Several Rhode Island agencies are sponsoring a free, family-friendly National White Cane Awareness Day celebration on Sunday, October 15, 2023, from 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza Atrium, 801 Greenwich Avenue in Warwick, RI. Please note the new location and time.
To access the event, use the Main Hotel Entrance. Volunteers will be available in the lobby to direct you to the event. A map can also be found below.
This family-friendly event will feature almost a dozen local agencies providing information about services for people with visual impairments. A face painter, balloon artist, free t-shirt giveaway, music, chocolate-covered pretzels designed to look like white canes, and light snacks will also be available.
A brief speaking program will begin at 2:00 p.m. It will feature presentations to a group of Rhode Island legislators who helped to secure funding for the Rhode Island Vision Education and Services program (RIVESP).
White canes were introduced in the 1930s to assist visually impaired pedestrians in traveling independently. They also helped motorists identify and yield to people using the white cane, and their use has been protected by law in the United States since that time. White Cane Safety Day, October 15, was established in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to raise awareness of people who carry a white cane.
Sponsors of Rhode Island’s White Cane Day celebration include IN-SIGHT, Rhode Island State Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Ocean State Center for Independent Living, National Federation of the Blind Rhode Island Chapter, Rhode Island Lions, Veterans Administration, Rhode Island Vision Education and Services Program, and Rhode Island Parents of Blind and Visually Impaired Children.
