October 15 of each year is National White Cane Safety Day, a day the Council takes to advocate for and educate about the White Cane Law. Since 1964, the day has promoted safe, welcoming communities for people with vision loss or blindness.
The White Cane Law encourages the year-round independence of people in the blind and visually impaired community, creating a sense of empowerment and improving public safety. Thousands of blind and visually impaired individuals around the state of Wisconsin use a white cane for mobility and safe travel.
This year, 10 Wisconsin communities proclaimed White Cane Safety Day, in addition to a statewide proclamation by Governor Tony Evers. Thank you to the mayor and city council members for approving these proclamations and to the Council staff and representatives who accepted them.
- Eau Claire
- Janesville
- Kaukauna
- La Crosse
- Madison
- Mequon
- Oshkosh
- Stevens Point
- Sun Prairie
- West Allis
We shared our White Cane Safety Day social media toolkit with Low Vision Support Groups, Lions Clubs and Drivers’ Education Schools. The League of Municipalities and Wisconsin Association of Municipal Clerks partnered with us to get the message about the White Cane Law and its impact on overall pedestrian safety out to new areas.
Several groups joined the Council in sharing messages about the White Cane Law, including the, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, City of Madison Traffic Engineering, Tenant Resource Center, City of Sheboygan, UW Department of Ophthalmology and the Stoughton Senior Center.
In addition to the outreach efforts mentioned above, we ran bus ads in La Crosse, Eau Claire and Green Bay from September 15 through October 15. The Madison Metro is currently running ads promoting the White Cane Law.
Learn more about White Cane Safety Day and how you can promote pedestrian safety year-round at https://wcblind.org/events/white-cane-safety-day/.
