White Cane Safety Awareness Day set for Oct. 15

White Cane Safety Awareness Day will be celebrated Oct. 15 in recognition of the white cane’s significance in advancing independence for people who are blind and visually impaired. Gov. Kevin Stitt has issued an official state proclamation recognizing the event.

In Oklahoma City, Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired will host a celebration from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library at 300 Park Avenue.

The public is invited to participate. White Cane Safety Awareness Day was first established by presidential proclamation in 1964 to increase public awareness about the meaning of white cane with red tips and travel safety needs of citizens who use them. Oklahoma law requires drivers to completely stop their vehicles 15 feet away from pedestrians who are visually impaired and identified by their use of white canes with red tips or dog guides. People who violate this law are guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to three months or $100 fine or both.

Oklahoma law also stipulates that only blind people may carry white canes with or without red tips. These canes are internationally recognized as mobility aids for people with visual disabilities. For more information about SBVI’s White Cane Safety Awareness Day, contact Elizabeth Scheffe at 405-5223359 or eschefee@okdrs.gov.