HISTORY FOR THE WHITE CANE

     In B.E. 2473 (1930)  the Lions Club of lllinois started to encourage blind  people  to  use  a white  cane  
  when  traveling.  The  white  cane  has  since  become a  symbol  for  identifying  a  perdon  who  has  
  avision  problem.
	B.Eb 2488 ( 1945 ) is avery  important   year  in  the  history  of  orientation  and  mobility because 
  it is in  that  year   the  orientation  and  mobility  began  to  be  taught  to  blind  people  at Valley  Forge  Hospital  
  by  Dr.  Richard  Hoover,  Who  was  the  Director of  the  Physical  Therapy  Center. Dr,Hoover  noticed  that  blind  
  patients  who  used  short  and  heavy  canes  when  walking  were  very  clumsy. Therefore,  he developed  a  longer  
  and  lighter  white  cane  and  inteoduced  correct  techniques  in  using  the  cane.
	At  present  orientation  and  mobility  courses  are  widely  taught  in  many  institutes  around  the  world.
  There  are  programs  in  the  USA,  Australia, England, Indonesia, and India that train Orientation and Mobility Instructors.  
	In Thailand the first orientation and mobility teachers were sent to other countries to be trained, usually in the
  USA, Malaysia and India. In B.E. 2527  (1984)  the Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM)  of Germany granted funds to the 
  Division of Special Education, Department of General Education to train the first group of Orientation and mobility 
  instructors in Thailand. CBM sent Mr. Thomas James Blair, an Austrian consultant to CBM, to conduct this training. 
  This first course ran from April 9th to August 9th, 1984.
	Types of canes:
	-   Foldable canes 
	-   Rigid canes
	-   Laser canes - they give an audible feedback when the person using the cane is approaching an obstacle
  	    in his path or if there is a difference between ground surfaces (such as curbs, stairs, etc.)

back