ALLENTOWN, Pa. – For hundreds of visually impaired people in our area, October 15th is very important. It’s National White Cane Day, which is a time to call attention to the dangers that blind pedestrians deal with every day.
Washington Street in Allentown has been identified by those in the blind community as one of the worst for pedestrians. The sidewalks have been pushed up by the root systems, making them very difficult to cross. It’s just one example that is being highlighted.
“You’re listening to the sound of the engines, you’re listening to the flow of traffic. People do not understand that, so they often don’t understand how we can do life being blind,” said Dianne Michels of Allentown.
On this National White Cane Day, Michels is asking all drivers to slow down so she can make a safe street crossing.
“I live four blocks from the park and can’t get to it. To me, that’s a very frustrating thing,” Michels said.
Rita Lang has been visually impaired almost all her life. When she was six, she was diagnosed with Renitis Pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that impacts light on the retina.
“I’m very much into hiking and walking. I’m into walking the trails of the Lehigh Valley, I love music. I love going out to listen to bands,” said Lang.
Lang uses her cane to get across the street safely.
“So many times, drivers aren’t even paying attention to that,” Lang said.
Back to those bumpy sidewalks. Rita uses different cane tips to pick up those uneven walkways.
“This is called the marshmallow tip. So it actually spins,” Lang said, showing off the end of her white cane.
Lan gand Michels are both members of Sights for Hope, an organization in Allentown with more than 600 clients in the Lehigh Valley and Monroe County.
“Many people make assumptions that if you’re blind, it’s hopeless and helpless. That’s not at all the case,” Michels said.
National White Cane Day was established in 1964, and since 2011, it’s also known as Blind Americans Equality Day.