headquarters, 800-669-7079, for
more information about the materials.
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