by Chibuzor Okoye,
White Cane Safety Day is an international annual observance set aside to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired and the important symbol of blindness and tool of independence, The White Cane.
White canes were introduced in the 1930’s as a way of assisting visually impaired pedestrians to travel independently.
The World White Cane Day or White Cane Safety Day was first celebrated in 1964 in the United States by President Lyndon B Johnson.
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It aimed at helping motorists identify and yield to people using the white cane, and their use has been protected by law in the United States since then.
Since then, knowledge of giving the right of way for persons with white canes on the road by potential drivers training to get their driver’s licence is a requirement that exists till today in the USA.
Speaking on the essence of the day, the Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on Disability Matters, Barrister Chuks Ezewuzie said that the office of the Governor on Disability matters, joins the visually impaired community in Anambra State to commemorate the all important day, and called for more support and interventions towards supporting accessibility of the visually impaired persons through the use of the white Cane.
