The Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind invites the public to attend a special White Cane Safety and Awareness Day event being held on Tuesday, October 14th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in front of the Hernando County Courthouse at 20 N. Main Street in Brooksville (Main Street & Jefferson Street). A proclamation will be presented at the event stating that October 14, 2014 is White Cane Safety and Awareness Day. The Lighthouse event is being held to celebrate this day and to raise awareness about white cane law and pedestrian safety. For more information about the White Cane Awareness event, please call the Lighthouse’s Brooksville office at 352-754-1132 or email [email protected]. White Cane Day has been celebrated since 1964 when a joint resolution of Congress was signed into law. The purpose of the day is to increase the public’s knowledge about the white cane--the device used by persons with visual impairments to help them travel safely and live independently. The white cane is the universal symbol for blindness or visual impairment. It is a common misconception that the white cane is only used by those who are totally blind. It is also used by individuals who have some remaining vision. Some white canes are long and help persons who are visually impaired to find obstacles that may be in their way or warn them when they are approaching a curb. Other white canes are short, and serve as a signal to others that the cane user is visually impaired. While many visually impaired individuals use white canes, many others use guide dogs. These are dogs that are specially trained to lead blind or visually impaired travelers around obstacles and assist with street crossings. Each state has laws that pertain to pedestrians with white canes or guide dogs. In Florida, the law states that drivers must come to a full stop when there is a pedestrian using a white cane or guide dog while crossing, or attempting to cross a public street or highway. For more information about white canes and guide dogs, visit the Lighthouse website at lvib.org.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 12:47:52 +0000
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