Two women will be setting off on a walk meant to gain attention and offer awareness of the visually impaired and white cane users.
Mary Kennedy, who lives outside of Innisfail, will be meeting up with her friend Sue Boman, who has initiated White Canes Connections Walks that will take place throughout towns and cities across Canada for the next four months.
“There are a number of people who have no idea what a white cane is,” said Kennedy, who was asked by Boman to join her on the walk through Innisfail. The two, both visually impaired themselves, met at a support group put on by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
“A white cane indicates visual impairment,” Kennedy explained, adding that it can help the person using the cane identify uneven terrain, depth or other obstacles that may be in the way.
She said the walk isn't a fundraiser; it's meant to start discussion and awareness and anyone can participate.
The walk starts at 11 a.m. at McDonald's on May 24.
“A year ago I thought of it,” said Boman who started the walks in B.C. March 23. “I wondered what it feels like and what people think about the uneven ground,” in their area. She said while curiosity was what initiated her campaign, her priorities have now shifted. Her Number 1 priority is to promote awareness. Her second priority is to talk to people and see what their experiences with visual impairment are.
She said so far, the feedback has been excellent. One community she visited had uneven sidewalks that made it difficult for people to walk on.
“After the walk an access committee decided to improve it. I consider that a success,” she said.
Boman has been legally blind since 1986. “The feelings I had at the beginning are different now. I'm a lot more used to it now,” she said, adding that losing vision can be very traumatic. “I have sympathy for people whose eyesight is changing. You lose part of yourself when you lose your vision.”
Boman plans to reach Newfoundland September 23, six months to the date from when she started in B.C. While she's not doing a direct walk across the country, she is doing a series of walks in various towns and cities and driving the distances in between.
Boman has written about her White Canes Connections Walks. Her entries can be read at www.whitecaneconnections.blogspot.com.
