HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-10-09 White Cane Awareness Day
WHITE CANE AWARENESS DAY
October 9, 2025
WHEREAS, White Cane Awareness Day was first recognized on October 15, 1964, as White Cane Safety Day
when Lyndon B. Johnson authorized this date to be proclaimed and observed annually. White Cane Awareness Day
observes the passage of the “White Cane Law” based on a model law drafted in 1966 by Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, founder
of the National Federation of the Blind, which became known as the Civil Rights Bill for the Blind, the Disabled, and
the Otherwise Physically Handicapped, in the days before the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws
guaranteeing the rights of those with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, White Cane Awareness Day is a time for people to develop greater awareness of the “White Cane
Law”, and of the need for motorists, bicyclists, and other pedestrians to exercise special care and precaution for blind
or visually impaired persons using a white cane or a guide dog; and
WHEREAS, White Cane Awareness Day promotes sensitivity to the white cane as a powerful symbol of
independence, self-reliance, and opportunity for blind or visually-impaired persons, as well as an essential tool for
increasing mobility and productivity; and
WHEREAS, the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center,
part of VA Palo Alto Health Care, is celebrating White Cane Awareness Day on Thursday, October 9, 2025; and
WHEREAS, White Cane Awareness Day is a time when various groups across the country conduct activities and
events to promote awareness about the purpose and use of the white cane, including the White Cane Awareness Day
Walk that will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2025, in Downtown Palo Alto.
NOW, THEREFORE I, Ed Lauing, Mayor of the City of Palo Alto, do hereby proclaim the day of October 9,
2025, as White Cane Awareness Day and encourage all residents to recognize the significance of the white cane as a
symbol of independence and to support efforts that promote accessibility, inclusion, and safety for individuals who are
blind or visually impaired.
Presented: October 9, 2025
______________________________
Ed Lauing
Mayor
Proclamation