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Blind Americans Equality Day is October 15, 2023

On Blind Americans Equality Day, we at Team AgLearn celebrate the essential contributions of blind and low-vision Americans, whose talents and strength shape every industry and every community.

Background

Blind Americans Equality Day, formerly known as White Cane Awareness Day, is celebrated every year on October 15 to highlight the challenges faced by people who are blind and provide resources to empower them. In the 1960s, the National Federation of the Blind External Link became a leader in fighting for the rights of the blind and in pioneering innovative training programs using the white cane. White canes represent the independence of blind people throughout the world and are used in a variety of ways. White canes help enhance the sense of touch, making it easier to recognize steps, uneven pavement, and hazards.

As a result of the National Federation of the Blind’s persistence in fighting for the rights of people who are blind, the United States Congress passed a law authorizing the president to proclaim October 6th as White Cane Safety Day. On October 15, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the first proclamation for White Cane Safety Day recognizing the role that white canes play in enabling blind people to travel independently and safely. In 2011, President Barack Obama renamed it “Blind Americans Equality Day” to reflect its significance and called on “all public officials, business and community leaders, educators, librarians, and Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.”

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