New York State Commission for the Blind Unveils New “Yield to the Blind” Traffic Signs in Celebration of White Cane Awareness Day
Event Highlights White Canes as Important Mobility Tools and Calls on Motorists to Yield to Blind Pedestrians
Commission for the Blind Programs Support More Than 8,000 New Yorkers Annually
B-Roll and audio of the event is available here
The New York State Commission for the Blind (NYSCB) today hosted a White Cane Awareness Day celebration to educate the public on state laws requiring motorists to yield to blind pedestrians and to highlight how the long, white cane offers increased independence and mobility for blind or low vision individuals.
NYSCB, a division of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), also unveiled new “Yield to the Blind” traffic signs that have been newly installed at the intersection outside OCFS’s main office campus in Rensselaer.
OCFS Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said “Approximately 300 pedestrians are killed and 15,000 are injured by motor vehicles each year on New York State roadways. While we don’t have statistics on how many of those pedestrians might be blind, our blind residents are more vulnerable and we must do all we can to protect them. OCFS is proud to be of service to 8,000+ New Yorkers who are blind and low vision. White Cane Awareness Day is one example of where government and community partner to promote safety and awareness. We thank Mayor Michael Stammel and the City of Rensselaer for collaborating with us in this traffic safety initiative that helps promote equity and accessibility to New Yorkers who are blind.”
“Using a white cane provides individuals the ability to travel safely and independently, which then helps enable them to live productive lives in the community,” said Julie Hovey, OCFS associate commissioner for NYSCB. “White Cane Awareness Day is celebrated each year in October to increase the public’s awareness of this important mobility aid.”
Under New York State law, only people who are blind or visually impaired are permitted to use a long cane that is metallic, white, or white with a red tip on any street or highway. The special, long white cane is meant to be a prominent signal that the person using it is blind or visually impaired. Vehicles must come to a complete stop and grant the person who is blind or visually impaired the right of way when they are approaching an intersection or crosswalk.
In addition to unveiling the new traffic signs at the intersection of Washington St. and Third Ave., installed in partnership with the City of Rensselaer, the celebration included a demonstration on the use of the white cane.
Madison Nizolek, a NYSCB mobility instructor, explained that individuals who are blind or visually impaired learn how to use a white cane by working with an orientation and mobility specialist. “The white cane helps detect obstacles, drop-offs and surface changes in addition to identifying someone as having vision loss,” Nizolek said. “About 85-90% of individuals using a white cane have residual vision they can use to help them navigate their environments, including stairs, escalators, sidewalks, country roads, bus travel and street crossings.”
NYSCB provides critical services each year to thousands of New Yorkers who are blind or visually impaired. NYSCB’s vocational rehabilitation program alone served 3,468 New Yorkers with 368 of those participants placed in employment, during federal fiscal year 2022-23. Additional services were provided to 3,066 older blind individuals and 1,498 children, while 62 vendors were employed under the Business Enterprise Program.
Rensselaer Mayor Michael Stammel said “I am happy to have the NYS OCFS offices here in the City of Rensselaer and work with the Commission for the Blind, to ensure every person and employee feels safe, when walking our sidewalks and crossing our streets going to and from work.”
About the New York State Commission for the Blind:
The New York State Commission for the Blind (NYSCB) assists New York State residents of all ages who are legally blind or deafblind to live independent and productive lives by providing vocational counseling, advocacy, rehabilitation training and employment services.
About the New York State Office of Children and Family Services:
The Office of Children and Family Services serves New York's public by promoting the safety, permanency and well-being of children, families and communities. The agency provides a system of family support, juvenile justice, youth development, child care and child welfare services and is responsible for programs and services involving foster care, adoption and adoption assistance, child protective services, preventive services for children and families, and protective programs for vulnerable adults.
###