Since 1964, October 15 of each year is recognized as White Cane Safety Day, a day to educate the public about Wisconsin’s White Cane Law and promote safe, welcoming communities for people with vision loss. In addition, the Council uses it as an opportunity to promote our broader set of pedestrian safety priorities.
The White Cane Law in Wisconsin requires motorists to stop 10 feet from any pedestrian using a white cane or guide dog. Thousands of people across the state rely on these tools to get around safety and independently.
This year, 30 Wisconsin communities along with Governor Tony Evers issued official proclamations recognizing White Cane Safety Day. We were honored to have representatives of the Council accept these proclamations at municipal council meetings in several of these communities. Thank you to all the local and state leaders who helped promote pedestrian safety by approving and executing these proclamations!
- Appleton
- Ashland
- Brookfield
- Eau Claire
- Glendale
- Green Bay
- Janesville
- Kaukauna
- Kenosha
- La Crosse
- Madison
- Manitowoc
- Menomonee Falls
- Menomonie
- Middleton
- Milwaukee
- Neenah
- Oshkosh
- Portage
- Racine
- Rothschild
- Stevens Point
- Sun Prairie
- Superior
- Watertown
- Waukesha
- Wausau
- West Allis
- Whitewater
- Wisconsin Rapids
In advance of White Cane Safety, the Council worked hard to build a robust, year-round pedestrian safety campaign that goes beyond understanding of the White Cane Law. We have been encouraging our network of advocates and allies around the state to connect with local leaders with suggestions for making their communities safer for all pedestrians, including those with vision loss. Strategies we have been asking them to push for include walk audits to identify trouble spots, accessible pedestrian signals, proper curb ramps and safer intersection design, and more. In addition to these outreach efforts, we ran bus ads in Wausau, Oshkosh and Madison drawing attention to the White Cane Law.
You can learn more about White Cane Safety Day and how you can help promote pedestrian safety 365 days a year on our White Cane Safety Day page.
