White Cane Day stops traffic in North Fort Myers
During busy morning traffic Thursday, a group of individuals – both visually impaired and fully sighted – crossed a busy local roadway to bring awareness to National White Cane Day.
To note how dangerous crossing the street truly is for the blind, there were three incidents within a one-half hour period where someone could have been hurt. That’s according to organizer Doreen King, who has been busy with several events to promote the day and the cause.
“It’s been a great success,” she said. “We are getting awareness for what a white cane means.
“What we want to do is educate people about the White Cane Act,” she continued. “The White Cane Act is that people using white canes have the right-of-way crossing any street. Most don’t know the law about right-of-way to those with white canes.”
Doris Hammer of North Fort Myers was one of the participants.
“I have a son who has eye trouble since birth so I’ve been active with those type of organizations, associated with vision. We just moved here and learned of the Lion’s Club commitment to it. But crossing today was a scary feeling – learning what the blind have to go through,” she said.
“You manage to get through life with what you have but these are true overcomers.”
“Scary” was also the word WINK-TV personality Miriam Zamorano used to describe her experience of being personally involved in the event.
She was blindfolded and crossed the intersection.
“It was literally like falling off a cliff,” she said. “I have sight problems, I wear contacts and can’t see well without them. But this was totally different.”
She said the strange thing was that the area is somewhere she knows well – she lives nearby.
“But with this I felt very vulnerable,” she said.
Lee County Sheriff Office analyst Evan Connell, who is legally blind, was also one of the crossers, who is legally blind.
“I also wanted to bring awareness to White Cane Day,” he said. “We got with the sheriff (North Fort Myers resident Mike Scott) who was fully behind helping us with this, giving us full backing and support, along with Deputy Jarrod Cantrell.”
Police helped with the event, and Connell said it is a reminder for all law enforcement as well.
Douglas Fowler, executive director of the local Visually Impaired Persons Center in North Fort Myers, was also an active participant.
“It’s important people know about this, and understand that white canes have the right-of-way to travel safely across an intersection,” he said. “If you see someone with a white cane, you must yield, no matter what traffic signals are.”
King said she and others are petitioning the state legislature to make The White Cane Act – or at least one question about it – part of all driver’s license tests.
King enjoys working with the local Lion’s Club, and several Lions were there at the event. She’s chairman of the membership committee.
“We need new members,” she said.
Lions are well known for their work with vision.
The club meets the third Wednesday of each month at noon at Buddy Freddy’s Restaurant located on the corner of Pine Island Road and Business 41, one of the reasons they choose that intersection for the event.
The agencies that will receive funds from all of the month’s activities, including a walk-a-thon, include the Blinded Veterans Association, Cape Coral Lions for Lions Camp, Florida Council For the Blind Southwest Chapter, VIP (Visually Impaired Persons) Center in North Fort Myers and the Southeastern Guide Dogs – Florida’s only school that provides service dogs and guide dogs to the blind.
Other institutions that will benefit include “Pets For Patriots,” which provides guide dogs for blinded veterans of Iraq and Radio Reading Service.
King was part of the 6th Annual Vision Awareness Walkathon held Oct. 3 at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers and later on Oct. 15 was treading water in her community pool to raise funds for the Florida Council For The Blind, with pledges for how long she lasted.
She is visually impaired.
“Last year I floated for 4 hours and 15 minutes, which totaled $770 in pledges,” she said. “Total fund-raising last year was $12,000. My goal this year is $1,000.”
Lions are known to champion sight, and this event goes along with their mission.
If you’d like to get involved with the local Lions Club or need more information, call King at 217-0174.