White cane safety day

White Cane Safety Day: A Symbol of Independenceby Marc MaurerIn February of 1978 a young blind lady said, "I encounter peopleall of the time who bless me, extol my independence, call mebrave and courageous, and thoroughly miss the boat as to what thereal significance of the white cane is."The National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled onthe 6th day of July, 1963, called upon the governors of the fiftystates to proclaim October 15 of each year as White Cane SafetyDay in each of our fifty states. On October 6, 1964, a jointresolution of the Congress, HR 753, was signed into lawauthorizing the President of the United States to proclaimOctober 15 of each year as "White Cane Safety Day." Thisresolution said: "Resolved by the Senate and House ofRepresentatives., that the President is hereby authorized toissue annually a proclamation designating October 15 as WhiteCane Safety Day and calling upon the people of the United Statesto observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies andactivities."Within hours of the passage of the congressional joint resolutionauthorizing the President to proclaim October 15 as White CaneSafety Day, then President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized theimportance of the white cane as a staff of independence for blindpeople. In the first Presidential White Cane ProclamationPresident Johnson commended the blind for the growing spirit ofindependence and the increased determination to be self-reliantthat the organized blind had shown. The Presidential proclamationsaid:The white cane in our society has become one of the symbols of ablind person's ability to come and go on his own. Its use haspromoted courtesy and special consideration to the blind on ourstreets and highways. To make our people more fully aware of themeaning of the white cane and of the need for motorists toexercise special care for the blind persons who carry itCongress, by a joint resolution approved as of October 6, 1964,has authorized the President to proclaim October 15 of each yearas White Cane Safety Day.Now, therefore, I, Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the UnitedStates of America do hereby proclaim October 15, 1964 as WhiteCane Safety Day.With those stirring words President Johnson issued the firstWhite Cane Proclamation which was the culmination of a long andserious effort on the part of the National Federation of theBlind to gain recognition for the growing independence andself-sufficiency of blind people in America, and also to gainrecognition of the white cane as the symbol of that independenceand that self-reliance.The first of the state laws regarding the right of blind peopleto travel independently with the white cane was passed in 1930.In 1966, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, the founder of the NationalFederation of the Blind, drafted the model White Cane Law. Thismodel act - which has become known as the Civil Rights Bill forthe Blind, the Disabled, and the Otherwise Physically Handicapped- contains a provision designating October 15 as White CaneSafety Day. Today there is a variant of the White Cane Law on thestatute books of every state in the nation.>From 1963 (and even before) when the National Federation of theBlind sought to have White Cane Safety Day proclaimed as arecognition of the rights of blind persons, to 1978 when a blindpedestrian met with misunderstanding regarding the true meaningof the white cane, is but a short time in the life of a movement.In 1963, a comparatively small number of blind people hadachieved sufficient independence to travel alone on the busyhighways of our nation. In 1978 that number has not simplyincreased but multiplied a hundredfold. The process began in thebeginning of the organized blind movement and continues today.There was a time when it was unusual to see a blind person on thestreet, to find a blind person working in an office, or to see ablind person operating machinery in a factory. This is still alltoo uncommon. But it happens more often and the symbol of thisindependence is the white cane. The blind are able to go, tomove, to be, and to compete with all others in society. The meansby which this is done is that simple tool, the white cane. Withthe growing use of the white cane is an added element - the wishand the will to be free - the unquenchable spirit and theinextinguishable determination to be independent. With these ourlives are changed, and the prospects for blind people becomebright. That is what White Cane Safety Day is all about.