Every year, 15 October is celebrated as White Cane Safety
Day. As ever I got caught up in so many things to do with work and training I
did not find the time or the energy to write something about my trusted
companion the white cane. I was introduced to this mobility aid in the year
2011. At first it made no sense using this aid as a mobility tool as it told me
no directions or wasn't smart enough to guide or get me out of a pickle.
This mobility aid also inspired my pseudo name post visual impairement. I am in the community; of people with visual disabilities called; Mister Kayne. This name made me laugh a many times because it was murdered when pronounced as Mister Kaneeye. Ouch those who know the Hindi language Kanya is a derogatory name for a cross eyed person. The white cane had so much functional value in my life as it gave me the independance to travel and explore the world around me with my eyes closed. In a country like India asking for accessible infrastructure is like asking God to come back to earth and smack the non-believers. However, the cane helped me by indicating that there is ground ahead and below me and I can walk on it without falling off the earth. Soon I was going to the grocery store, my local pub and many other places with little or no help of a sighted guide.
I have many experiences I had with the white cane that I wish to write about but time and space will not permit it. So I am going to share with you some interesting trivia about the cane. I just have one request from my readers; this mobility aid is called a cane and not a stick so please stop calling it a stick!
different colors of canes and who uses them:
white cane: It is the one used by people with total blindness. The white color not only identifies them as blind, but its color stands out with the asphalt and is more visible to the vehicles on the road. The white cane is also coated with a shimmer paint that reflects light so that it is visible in the dark.
white and red cane: Designated by the World Federation of People with Deafblindness, this cane indicates that the person using it is deafblind, meaning that they cannot see or hear. It was decided to create this cane because deafblind people used the white cane and the communication problems with unknown people on the street were enormous because they did not know that apart from not seeing, they did not hear.
green cane: It is the one used by people with low vision, that is, they are not completely blind. Although this cane color does not exist in some countries, other types of badges such as caps, shirts or bracelets have been created for anyone who feels the need to inform others that they are not blind but have low vision.
yellow cane: The use of the yellow cane is more specific, since in some countries it is used as a substitute for the white cane. In Latin America, there are some countries that use the yellow cane instead of the green cane
With that I wish all my fellow white cane users a happy White Cane Safety Day!
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I never knew about the green cane. When I went through blind training they gave me a red and white cane. They told me it meant for people with low vision.
ReplyDeleteMaybe my husband should get a red and white one for him. He’s deaf blind.
absolutely safety comes first; and the cane not only it a mobility aid but a good indicator of your condition and that helps safety. You should be logged into your Google account for your name to appear when commenting
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