White Cane Awareness Day Recap

On Saturday, October 12th, Blind Fitness had an amazing turnout for our White Cane Day community event with over 65 attendees from across the Tri-Counties. We provided a hands-on human guide and blind sensitivity training for newcomers and learned about the history of White Cane Day from our member, Dan.

Image Description: Volunteers and participants gather near the Blind Fitness tent in celebration of White Cane Awareness Day.

White Cane Awareness Day, celebrated on October 15, honors the independence and achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired. The white cane, first used in the 1920s as a visibility tool by a blind man named James Biggs, became widely recognized as a symbol of independence. In 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation establishing White Cane Safety Day, following advocacy by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). The day promotes awareness of the rights and mobility of the visually impaired, and in 2011, President Barack Obama expanded its recognition as Blind Americans Equality Day. It is now observed globally through education and advocacy efforts.

Afterward, our group, still gathered in a circle, joined in singing a song lead by our Board President, Bob Burnam (*lyrics below). We then ventured out on an accessibility walk, pairing up individuals for a unique and educational experience. The walk was led by two Orientation and Mobility instructors along with two participants with vision loss, who guided the group on a route through the Funk Zone, highlighting accessible and inaccessible infrastructure. For example, participants learned about truncated domes, Audible Pedestrian Signals, what makes a railroad crossing accessible, navigation apps for the blind, and how people with vision loss cross various types of intersections. We ended our walk at Jeannine’s Bakery, who donated scones to all of our participants.

​We collaborated with Westmont College’s engineering department to develop an accessible corn hole game for the blind. The Independent Living Resource Center put together a raffle for participants with vision loss, with prizes such as talking watches, braille items, sunglasses, and long white canes. To top off the event, we were deeply honored to be recognized by Kyle’s Kitchen as their Quarterly Partner, where they presented us with a generous check for $5,129 from the proceeds.

Image Description: Volunteers and blind participants pose with a large representation of the check from our partner, Kyle's Kitchen. 

We would like to extend our deepest appreciation for all of those that were able to attend along with volunteers from Boys Team Charity and our partners from the Independent Living Resource Center, Santa Barbara & Goleta Lions Club, UCSB Delta Gamma Sorority, Jeannine’s Bakery, and Kyle’s Kitchen.
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Blind Fitness continues to demonstrate the value of training—not just for the visually impaired, but for the community as a whole—by fostering understanding and support for everyone.


NATIONAL WHITE CANE DAY AWARENESS SONG
*The Jack Straw Cultural Center and students in the 2016 Blind Youth Audio Project originally wrote and recorded this song in honor of this annual celebration. To listen to the original recording, click here: YouTube link

VERSE:
Every time I go outside, my trusty cane is by my side,
As I wander to and fro, it helps me know which way to go;
Whether I’m on grass or stone, I can manage on my own,
Concrete, asphalt, metal, wood, I feel the difference-it’s all good:
REFRAIN:
Tap, sweep, sweep, tap, My cane tells me where I’m at,
Sweep, tap, tap, sweep, my cane helps me on the street;
Tap, sweep, sweep, tap, My cane tells me where I’m at,
Sweep, tap, tap, sweep, my cane helps me on the street.
VERSE:
When you see someone with a cane they probably won’t need to explain,
With our long white canes in hand, we always know just where we stand;
There are lots of us out there, using canes on streets and stairs,
Old and young we get around, making our distinctive sound:
REFRAIN:
Tap, sweep, sweep, tap, My cane tells me where I’m at,
Sweep, tap, tap, sweep, my cane helps me on the street;
Tap, sweep, sweep, tap, My cane tells me where I’m at,
Sweep, tap, tap, sweep, my cane helps me on the street.
VERSE:
Did you know that once a year, we stop to celebrate and cheer,
On White Cane Day I hope you’ll find there’s lots to learn about the blind;
Join us as we celebrate and watch us as we operate,
We hope this song has showed you how, there’s nothing that can stop us now:
REFRAIN:
Tap, sweep, sweep, tap, My cane tells me where I’m at,
Sweep, tap, tap, sweep, my cane helps me on the street;
Tap, sweep, sweep, tap, My cane tells me where I’m at,
Sweep, tap, tap, sweep, my cane helps me on the street.
Tap, sweep, sweep, tap, My cane tells me where I’m at,
Sweep, tap, tap, sweep, my cane helps me on the street;
Tap, sweep, sweep, tap, My cane tells me where I’m at,
Sweep, tap, tap, sweep, my cane helps me on the street.