White Cane Week – Canadian Council of the Blind

I Carry a Big Stick

By Linda I carry a big stick!! It just happens to be white, rigid and very long. And I refer to it as a cane, not a stick. It has been mistaken for a fishing pole, a ski pole and a support pole on the bus. Actually, as I am totally blind, I don’t really carry it, rather I tap or sweep it from side to side depending on how familiar I am with the route and the potential hazards I am watching out for. The technique is to step forward with one foot while tapping to the opposite side, the theory bein

Saved By the Cane

By Vic Here is a short story where using a mobility cane helped. Some time back when I lived in Calgary, I went to a movie with a group of friends. This was a common occurrence. After the movie, everyone was getting ready to leave the theatre. It was rather crowded since it was a popular movie and near the beginning of its run. I decided to consider taking a shortcut to get out into one of the main aisles. To this day I still seem to have a reputation of being somewhat reckless. This time I deci

My White Cane Story

By Robert I started using a cane in 1961, when I enrolled in a travel training program at the old Halifax School for the Blind. For two school years the travel training was under the tutelage of social workers. My first instructor, Mr. Leclerc was a fine instructor, and I looked forward to the weekly sessions, as did the other members of the group. It did not take me long to get confident to travel independently with my cane. I remember one instruction Mr. Leclerc gave us and that was never to s

You Don't Look Blind

Here are two short stories from members on their experiences using a white cane. You Don't Look Blind By Marie Some years ago, I had to go to my local Emergency Room. My cane was folded beside me on the stretcher and the nurse who was caring for me, asked me what it was and why I needed it. "Oh, you don't look blind," she said. I did get a small chuckle about that and thought, that was a silly thing to happen I think. Breaking Down Social Barriers By Cathy Most people in my area are very aware o

Busted in Boquete

By Ruth During the winter months of 2015/16, I decided to try wintering in Panama. I was living in Kelowna BC at the time, and not looking forward to another cold Canadian winter--and yes, believe me Kelowna gets full-on winter. Boquete Panama seemed a destination. In spite of my Spanish lessons, it also seemed prudent to start somewhere with plenty of ex-pats. Having traveled worldwide, I have learned to start any relocation by finding my people, which turns out to be a moving target. When I li

In Celebration of the White Cane

White canes are used by persons who are blind, partially sighted, and deafblind to navigate their environment safely, inform the public of their vision loss and to symbolize the many achievements of themselves and their peers. There are three types of white canes. The ID cane is a thin, short, collapsable white cane which is carried primarily to indicate to others that the person has some degree of vision loss. Most ID cane users still have some guiding vision.  The ID cane can also be used to e