International white cane day

I'm sure people more or less know what a white cane is, but I know also people who have still no idea, sadly. White cane is practically eyes for someone who doesn't see. It doesn't need to be completely blind person that gets it, it can be also a person who has low vision. Even my mother has it (doesn't use it though) and it is useful because those that do know what it means, they behave differently, make space, stop the car etc. 

I'm listening to radio while writing this. "Life with white cane", almost an hour long segment dedicated to international white cane day aired yesterday and is now available online. The segment is divided in five parts. First segment is about guide dogs, their friendship and how the blind people rely on them, what is allowed and what not. Second is interview with a blind girl who used to be my coworker at the library for blind and is now living in GB. Third segment is that blindness can't be excuse for something. Story about an actress who doesn't see. Fourth is about software for blind and partially sighted. This segment is interview with a different ex-coworker of mine. He talks about software they use, braille line, text-to-voice, smart phones etc. Last segment is about employment of blind and partially sighted people. It is interesting to listen.

Here I would like to mention deafblindness as well. We all for sure heard about Hellen Keller who didn't see nor hear. This week we had a small group of people for a visit in our library. I couldn't help but watch them and be somehow amazed. I'm used to blind people, didn't really come in contact with deaf people so I also don't know sign language (should put it on my bucket list, same as braille). The introduction of library was done by my colleague and beside her stood a "translator" for sign language for those that still saw well enough but couldn't hear. What amazed me were the "couples" who held hands and through hands made the sign language or wrote on hands. One "couple" was a deaf woman who saw still well to see the sign language of translator and then through hands like walkie talkie "told" the man what was said. Just wow. Really something to see and it made me think for a while.

Love what you have, you may think it isn't much but compared to other people, you're rich.