October 2 - White Cane Challenge

It was a beautiful day today and while I was out walking I was thinking of the next entry I would make for this blog.  Before I had walked any distance at all I knew what I would write. I had two encounters with other pedestrians on my walk. While the first left a good impression, the second made me aware that education surrounding white canes and their users still has a way to go. This is the challenge.

The first encounter on my walk today was a good one. A woman coming towards me called out a greeting.  Because I hadn’t yet noticed her presence, I appreciated her voice signal to me. Then as we drew closer, she told me that she would step to the grassy edge of the sidewalk so that I could pass by. Obviously, this woman knew that my white cane meant that I had little or no vision. Consequently, she told me where she was so that I could continue on my way unimpeded.

My second encounter was more on the other end of the continuum. I had heard a car pull up in the same direction I was walking. I listened and heard the driver’s door open and footsteps coming around the rear of the vehicle. What I didn’t hear was the passenger door opening. As I walked forward I was glad that I had my cane in front of me. The passenger had opened the door so that it was obstructing the sidewalk. Not only that, this youngish person was standing silently beside the door.  Until my cane made contact I had no idea of this unexpected obstacle.

So, my challenge of the week is this. At some point as you engage in conversation with a friend or an acquaintance, I would ask you to bring up the subject of white canes. If you have been reading this blog, you are obviously aware of some of the challenges of vision impairment. Perhaps this week you could also be an ambassador on behalf of someone who is blind or partially sighted by explaining the significance of white canes.