White Cane Week

In 1921, a photographer named James Biggs, of Bristol, England was blinded in an accident.  Released from hospital, he had the idea of painting his cane white so it could be easily seen at night.  The advantages of the white cane soon became apparent as people alerted to Biggs' blindness assisted his movements with guidance and warning of obstacles.  Biggs' innovation soon became an internationally accepted symbol of blindness.  Today, nine provinces have legislation which restrict the use of the White Cane to those legally blind.

Since 1946, the first week of February has traditionally been "White Cane Week" in Canada, due to the CCB's initiative.  The Canadian Council of the Blind enlisted the aid of the CNIB and White Cane Week has been a cooperative venture ever since.  The objective of White Cane Week has always been educational.  Each year a theme and/or slogan is adopted for White Cane Week.  This serves to focus public attention on a facet of blindness and visual impairment.

White Cane Week as previously mentioned is co-sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) and the CNIB.  The combined network of the CCB's 85 plus Clubs and the CNIB's 52 offices give the campaign an effective national base.  The grass roots network provides local support for the broader national awareness campaign.

From the first ever White Cane Week, with only a handful of individuals who were blind or vision impaired participating, White Cane Week has become a national network of special events, hands-on demonstrations, open houses, and tours taking place from coast to coast.

Over the years, the White Cane Week programme has evolved to reflect the changing situations of people who are blind and vision impaired.  In early years, the Week was used to demonstrate the concerns for good rehabilitation and blindness prevention.  However, in more recent times, events have begun to emphasize the equal capabilities and talents of people who are blind and vision impaired.

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