White Cane Safety Day 15 October 2025

• Type: Important Days and Current Affairs.
• Observed on: 15 October
• Mission: To create awareness of the rights, independence and safety of the visually impaired or blind persons. They represent their liberty of movement using the white cane.

Key Points:

• The cane that is white in color is used as a mobility aid, as well as an indicator of visual disability.
• It promotes community awareness, sight and support of blind and visually challenged people.
• Awareness walks, support activities and community events are held globally to be more accessible and inclusive.

History & Origin:

• There were early mobility aids (help of the blind), which had been in existence centuries before; however, in the 20th-century, the white cane became widely recognised.
• 1921: Bristolian blind photographer James Biggs painted his cane white so that he could see.
• France: Guilly d Herbemont started the National White Stick Movement selling blind people, including veterans of the WWI, white canes.
• USA: Lions Clubs International encouraged the use of white canes with the blind war veterans.
• 1964: A joint Congressional resolution made White Cane Safety Day a national holiday and was declared as such by the U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson on October 15.

Current Affairs Relevance (2025):

• Presents international campaigns toward comprehensive mobility and accessibility.
• The governments and NGOs encourage road safety regulations, education, and policies to benefit the visually impaired citizens.
• Stresses that the society has a duty to ensure that the white cane is acknowledged and help provided.