Myths and truths about blindness
On the occasion of the White Cane Awareness Day, on Tuesday, October 15, at 18:00, liminal, in collaboration with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), is offering an experiential workshop aimed at familiarization with visual disabilities.
Have you ever wondered how to safely accompany a blind person?
How can we help a blind person at a restaurant or a cafe?
What are some of the most common myths about blindness?
What is a blind person doing in a movie theater or a museum?
Did you ever have any questions about visual disability, but were too embarrassed to ask them, or had no one to ask?
This experiential workshop is the most suitable and safe place to answer all your questions, even those you didn’t know you had.
Speakers
Maria Kapogianni, psychologist, and Yannis Vitsos, journalist, share their experiences with the public and provide us with necessary knowledge about visual disability.
Maria Thrasyvoulidi, actress and head of accessibility services at liminal, presents tools that allow autonomous and unobstructed enjoyment of art by all.
A few words about the White Cane
The white cane is a navigation or recognition aid for people with impaired vision. Using a cane helps a person who is blind or visually impaired explore their surroundings, avoid obstacles and use tactile information to find their way, such as where to cross a road safely.
By now, the white cane is a symbol of freedom, self-confidence and independence for people with visual disabilities. Its use allows visually impaired people to move freely in their surroundings, and fulfill their daily tasks with autonomy.
Why is the white cane white?
In 1921, James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol, became the first person to paint his cane white. He was blinded after an accident, and was worried about traffic around his home. So, he decided to paint his cane white so that drivers could see it from a distance and stop. In 1930, George A. Bonham, chairman of the Lions Club of Peoria in Illinois, watched a blind man try to cross a street. The man’s stick was black and the drivers couldn’t see it; so, Bonham suggested that they paint the stick white, adding a red stripe on its edge to make it even easier to discern. Thus, canes are now white with a red stripe.
Useful information about the event
Production: liminal
Meeting Point: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center Central Lobby
Start time: 18.00
Duration: 120’
Number of participants: up to 25 people
📍 The activity will take place at the Multifunctional Space ΙΙ, and will be followed by a tour of Stavros Niarchos Park.
Free admission
Sine up via email at [email protected], or by phone at 2168091000.
All areas of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center are accessible to people with disabilities. For more information click here.
The event will feature simultaneous interpretation into the Greek Sign Language.
The event is implemented thanks to an exclusive grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
