The cheer said it all as the group tap-tapped its way through the mall just before the lunch rush Thursday.
“Gets us here, gets us there,” Stated a line from the cheer designed for White Cane Safety Day. The white cane gets the blind, or visually impaired, out of the house to enjoy life, said Jon Koki of the Ho‘opono Services for the Blind.
Koki, visting from O‘ahu for the event, said there are about 3,500 blind people registered in the state of Hawai‘i.
“I should know, since I take care of the registry,” Koki said. “But the sad part is that this represents only about a third of people who are blind or visually impaired, and for whatever reason, have not come forward to be registered.”
Dianne Naihe is aware of what Koki was talking about since she became visually impaired about two months ago.
“I’m still in denial,” Naihe said. “But the Department of Human Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind encouraged me to come out to this event.”
Naihe said she was glad she did because she learned about what Koki described as “cane travel” while learning the different techniques of maneuvering the cane to navigate through common obstacles the sighted take for granted.
Naihe said she is legally blind in one eye, and with that, has problems with depth perception, and on occasion, her remaining eye sometimes becomes “unreliable.”
“With the cane, I can come out of the house,” she said. “I used to just stay inside because when you have depth perception issues, it’s hard to navigate because when you see cracks in the sidewalk, you think there’s a step, but it’s not.”
Koki, who joined with the National Federation of the Blind, Kaua‘i Chapter, the East Kaua‘i Lions Club and the state’s Department of Human Services, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind, said he is a member of the Lions Club on O‘ahu, and they have established the Friday closest to Oct. 15 as its White Cane Safety Day to coincide with the entertainment being offered in the parks.
President Lyndon B. Johnson, in signing the first presidential proclamation for White Cane Safety Day, commended the blind for the growing spirit of independence and the increased determination to be self-reliant that was demonstrated by the National Federation of the Blind in its push for the recognition.
“The white cane in our society has become one of the symbols of a blind person’s ability to come and go on his own,” Johnson said in the proclamation. “Its use has promoted courtesy and special consideration to the blind on our streets and highways, and as a way to make our people more aware of the meaning of the white cane, Congress, by a joint resolution, approved Oct. 6, 1964 authorizes the President to proclaim Oct. 15 of each year as White Cane Safety Day.”
President George Bush, in his 2007 proclamation said on White Cane Safety Day, we celebrate the symbolism of the white cane, and we underscore our dedication to ensuring more individuals have the ability to lead active lives and achieve their personal and professional goals.
Representatives from the different agencies had a variety of information on the various eye and seeing disorders, and in addition, the East Kaua‘i Lions Club maintained a collection box for used eye glasses.
Paul Steinfort, a director with the EK Lions Club, said Dr. Sharon Ayabe took some of the collected glasses with her on one of her recent missions.
Steinfort, participating for his second time, also attested to the usefulness of the white canes.
“We had a stage here at the Food Court area of the mall,” Steinfort said. “I learned how to use the cane and was going up and down the stage.”
Governor Linda Lingle said in a proclamation, “The second annual White Cane Safety Walk is a day to recognize the achievements of the blind and visually impaired who conduct their daily activities within sighted communities.”
Though the first White Cane Safety Day proclamation was signed in 1964, the event is largely unknown to the general public, and she encouraged residents and the public to participate in events such as these to increase understanding and access information about the blind.
Mayor Bill “Kaipo” Asing, in a mayoral proclamation, said many Americans who are blind or visually impaired use white canes to enable them to enjoy greater mobility, engage in productive work and participate fully in all aspects of life.
He added that launching the New Freedom Initiative five years ago worked to improve access to community life, expand educational opportunities, strengthen training and employment services, and promote the development of technology for the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also works to make America a place where all citizens have the opportunity to realize their full potential.
Armed with their white canes, the group of about three dozen started their “parade” through the mall, their chant echoing through the walkways and stopping people.
“With our white canes, away we go. Gets us here, gets us there, fact is, it gets us everywhere.”
For more information, visit the NFB Web site at www.nfb.org
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
