As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the 2022 White Cane Safety Day, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disability, James Lalu, have the described the day as a Day Independence for the visually impaired.
White Cane Day was started in the United States when the then US President Lyndon Johnson and the US Congress signed a joint resolution on October 6, 1964, proclaiming October 15 of every year as White Cane Safety Day.
In a statement by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr. Nasir Gwarzo, last Friday, he quoted the minister as saying, “the day is meant to raise awareness on the importance of White Cane and its role in the lives of the blind and visually impaired persons, as well as celebrate their achievements.
“A White Cane is an important mobility tool for the blind or visually impaired persons, as well as the symbol of their independence. The history of White Canes dates back to the early 20th century and is painted white to be more easily visible.
“White Cane Safety Day celebration has been adopted by many other countries after the United States and features a lot of activities ranging from road walks, film shows, press conferences/releases, and other social events to showcase the White Cane.”
Also, Lalu in a statement, while felicitating with the over 1.13 million Nigerians who are visually impaired, said, With the help of white cane, the blind can not only move freely but also quickly. It makes it easier for them to avoid obstacles.
“People portray their creativity in the media and they get celebrated but to me, the real heroes of creativity are the blind in Nigeria. They have made us proud and they continue to do so with their awesome creativities in so many dimensions.
“I celebrate Judith O. Mosses, an extremely brilliant young lady at the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, who despite being visually impaired, has been moving mountains to make the commission proud.”
