White Cane EtiquetteWhite Canes are adaptive aids used by people who are blind or Visually Impaired to enable them to travel more safely. As such, the White Cane is medical equipment. Many people who are not familiar with a White Cane or do not know its use may be tempted to engage the person with the White Cane. However, without realizing it, they may put the person in danger by interfering with their use of the white cane. To successfully use a white cane, a person must receive extensive Orientation & Mobility (O&M) training. This involves at least 40 hours of training with a certified O&M instructor. Below are some general guidelines that you will find helpful.
- Never touch, grab or interfere with a white cane.
- If possible, make way for a person with a white cane.
- People with white canes frequently get questions about their use, so if you get the short version of an answer, don’t feel slighted.
- Talking to a person with a white cane, or guide dog, at an intersection may be dangerous for the person with the cane. They will be listening to traffic patterns to determine when it is safe to cross.
- Feel free to offer to help a blind person cross the street. They will tell you if they want help and what can of help is appropriate.
- A person with a guide dog still needs to maintain their white cane skills because there will be planned and emergency situations where they will need the white cane. Many guide dog handlers carry a white cane for that reason.
- It is dangerous, both to the person & the public in general, to give a person who is blind or visually impaired a white cane without appropriate O&M training.
- Below is a picture of a white cane.
