White Cane: Walk with me
On the occasion of the White Cane Safety Day, liminal in collaboration with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) offers an experiential workshop for raising awareness about visual disabilities in the SNFCC.
White Cane: Walk with me
On Sunday the 15th of October 2023 we invite you to an experiential workshop dedicated to visual impairment and the everyday life of blind or partially sighted people. The workshop aims to familiarize and raise awareness about the barriers faced by people with visual disabilities, inclusion and the right to independent living.
Presenters and guests
Anna Maria Foskolou, president of the association Arogi, which consists of people with visual disabilities and is active in the Cyclades, interacts and shares with the audience the experience of the transition from light to darkness and the value of the white cane in the everyday life of a person without sight who wants to live safely and independently.
Kalliopi Gika, Art Guide for Visitors with Visual Disabilities and Operations Manager of the Tactual Museum, presents in an experiential way the concept of designing the multi-sensory tour in Stavros Niarchos Park for visitors with partial or total vision loss.
They will be joined by George Dotas with Athena, his Guide Dog, who will share with the visitors the value of the independence that a Guide Dog offers to people with visual impairment in everyday life.
About the White Cane
A white cane is a navigation or identification aid for people living with sight loss. The use of a cane helps a person who is blind or partially sighted explore their surroundings, avoid obstacles and use tactile information to find their way, such as where to cross the road safely.
A long white cane is the mobility aid most people who are blind of have low vision choose to use. As it is so widely used, the white cane has become an internationally recognised symbol of blindness and low vision.
Moreover, the white cane has become a symbol of freedom, confidence and independence for people with visual impairments. Its use allows people with visual impairments to move freely in their environment and to carry out their daily tasks with autonomy.
Why is the white cane white?
In 1921, James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol, became the first man to paint his cane white. He went blind after an accident and was concerned about traffic around his house. So he decided to paint his walking stick white so that drivers could see it from a distance and stop. In 1930, George A. Bonham, president of the Peoria, Illinois Lions Club, watched a blind man try to cross a street. The man’s cane was black and drivers couldn’t see it, so Bonham suggested that they paint the cane white, adding a red stripe to the edge to make it even more visible. So now the sticks are white with a red stripe.
Useful information about the event
Speakers: Anna Maria Foskolou – Kalliopi Gkika
Production: liminal
Meeting point: Reception of SNFCC
Time: 11:30 for the public and 17:00 for SNFCC’s members
Duration: 120’
Number of participants: up to 25 persons
The event will take place in the Multipurpose Hall II and will be followed by a tour of the Stavros Niarchos Park.
Free entrance
Registration via email at [email protected] and by phone at 2168091000.
