LIHU‘E — A cell phone can be used to help a person who is blind, or visually impaired, “read” a page, said Stan Young, Thursday, Kaua‘i’s White Cane Safety Awareness Day.
“Oct. 15 is the designated date for the National White Cane Safety Awareness Day,” said Ulu Breen, president of the Kaua‘i Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. “But, each chapter can observe the event on a date that is most convenient for them.”
Breen said the Kaua‘i Chapter observes the White Cane Safety Awareness Day, Thursday, because on Oct. 16 and 17, the NFB will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a convention on Kaua‘i at the Aston Kaua‘i Beach at Maka‘iwa.
“It’s appropriate that the NFB celebrates its 50th anniversary here because Kaua‘i was the first Neighbor Island chapter to be formed,” Breen said. “We’ll have Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. speaking, Nathan Kalama will do the opening and his halau will also be performing during the convention.”
Breen said during the two-day gathering, delegates from O‘ahu, the Big Island, and even the Mainland have registered for the event where the Kaua‘i Police Department will have a representative speaking on laws pertaining to people who are blind as well as people who use white canes.
“Many Americans who are blind, or visually impaired use white canes to enable them to enjoy greater mobility and positive independence, engage in productive work, and participate fully in all aspects of life,” Carvalho said in a proclamation celebrating White Cane Safety Day.
Breen said in October, the NFB celebrates White Cane Safety Day which is meant to raise awareness. In May, the NFB celebrates White Cane Week which is more concerned about legislation pertaining to people who are blind, or visually impaired.
One of the upcoming topics involve the silence of electric cars and its impact on people who are blind, Breen said.
“On White Cane Safety Day, we raise the awareness of people in our community and celebrate the many achievements of Americans who are blind or visually impaired, and who use the white cane and other mobility guides to break through the isolation of vision loss and impairment,” Carvalho said in the proclamation. “Launching the New Freedom Initiative seven years ago worked to improve access to community life, expand educational opportunities, strengthen training and employment services, and promote the development of technology for Americans with Disabilities Act and working to make America a place where all citizens have the opportunity to realize their full potential.”
Today, we are so fortunate because we have the Easter Seals joining us, the Lions Clubs of both East Kaua‘i and West Kaua‘i helping and providing some backyard style entertainment, and we have Stanley Akamine to help people with the election process as well as Stan Young explaining the readers, Breen said.
During the White Cane Walk, Breen and Paul Steinfort of the East Kaua‘i Lions Club who led the walk, negotiated through a section of the mall that was under construction, a shopper offering access to the wheel-chaired Breen.
The White Cane Safety Day is part of a month-long celebration by the Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind Division celebrating October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, its Glenn Nakagawara, the Rehabilitation Teacher for the Blind, being an integral part of the celebration.
