White Cane Safety Day is a national observance in the United States, celebrated on October 15 of each year since 1964. The date is 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.
On October 6, 1964, a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress, H.R. 753, was signed into law as Pub.L. 88-628, and codified at 36 U.S.C. ยง 142. This resolution authorized the President of the United States to proclaim October 15 of each year as "White Cane Safety Day".
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the first White Cane Safety Day proclamation within hours of the passage of the joint resolution.
In 2011, White Cane Safety Day was also named Blind Americans Equality Day by President Barack Obama.
Famous quotes containing the words white, cane, safety and/or day:
“The whole white world is ours.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)
“But a blind man’s cane poking, however clumsily, into the inmost corners of the house.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“If we can find a principle to guide us in the handling of the child between nine and eighteen months, we can see that we need to allow enough opportunity for handling and investigation of objects to further intellectual development and just enough restriction required for family harmony and for the safety of the child.”
—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)
“A day in April never came so sweet,
To show how costly summer was at hand,
As this fore-spurrer comes before his lord.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)