http://www.timescolonist.com/health/White+Cane+blindness+issues/5556033/story.html

White Cane Day and blindness issues
Victoria Times-Colonist
(2011-10-15)
Ask any blind person how they feel about their white cane, and the answer,
ultimately, is that it’s an extremely valuable tool.

The white cane is basic, but it’s essential to a blind person’s ability to move
about and to be independent.

The cane is usually made of fibreglass, carbon fibre or metal. Held in one hand,
it is swung side to side, to give information about one’s route, including
obstacles, curbs, stairs and doorways. A white cane identifies a person as
legally blind.

The white cane offers capability, independence, problem-solving, safety and
empowerment to blind people. It is a symbol of freedom and pride.

The Canadian Federation of the Blind, an all-volunteer, grassroots organization
of blind people, has chosen Oct. 15 to celebrate White Cane Day. CFB wishes to
highlight the importance of the white cane, as well as to point out two issues
which negatively affect blind people in Canada.

Really good white-cane travel training or, for that matter, really good
blindnessskills training, is not available in Canada. There is no government,
publicly funded and accountable blindness skills training for anyone who needs
it.

A few lucky blind people have been able to privately fund attendance at one of
three world-renowned intensive training centres in the United States. In these
nine-month programs, blind people learn all necessary skills to live as
productive and independent citizens. Our government needs to step up to its
responsibility so that all blind people have access to this type of really good
intensive training

The second issue is quiet electric cars which cannot easily be heard by blind
pedestrians and are accidents waiting to happen.

Doris Belusic
Victoria