There are around 28,000 people who are legally blind across Massachusetts. For many of them, the white cane isn’t just a tool to help them go about their lives — it’s a symbol of independence.
About 300 people gathered at the State House in Boston Friday for the White Cane Awareness Day hosted by the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind — a celebration meant to highlight the white cane’s importance to the blind community, as well as legislation that helps keep them safe.
“Each year, this day reminds us of how significant the white cane is not only as a vital tool for safe travel and independence, but also a symbol of dignity and equality,” said Commissioner John Oliveira.
While blind people have used canes for centuries, the modern white cane — with a black handle, white shaft and red bottom — started to be used in the 1930s. It became more common after World War II.
”Veterans were returning, and because they lost their sight due to some kind of accident related to the war, they were needing new ways to navigate,” Oliveira said.
While some new versions have high-tech options like GPS, Bluetooth and artificial intelligence, many white cane users praise the traditional tool as life-changing, as well as helping to signal to other people that they are blind.
“They seem really simple on the surface ... but they really are amazing,” Rockport resident Aubrey Sholds-Neal told GBH News. Sholds-Neal received the Meg Robertson Mobility Award at the ceremony, recognizing people who have excelled in learning mobility.
“I hated being blind when I first became blind. I wasn’t born blind. And so it was really hard for a lot of years to accept that I needed it,” said Sholds-Neal, who learned how to use a white cane over Zoom in 2020.
Having to accept the need for a white cane can be a long and difficult journey, said Erich Manser, who gradually lost his vision over many years, starting when he was a student at Northeastern University. While he has now used a white cane for more than 30 years, he was reluctant at first.
“Here I was, 18 or 19 years old, and having to realize that if I wanted to be crossing busy Huntington Avenue during rush hour traffic after dark, I would definitely need to do something about my safety,” Manser said. He now lives in Littleton and works at Harvard University.
When someone becomes legally blind, they can go to the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and get in-person training on how to navigate their communities with a white cane.
“A lot of times when people receive a white cane, many people are carrying, kind of, the feeling of a loss,” Kara Peters, an orientation and mobility specialist, told GBH News. Peters travels around the state to help people learn how to go to the store, navigate public transportation and stay safe while commuting.
One of the biggest safety challenges for a white cane user is crossing the street, Peters said, especially since cars are getting quieter, making it harder to hear traffic patterns.
In Massachusetts, the White Cane Law requires drivers to come to a full stop when they see a person with a white cane or guide dog at a crosswalk. Peters says that drivers should try to be patient as the person crosses, and not stop too far away or too close to the crosswalk, while still following regular traffic patterns and lights.
Overall, Peters recommended that anyone should always “presume competence” when you meet a blind person — assume they are capable of taking care of themselves and can tell you what support they need, if they do.
“People who are blind and visually impaired are just out living their life and the cane is a tool that kind of facilitates them, getting out the door and living their life just like everyone else,” she said. “So I think [of] it ... as a symbol of freedom and independence and just the right to be living their life as independently as everyone else.”
