Visionaries, Episode 13 White Cane Wisdom by Susan Gray

Most people that lose their vision progressively don’t start out as fans of the white cane.  Vision loss is hard, it’s embarrassing, and it breaks down your pride with every new thing you no longer can do by yourself.  Add to this a very visible sign to all “Blind person walking here” embodied in the white cane, and it’s no wonder many people with vision loss choose not to use one. 

I can remember being sighted and seeing a man using a white cane walking in my community.  People would stare at him, stop their conversations when he drew near, and freeze, as if he was contagious or dangerous.  That image stayed in my young mind until I was first handed my white cane.  At nineteen, your image is everything to you, and when having even just eye glasses was a source of teasing, you can imagine the reluctance of becoming a white cane user. 

It took me years to accept the need for a white cane.  I found myself a young mother, walking with my three year old son, and tripping on a rock. I fell, thankfully not pulling down my son with me, and sprained my wrist.  It took that level of damage to myself, and potential harm to my son to awaken my need for using a white cane. 

This isn’t everyone’s story, people in my family usually need to learn things the hard way! Many of my peers did not have the luxury of progressive vision loss; they were thrown right into cane or guide dog use when their blindness occurred.  Others embraced their white canes sensibly, learning how to use it while their vision diminished. 

What I came to understand as I gave up my fear of judgement, was that the white cane offered me and others around me instant understanding and safety.  I could walk without the fear of tripping or running into objects or people, and people who saw me coming would know I could not see them.   

The past twenty five years of white cane use helped me to develop a comfort and confidence with my mobility.  I haven’t tripped and fallen since I’ve been a white cane user, and my level of fear navigating spaces is minimal.  I don’t think about people staring at me, because I can’t see them. The stigma that so bothered me when I was younger is no longer an issue.

Part of acceptance of anything we initially view negatively is developing a comfort with it and a healthy sense of humor.  It’s common for my peers to sit around a table talking about fun new uses for their white canes.  For example, they are great for getting something out from under a bed or couch, or for knocking items down off of shelves.  One of my peers uses his white cane for self-defense moves, and calls it “Cane Fu”.  At one peer support group, we had a mobility instructor come to speak with us about cane use and safe mobility.  One of our members never uses her white cane outside of her home, so we told her the meeting was a white cane intervention. 

The history of the white cane begins in the United Kingdom, in the 1920’s.  An artist named James Briggs lost his vision after an accident.  He painted his black walking stick white, in order to be more visible to motorists.  In 1930, in  Peoria, Illinois, George Boonham, president of the Peoria Lions Clubsaw a man struggling to cross a busy street with his black walking stick.  Boonham took the walking stick and painted it white with a red stripe.  The visibility thus improved, the white cane became widely utilized among Lions Clubs nationally, and a symbol of low vision throughout America.     

As technology advances, white canes have improved with features that help the users to navigate on different terrains. White canes are measured to the heights of their users, typically coming to chest level. This allows the user to hold the white cane out in front of them, and to sweep it back and forth as they walk, ensuring no objects or steps are in their path.  White cane tips vary from small to large, and allow users smoother navigation on sidewalks, stone paths, snow or grass. People often ask if the white cane is equipped with any electronic device for navigation.  There are white canes being developed with sensors that vibrate to alert the user to objects around them, and some white canes are being used with GPS that assists the user travelling to certain locations on their route. Most of our peers use standard white canes, as the electronic ones are expensive and still in testing trials.      

As we look forward to celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of White Cane Awareness day on October 15, we are reminded of the many reasons to be grateful for this important tool.      

Spend a little time “raising cane” in solidarity with your peers!

Plan to join Aurora of CNY, Senator Rachel May and Mayor James Giannettino at the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center on South Street in Auburn on October 15th, at 1pm, to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of White Cane Awareness Day.  We will have a short program followed by cider, donuts and a blind immersion exercise people can participate in to “walk in the shoes” of our peers.  Please contact Aurora of CNY at 315-422-7263 with any questions.