August 1 is safety day for the blind

With the purpose of instilling in the public the plight of the blind, promoting recognition and acceptance of the "white cane" as a symbol of need of the blind, government offices in Region-7 celebrates the White Cane Safety Day this August 1.

The celebration of White Cane Safety Day started when the Congress of the Philippines passed into law Republic Act No. 6759, more popularly known as the White Cane Act and signed into law by former president Corazon Aquino.

The law aims to promote and protect the physical, moral, and social well-being of all handicapped persons, such as the blind, and to undertake studies on specific causes of high percentage of blind people in the country.

The said law also designates August 1 of each year as White Cane Safety Day with the purpose promoting recognition and acceptance of the white cane as a symbol of need of the blind for specific assistance and as a reminder of the individual's duty to care for and accord due respect to them.

The use of white cane as a symbol of the visually impaired started in 1921 by James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol, England, who became blind after an accident, he was feeling uncomfortable with the amount of traffic around his home so he painted his walking stick white to be more visible to pedestrians and motorists.

The white cane is a symbol of independence for the blind. With the cane the blind are able to go, to move, to be, and to compete with all others in the society.

Once a motorist sees a person trying to cross a street holding a white cane, the motorists is encouraged to stop and allow them to cross. - Jasmin R. Uy