Before getting her first white cane, stairs were terrifying for Bridgette. “I couldn’t tell where one step ended and another began,” she says. “They all looked flat, like a runway.”
But everything changed after Bridgette received her first white cane. With just one orientation & mobility (O&M) session, Bridgette began to feel more confident navigating safely on her own. “I used to constantly look at the ground to keep from falling,” Bridgette says. “But now, I keep my head up. I can take in what’s around me, like the birds and the trees. It’s been life-changing!”
A gift to the Council’s White Cane Fund puts a white cane in the hands of somebody with vision loss, empowering them to navigate their home, workplace and community safely and more confidently. Last year, we provided 454 canes to clients in 48 Wisconsin counties at no cost to the user. The White Cane Fund also helps us provide O&M instruction regardless of the client’s ability to pay. Those canes and that instruction come at a cost to the Council, and your support of our White Cane Fund enables us to continue this critical work.
When an individual with vision loss doesn’t feel confident in their ability to navigate their community, they may stop going out as often. But staying home comes with its own risks that multiply over time. Inactivity increases the likelihood of falls, even indoors. Medical appointments get missed, and healthy food options become more limited. Many people become more socially isolated, which in turn can lead to higher rates of depression and poorer overall health. A gift to the White Cane Fund can change that. A white cane provided by the Council, in tandem with the professional O&M instruction we provide, gives people the skills and confidence they need to move through the world without fear.
As we prepare to celebrate the Council’s 75th anniversary next year, we’re working toward a meaningful goal: 75 monthly donors who help sustain our work all year long. We’re more than halfway to that goal. Please join us in growing our community of monthly donors. Contact Development Director Debbie Rasmussen at [email protected] or 608-237-8113 to become a monthly donor today.
You can read this year’s White Cane Appeal letter in accessible pdf format on the Publications page of our website, or listen to an audio recording of it below.