The Baton Rouge community gathered September 14 in observance of White Cane Safety Day. The event, sponsored by Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (LSVI) and the Usher Syndrome Awareness of Louisiana, was held in Town Square in downtown Baton Rouge. After welcoming attendees, Dr. James Llorens, Interim Chief Administrative Officer of the Mayor’s office, participated in white cane training led by an LSVI student. Cheerleaders from Helix Charter Academy followed suit by training with Lighthouse’s Carmen McLain. In addition to offering information regarding the services available for the visually impaired, Lighthouse staff collaborated on a scavenger hunt throughout downtown Baton Rouge for students from LSVI and other organizations.
“All the awareness activities were designed to encourage participants to stay active within their respective communities, learning cane skills with and without a blindfold, and/or interacting with students,” said Blanche Faulk, LSVI Outreach Director. “White Cane Awareness Day allows adults and students alike the opportunity to learn from each other and educate one another about issues impacting the visually impaired community.”
Dr. Fussell extends a special thanks to Dr. Llorens from the City of Baton Rouge and Chris Toomes from Helix Charter Academy for joining Lighthouse Louisiana at this event.