White Canes. Black Canes. Blindness. Fiction. Reality
August 28, 2015 | Marie | Comments (0)
The first week in February is White Cane Week in Canada. Initiated in 1946 by the Canadian Council of the Blind, White Cane week is all about awareness, activism and integration.
Yes, it's not February. For blind people who use a cane, every week is white cane week. So let's roll with that.
The white cane has its origins in the early 20th century. Canes, like hats, were often part of someone's "haberdashery" back in the day. These ubiquitous black canes were not readily visible to sighted people to indicate someone's blindness. Accidents happened. Black canes were not practical!
But, things change. Libby Thaw from the Checkered Eye Project demonstrates the practicality of a black cane against the white snow and suggests that perhaps it's a bit of a fashion statement.
CNIB blogger Lynn Jensen shares a story about how a fuchsia white cane eroded a teen's reluctance to use a cane.
Robin from the Alliance for Equality for Blind Canadians shares a witty story about Black Canes and Canadians.
Blindness and "seeing" have long been inspiration for some of the most eloquent - and dystopian - fiction.
Portuguese writer Jose Saramago's Blindness is about truth, lies, disaster and ignorance. New York Times reviewer Andrew Miller described it as giving us "a powerful sense of the folly and heroism of ordinary lives". It became a visually stunning film with Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore.
Early 20th century British writer Henry Green gives us a tale, also called Blindness, of a young man blinded in a senseless accident who thereafter develops intuitive powers.
"Henry Green" was a pseudonym for a man who wished to live his life anonymously and avoided being photographed. Find out more about "Henry Green", his life and work.
Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron is a dystopian novel about the fictional society Chromatacia, in which one's social standing is determined by the colours they can see.
Extremely popular with his fans, Fforde disconnects himself from literary circles, and is generally unconcerned with what his publisher thinks.
But really, being blind is just that. Blind people don't live their lives as an allegory. Perhaps that's a luxury sighted people exercise.We sighted people are often nervous and not quite sure just what to do when we encounter a blind person. We want to help, to assist. But what does the blind person want? To find out, just ask them.
YouTube poster "Breaking Blind" demonstrates how she navigates with her "stick", and explains why she prefers a straight stick to a telescoping cane.
Tommy Edison demonstrates his own technique, and tries to give blind walking lessons to a sighted person. She has a tough time!
Haberdashery photo: https://www.pinterest.com/isaactimberlake/mens-fashion-ideas/