The White Cane Law – Do You Know It?

October 15, 2021

Since the 1930s, visually impaired pedestrians have used white canes to travel independently. Since that time, the use of white canes also signifies to drivers to yield to the pedestrians. Since 1964, October 15th was used to raise awareness to those with visual impairments. Every state has a White Cane Law which gives legally blind pedestrians the right-of-way at street crossings.

Every project for state agencies must adhere to regulatory standards for physical accessibility and accommodation of disability; beyond this minimum, we at Howard Stein Hudson (HSH) attempt to provide accommodations proactively for common needs such as visual impairment. HSH’s lead graphic designer has vision issues, which include farsightedness in one eye, nearsightedness in the other, color perception issues, limited depth perception, and difficulty seeing in low lighting conditions. Because of his own sight issues, he considers how those with vision issues will be able to perceive any graphic materials he creates. Understanding how those with accessibility issues may perceive and understand materials helps us to create inclusive and fully accessible materials. It is an area that HSH is always researching to ensure that our materials can serve those they are meant to.

Learn more at: https://brailleinstitute.org/white-cane-day