News
International White Cane Day 2019
Prominent businesspeople joined Guide Dogs Victoria (GDV) Clients on a sensory walking tour of Melbourne on Tuesday to celebrate International White Cane Day.
Held on October 15 each year, International White Cane Day honours and recognises the achievements and independence of people with low vision and blindness. The day also raises awareness of the importance of the white cane.
To promote greater accessibility and education in the community, GDV invited the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of several key organisations to go under blindfold or simulation and take a walk in the shoes of a person with low vision or blindness.
GDV CEO Karen Hayes was accompanied on the sensory tour by CEO of Metro Trains Raymond O’Flaherty, Public Transport Victoria and Vic Roads CEO Jeroen Weimar and Landers and Rogers Chief Executive Partner Genevieve Collins.
Starting at Flinders Street, the tour moved through busy city locations and required participants to complete everyday tasks, like boarding public transport, buying coffee and crossing the road. Participants experienced a range of surfaces and sounds, relying on senses other than sight to find their way.
The tour highlighted the challenges cane users can face on a daily basis and the importance of accessibility in public spaces. The CEOs and Clients were supported by a team of GDV’s expert Orientation and Mobility Specialists. At the completion of the tour, the CEOs shared their newfound insights and took part in a Q&A session with GDV Clients and Staff.
