October 15, 2014 
International White Cane Safety Day is celebrated on October 15th…
In Croatia, the celebration of this day began in 1996 so that Croatia joined many countries in which the International Day of the white cane grown to be the International Day of the Blind, which is when the general public is acquainted with the problems of blind people.
International White Cane Safety Day is celebrated every year on 15 October, since 1964, when Lyndon Johnson, president of the United States at the time, proclaimed White Cane Safety Day.
The white cane is traffic trademark of the blind in the thickening traffic, but also a tool which enables the blind to independently move on familiar ground.
For a stick to become a helping tool, a blind person has to undergo a course of instruction in mobility during which he or she overcomes the basic techniques and skills of using a stick, basic traffic rules and configuration of the terrain where they will move independently.
The initiative to use the white cane as a trademark of blind people in traffic, was introduced by Miss Guilly d’Herbmont on October 15, 1930. But only after the Second World War, the white cane, and in a form of a so-called long white cane, began to be used as a mobility aid for the blind.
Blind people are often, they say, treated as second-class citizens, although in all of Croatia there is around 5500. In Croatia, there are 350 deafblind persons who due to the double damage of both vision and hearing are in need of support in communication and mobility.
Everyday problems of the blind are almost unimaginable to those who see. Because of the holes in the road, all kinds of obstacles, crowded markets and maladaptive approach to state institutions, they should be accompanied all the time by someone who can see. White cane is a long arm of the blind person, everything else beyond the scope of this stick is a great mystery and danger for a person who does not see. Blindness has always been and will be a severe disability and it is crucial to constantly monitor the specific needs and problems of the blind.
Lucikly, modern technology today makes life much easier, but still, regardless of the modern improvements, there are specific needs that can be addressed only with permanent work and helping each individual who is affected by this type of disability.
Taken from: www.skole.hr