Visually impaired individuals join celebration of White Cane Safety Day

MORE than 50 visually-impaired trainees of the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) II in barangay Labangon, Cebu City recently joined the celebration of White Cane Safety Day.

The yearly activity aimed to promote and protect the physical, moral and social well-being of the visually impaired individuals.

It also aimed to raise awareness on the plight of persons with disabilities (PWDs) as well as uphold their rights.

A lecture on the basic sighted guide techniques and an actual simulation on the use of a cane were undertaken by all the trainees. The event capped off with an exposure tour at SM City Cebu in North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.

The trainees were taught by their tour guides how to ride a passenger jeepney and disembark from the vehicle on their way to the SM mall.

While inside the mall, they interacted with the sales ladies and cashiers and were able to experience shopping at the supermarket for the first time. They also rode an escalator and elevator for the first time.

The use of the white cane was started by Bristol photographer James Biggs in 1921 after he lost his vision in an accident. Biggs chose the white cane because it is visible to pedestrians and motorists during nighttime.

AVRC is a non-residential institution of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) that offers livelihood courses for PWDs, such as therapeutic massage, motor rewinding, basic electronics, dressmaking, carpentry, commercial cooking and cosmetology.