White Cane Day shows chances for blind people
JACKSON TWP — National White Cane Day isn't as popular as National Coffee Day or National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, but it is far more important.
The celebration of white canes was initiated by Congress in 1964 to be held annually Oct. 15 in recognition of the independence blind people achieved when they were granted the ability to travel without a companion in 1930.
Nearly 90 years later, the impact of that decision and celebration of this day is still making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities everywhere.
One of these people is Brandon Wingard, an eighth grade student at Ryan Gloyer Middle School who was born with CHARGE syndrome, iris and retina colobomas, nystagmus and subluxed lenses which all contribute to his diagnosis of being legally blind.
Brandon was asked to read a special announcement to his peers Monday to teach them about National White Cane Day.
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Jessica Sloan, the vision and orientation and mobility teacher employed by the Intermediate Midwestern Unit IV, said she asked if Brandon could make an in-school announcement about the significance of White Cane Day two weeks before the date and said they did all the research, wrote what he would say and practiced reading the short speech as part of his lessons.
“I just did that in front of 1,300 people,” Brandon said. “I can't believe I just did that.”
Despite being shocked at his own bravery, making an announcement to the whole school, Brandon said he would like to do it again.
Brandon is legally blind and has to overcome the challenges and obstacles presented by his impairment, but is obsessed with cars, sports, animals and Fortnite just like any other 14-year-old boy, Sloan said.
“I like to go to Jeep Fest,” Brandon said. “It's like super fun.”
Sloan also said “you can tell he's a jokester” when he continued to tease his instructor during his Friday lessons near the community park in Zelienople.
Recently, Brandon also was able to participate in another special day for children like him when he got to play blind hockey.
Penguins Blind Hockey is an organization established by the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation in June 2016 to provide “youth, adults and veterans who are blind or visually impaired with an opportunity to participate in the sport of blind ice hockey,” according to the Penguins Blind Hockey website.
“It's a newer opportunity for kids who are visually impaired,” Sloan said.
Brandon's mom, Robin Wingard, said there are pockets of blind hockey programs throughout the United States and in Canada, and that Brandon is pretty lucky to have a program so close to home.
Hockey is Brandon's favorite sport, and he said the program was fun for him because it's challenging and he likes his teammates.
The sport is modified for participants with a bigger, slower puck that makes more noise as it moves across the ice and helmets that have special tinted visors to reduce the glare from the ice and improve visibility.
Sloan, who has been working with Brandon for four years, said that, as opportunities for blind and otherwise impaired children and adults grow, it is important to learn about the history and significance of events like White Cane Day.
Wingard said even Brandon's teammates at blind hockey didn't know when White Cane Day was.
“He didn't realize that today was the day,” she said.
The goal to improve awareness and celebrate the independence of blind people is one Sloan said she was working toward with her other impaired students in the district as well, though most of them were interested in doing crafts like making white canes for key chains.
