alt=A long white cane, upA long white cane, the symbol of White Cane Safety Day White Cane Safety Day is a national observance in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, celebrated on October 15 of each year since 1964. The date is set aside to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired and the important symbol of blindness and tool of independence, the

white cane A white cane is a device used by many people who are visual impairment, blind or visually impaired. A white cane primarily allows its user to scan their surroundings for obstacles or orientation marks, but is also helpful for onlookers in identif ...

. On October 6, 1964, a joint resolution of the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

, , was signed into law as , and codified at . This resolution authorized the President of the United States to proclaim October 15 of each year as "White Cane Safety Day". President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

signed the first White Cane Safety Day proclamation within hours of the passage of the

joint resolution In the United States Congress, a joint resolution is a legislative measure that requires passage by the Senate and the House of Representatives and is presented to the president for their approval or disapproval. Generally, there is no legal diffe ...

. In 2011, White Cane Safety Day was also named Blind Americans Equality Day by President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

Notes

External links

White Cane Safety Day: A Symbol of Independence (article from the National Federation of the Blind web site)

White Cane Safety Day celebration website

36 U.S.C. § 142

Sample proclamations

* ttps://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2005-10-19/pdf/05-21031.pdf 2005
2007

2009
Public holidays in the United States Accessibility Blindness equipment October observances Disability in the United States {{holiday-stub