The first special white cane ordinance was passed in december 1930 in peoria illinois granting blind pedestrians protections and the right of way while carrying a white cane.
Long white canes for the blind.
It is shown with a modern iowa cane for size comparison.
The iowa cane is 58 inches long with practice this simple device allowed a blind person to go anywhere he or she wanted alone.
The cane is 56 inches long.
None of these canes are suitable for leaning on so if you are visually impaired and want a weight bearing cane your best option is to go for a white support cane.
The way that the cane is used is by sweeping the area in front of you in the direction that you are moving to.
The long white cane provided a level of independence that at one time was not seen as either advisable or achievable.
It will not aid your mobility in the way the guide canes do but it will act as an id cane.
For more information on cane travel and techniques we invite you to read care and feeding of the long white cane.
The three main kinds are the id or symbol cane the guide cane and the long cane.
Commonly known by many names including blind cane blind person walking stick or the blind people stick the white cane or the long cane has helped the blind and the visually impaired to move freely and with ease for a very long time.