Riley County Police visit honors White Cane Day

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Riley County Police Department officers visited Amanda Arnold Elementary School last week to honor White Cane Safety Day and meet with a kindergarten student who uses a white cane to navigate her world.

Corporal Rachel Pate and School Resource Officer Sonia Gregoire met with Tegan and her classmates in Mrs. Downs' kindergarten class on Oct. 24, about a week after the national observance. The visit allowed Tegan, who is visually impaired, to explore the tools police officers use in their daily work through her sense of touch.

White Cane Safety Day, observed annually on Oct. 15, recognizes the independence, mobility and accomplishments of people who are blind or visually impaired. The day raises public awareness about the white cane as a tool that enables visually impaired individuals to travel safely and independently.

President Lyndon B. Johnson established the observance in 1964 to increase awareness among motorists and pedestrians about people who carry white canes. The canes, first introduced in the 1930s, help visually impaired pedestrians navigate their surroundings while also alerting drivers and others to yield right of way.

The use of white canes has been protected by law in the United States since their introduction. White Cane Laws in all 50 states require motorists to yield to pedestrians carrying white canes and impose penalties for failing to do so.

The laws also grant people who are blind or visually impaired equal rights to use streets, sidewalks, public transportation and other public spaces.

Organizations like the Braille Institute celebrate White Cane Safety Day each year and offer orientation and mobility training to teach navigation skills to people with visual impairments. The institute also sponsors Cane Quest, a mobility contest for students in grades 3-12 who use white canes.

The Riley County Police Department serves Manhattan, Ogden and the unincorporated areas of Riley County.