Proclamation 3913—White Cane Safety Day, 1969

That blindness is a tragedy is known to all men. That courage and determination can help the blind to transcend that tragedy is not nearly as well known.

A symbol of the blind person's determination to help himself and to live a normal life is the white cane. More than a traveling aid for blind people, the familiar white cane has become—to those who can see—a reminder of the tremendous strides which have been made by the blind in adjusting to the world of sight.

A blind man or woman using a white cane can travel with greater confidence and safety on the Nation's streets. This confidence is reflected in other activities, such as education and employment, where the blind can make needed and highly valued contributions. Thus, the white cane helps the blind person to help himself by increasing the range of his activities.

To make our citizens more fully aware of the significance of the white cane, and of the need for motorists to exercise caution and courtesy when approaching its bearer, the Congress, by a joint resolution, approved October 6, 1964 (78 Stat. 1003), has authorized the President to issue annually a proclamation designating October 15 as White Cane Safety Day.

Now, Therefore, I, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 15, 1969, as White Cane Safety Day.

I urge all Americans to observe this day by increasing their understanding of the problems of the blind, learning more about the accomplishments of the blind, and seeking ways in which the blind may add even more than they already have to their own personal fulfillment and to the progress of our Nation.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and sixty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and ninety-third.

RICHARD NIXON