Lions Club members provide for those with sight challenge

The Dominica Lions Club will on Friday, October 15, 2010 provide three white canes to the Dominica Association of Persons with Disabilities as they join the rest of the World in observing White Cane Day.

This volunteer activity will take place at 11:00 a.m. at the office of the Dominica Association of Persons with Disabilities in Goodwill and is considered to be beneficial to the Association and the Lions Club as it will allow for three more persons to become less dependent on others and more independent in meeting their own needs by moving about on their own free will.

White Cane day is celebrated by Lions Worldwide since 1921, when James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol, England, became blind following an accident. Because he was feeling uncomfortable with the amount of traffic around his home, he painted his walking stick white to be more easily visible.

In 1930, the late George A. Bonham, President of the Peoria Lions Club (Illinois) introduced the idea of using the white cane with a red band as a means of assisting the blind in independent mobility. The Peoria Lions approved the idea, white canes were made and distributed, and the Peoria City Council adopted an ordinance giving the bearers the right-of-way to cross the street. News of the club’s activity spread quickly to other Lions clubs throughout the United States, and their visually handicapped friends experimented with the white canes. Overwhelming acceptance of the white cane idea by the blind and sighted alike quickly gave cane users a unique method of identifying their special need for travel consideration among their sighted counterparts.

The Club is also asking members of the public to support them during the course of the days to come by contributing towards their White Cane Tag sale, proceeds of which will go towards the Association $1 day activity on October 24.

Dominica Lions Club would like to thank everyone who will contribute to this important work. You are truly helping Lions make a difference in our community.”