October was awareness month--what did your organization/school do to recognize it?
CSDB Celebrates White Cane Day!
People who are blind or visually impaired often cannot see obstacles in their path, steps, or changes in terrain. The white cane touches the ground in front of them and enables them to feel for steps, uneven ground and obstacles. It is in this way that blind people are able to travel independently and why the white cane is regarded, not only as a tool for travel, but as a symbol of independence. October 15th is known around the world as White Cane Day. It is on this day that we celebrate the white cane and the accomplishments of people who are blind and visually impaired in our society.
With the approval and support of Lou Tutt, Program Coordinator for the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind's School for the Blind, students and staff celebrated the white cane as a tool of independence and educated others about the white cane and blindness.
Because we have both deaf and blind students on our campus, we thought White Cane Day would be the perfect opportunity to teach the deaf students about the white cane-and we decided to do it with cookies! During the week leading up to White Cane Day, the students were busy in their Daily Living Skills classes making cookies that (sometimes) looked like white canes with a black handle and red at the bottom. On the morning of White Cane Day, the blind elementary students, their teachers and the Orientation and Mobility (O&M) staff traveled to the school for the deaf building and stopped by each class to share White Cane Cookies and a brief lesson on the white cane.
[cid:image003.jpg@01CB7B60.8A3BC1C0]
The O&M staff also traveled around to other buildings on campus with students from the special needs classroom to distribute cookies to CSDB staff. When we stopped by the administration building, Superintendent Carol Hilty welcomed us with a big smile and happily accepted the plate full of cookies we'd brought.
That afternoon, the middle school and high school students from the school for the blind, their teachers and the O&M staff boarded our school bus and headed downtown where we split up into small groups and walked around downtown, crossed streets using white canes and carried posters the students had made in art class proclaiming that "My white cane means I'm blind or visually impaired," "White Cane = Independence" and that "Motorists should ALWAYS yield to pedestrians." Many Colorado Springs residents stopped our students to ask them about White Cane Day and their canes and our students were happy to educate them.
[cid:image004.jpg@01CB7B60.8A3BC1C0]
When all was said and done, many people came away from White Cane Day with a better understanding of blindness and the white cane!
Robin Theryoung, COMS
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind
33 N. Institute St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
E-mail: rtheryoung@csdb.orgmailto:rtheryoung@csdb.org
Phone: 719/578-2231
CSDB... "Learning, Thriving, Leading"
Please remove my name from this listserv. Thank you.
Carol Farrenkopf
From: admindiv-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org [mailto:admindiv-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Robin Theryoung
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 4:08 PM
To: 'admindiv-bounces@lists.aerbvi.org'; 'admindiv@lists.aerbvi.org'
Subject: [Admindiv] October was awareness month--what did your organization/school do to recognize it?
CSDB Celebrates White Cane Day!
People who are blind or visually impaired often cannot see obstacles in their path, steps, or changes in terrain. The white cane touches the ground in front of them and enables them to feel for steps, uneven ground and obstacles. It is in this way that blind people are able to travel independently and why the white cane is regarded, not only as a tool for travel, but as a symbol of independence. October 15th is known around the world as White Cane Day. It is on this day that we celebrate the white cane and the accomplishments of people who are blind and visually impaired in our society.
With the approval and support of Lou Tutt, Program Coordinator for the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind's School for the Blind, students and staff celebrated the white cane as a tool of independence and educated others about the white cane and blindness.
Because we have both deaf and blind students on our campus, we thought White Cane Day would be the perfect opportunity to teach the deaf students about the white cane-and we decided to do it with cookies! During the week leading up to White Cane Day, the students were busy in their Daily Living Skills classes making cookies that (sometimes) looked like white canes with a black handle and red at the bottom. On the morning of White Cane Day, the blind elementary students, their teachers and the Orientation and Mobility (O&M) staff traveled to the school for the deaf building and stopped by each class to share White Cane Cookies and a brief lesson on the white cane.
[cid:image001.jpg@01CB7BFF.9AE24C70]
The O&M staff also traveled around to other buildings on campus with students from the special needs classroom to distribute cookies to CSDB staff. When we stopped by the administration building, Superintendent Carol Hilty welcomed us with a big smile and happily accepted the plate full of cookies we'd brought.
That afternoon, the middle school and high school students from the school for the blind, their teachers and the O&M staff boarded our school bus and headed downtown where we split up into small groups and walked around downtown, crossed streets using white canes and carried posters the students had made in art class proclaiming that "My white cane means I'm blind or visually impaired," "White Cane = Independence" and that "Motorists should ALWAYS yield to pedestrians." Many Colorado Springs residents stopped our students to ask them about White Cane Day and their canes and our students were happy to educate them.
[cid:image002.jpg@01CB7BFF.9AE24C70]
When all was said and done, many people came away from White Cane Day with a better understanding of blindness and the white cane!
Robin Theryoung, COMS
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind
33 N. Institute St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
E-mail: rtheryoung@csdb.orgmailto:rtheryoung@csdb.org
Phone: 719/578-2231
CSDB... "Learning, Thriving, Leading"
