White Cane Awareness Day is designed to make roads and sidewalks safer for blind people. It’s typically celebrated on October 15 and throughout Blind Equality Achievement Month.
Mayor Donna Deegan was at city hall Thursday to help call attention to White Cane Day. One of the people on hand to show the importance of it was 6-year-old Zaiden Williams. He’s one of the people in Jacksonville who rely on a cane to get around. Zaiden and his grandmother told us that it works well for him.
This Saturday, Disabled Services for the city of Jacksonville along with other agencies that help the blind will hold White Cane Day Awareness at the Riverside Arts Market. Police will be on hand to help them cross Riverside Avenue.
“I personally feel it’s a risk to cross streets in Jacksonville,” Russ Davis, with the National Federation of the Blind Jacksonville, said.
Davis also said more needs to be done to make people aware of the laws that give blind and people with service animals the right of way when it comes to crossing roads no matter what.
To help tell this story, I went to my friend Don who has been blind since he was 12-years-old. Don showed me what it’s like for a blind person to try and cross the street, and I can tell you that it’s not safe. People didn’t stop for him and finally started to stop when I walked next to him. Don said he has to listen to hear if a car is coming.
“I wish there was a safer way of doing it, for sure,” Don said. Click video below to watch.
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