The Long White Cane

Just about every sighted person has seen one, either on the streets of their hometown, while traveling in a big city or on television. Most folks know without being told that it is a cane used by people who are blind or visually impaired. Some speculate that it will grow out of use before too long, taken over by guide dogs or guide ponies. Some people who are blind think that by using a long white cane they are presenting themselves as disabled. Others embrace it as the tool it is and are even proud of it. But, where did it come from? Why do blind people use it? Why is it still as effective as it was nearly a century ago? Hi, there. S.J. Wells here with you today, and since White Cane Safety, AKA White Cane Awareness Day is October 15, I thought I’d share some of the interesting facts about the long white cane with you, our faithful readers.

History tells us that blind people used all kinds of sticks, shepherd’s staffs and canes to detect objects in front of them. However, the mobility cane we know today didn’t come about until around the time of World War I. A man named James Biggs from Bristol was said to have created a version of the long white cane in 1921 after an accident took his sight. Feeling threatened by a growing population of motorists, he painted his walking stick white so it would be more visible to drivers. Ten years later in February, 1931, Guilly D’Herbemont launched a scheme for a national white stick movement for blind people in France. It wasn’t long until the folks in England got wind of it, and soon they were launching a campaign that basically said persons who carried long white canes would be recognized as having visual impairments.

Meanwhile, in North America, a member of the Lion’s Club saw a blind man walking across the street using a black cane. The Lion’s Club member painted the man’s walking stick white in order to make him more visible. In 1931, the Lion’s Club International began a national program, promoting the use of white canes for persons who are blind. During that time, most folks who used a cane, held it in a fixed, diagonal position in front of them, and it worked primarily to alert sighted folks that he or she was blind. However, when blinded veterans returned from World War II, things changed for the better, as these men were not content to stay home and be cared for. They wanted to rejoin the work force and began using their canes to get around, rather than just carrying them.

In 1964, a joint resolution of the Congress HR 753, was signed into law authorizing the President of the United States  of America to proclaim October 15 of every year to be White Cane Safety Day. President Lyndon B. Johnson was the first to proclaim the October 15 as White Cane Safety Day. No longer was the long white cane just a symbol of a person who is blind but a tool to assist them to live as independently as they so wished.

Once made of wood, canes are now made of several materials ranging from aluminum, graphite, fiberglass and sometimes a mix in between. Whether they are rigid or folding, folks now can order them in other colors rather than white. Some patterns of color symbolize a difference between blind and blindness with a hearing impairment. Whatever the material, whatever the color, the cane does not define the one using it. Rather, the person defines the cane. As a chef uses his/her favorite knives to slice and dice, just as a car mechanic prefers the tools in his/her own tool box to get the job done, just as a minister uses his/her favorite version of the Bible and reference books to get the message out to the congregation, so a person who is blind uses his/her cane to navigate the world around them.

If you or someone you know needs a white cane, the National Federation of the Blind has a form on their website that you can fill out and get one for free. Just go to nfb.org,  and you’ll find it. If you want more information than I’ve provided here about the long white cane, be assured that Google is speech friendly, so go on your own internet search. If you’re not sure on how to use your cane, the NFB also has articles explaining how. Don’t be afraid to try new things or to ask for help. People who are blind and familiar with the cane will be more than happy to share their knowledge.

So, this coming Sunday, October 15, remember the long white cane, and use yours to show the world that, like those veterans returning home from war without their sight, you aren’t going to sit back and let others do for you anymore; you’re a force to be reckoned with.

Thank you for being with us today. We hope you’ll come back on October 26, as we have an interview to inspire your socks off. Ever heard of a blind woman who writes about sports? Well, you have now. Mark your calendars and be sure to come back in two weeks. Also, don’t forget, we’re on Facebook at facebook.com/adkinsandwells/

God bless.