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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Montgomery County Urges Drivers to Slow Down and Respect Pedestrians Who Use White Canes

To recognize the importance of National White Cane Day on October 15, the 45th anniversary of this annual event, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett urged drivers to be cautious when encountering a visually impaired pedestrian with a white cane or a guide dog. Leggett has made pedestrian safety a priority of his administration, and an important component in reaching the goal of making the county a more walkable community is educating both drivers and pedestrians about the steps they can take to prevent pedestrian collisions.

White Cane Day has been celebrated since 1964 and now focuses on recognizing the independence of the blind and their right to participate fully in society. Every state throughout the nation has a white cane law that addresses pedestrian safety for the blind and guarantees civil rights protections.

According to Philip Strong’s History of White Cane Safety Day, “It was not until the twentieth century that the white cane was promoted for use by the blind as a symbol to alert others to the fact that an individual was blind.”

For more information, go to the National Federation for the Blind’s website, For information about Montgomery County’s disability services, go to the County’s website.