White Cane

White Cane History:

The first white cane was seen in 1921 when James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol, England, became blind. Feeling uncomfortable with the amount of traffic around his home, he painted his walking stick white, to be more easily visible.

The Lions became involved in 1930 when Lion George A. Bonham, President of the Peoria Lions Club (Illinois) introduced the idea of using the white cane with a red band as a means of assisting the blind in independent mobility. White canes were made and distributed and the Peoria City Council adopted an ordinance giving the bearers the right-of-way to cross the street.

News of the club’s activity spread quickly to other Lions clubs throughout the United States and they experimented with white canes, with overwhelming acceptance, giving cane users a unique method of identifying their special need.

Also in 1931, in France, Guilly d’Herbemont recognized the danger to blind people in traffic and launched a national “white stick movement” for blind people. She donated 5,000 white canes to people in Paris.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed October 15 as White Cane Safety Day, recognizing the white cane as a powerful symbol of independence.

Promoting White Cane Safety:

For almost 100 years, Lions have been involved in promoting White Cane Safety. White Canes represent Independence and self-reliance for people who are blind or visually impaired. They are a signal to others, especially drivers and pedestrians, that the user has a visual impairment and may require additional space or consideration. They are also a sign of civil rights progress, reflecting laws and advocacy that protect the rights of people with disabilities. Today, white cane laws are on the books of every state in the US and in a few other countries.

White Cane Safety Day:

In 1964, the U.S. Congress approved a resolution authorizing President  Lyndon B. Johnson to annually issue a proclamation designating October 15th as National White Cane Safety Day. In 1969, the International Federation of the Blind adopted this date.

International White Cane Safety Day is an opportunity to increase awareness by:

• Signifying that the pedestrian is blind or visually impaired.
• Alerting motorists of the need to exercise special caution and provide the user the right of way.
• Symbolizing the independence, confidence, and skills of the person who is using it.

White Cane events help clubs collect money for programs for visually impaired individuals. Funds raised should be used for service projects related to sight and vision.