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World White Stick Day: How can we help users, and when should we not?
15/10/2021
OCTOBER is International Blindness Awareness Month – as you'll already know if you've entered Specsavers' 'name a baby future guide dog competition' – and today (Friday) is World White Stick Day, which has been aiming, since 1980, to raise the profile of those who use these universally-recognised tools to get about and to remind them we are thinking of them.
Used by the partially-sighted as well as those completely blind, white sticks are not as efficient as a guide dog, but are a godsend to anyone who was either born with limited or no eyesight or whose visual challenges were acquired in later life, and almost everyone, anywhere in the world, knows what they are.
Spain's national charity for the blind, ONCE, runs a daily lottery – you've probably seen ticket-sellers on the streets – and a high number of those with reduced or zero vision are members, given that they can call upon the organisation for practical support, or just for advice and information or ways of meeting others in their situation so they can compare notes.
Blindness or being partially-sighted is not necessarily a disability. When it has been present from birth or earliest childhood, the person in question will never have had to 'adapt' to a 'different way of life'; a blind person does have certain needs to enable him or her to access daily activities and jobs, but if those needs are met, they are just as capable as a sighted person.
After all, a large haul of Spain's Paralympic medals this year was won by sportsmen and sportswomen who are registered as legally blind, and their achievements would be difficult even for the average fully-sighted person to match.
ONCE worker Fátima talks us through it all
Head of social services for ONCE members in Madrid, Fátima Peinado, who is a white-stick user herself, explains that it's all about balance. Human nature is to want to be helpful to someone who appears disadvantaged in comparison to ourselves, and a person who seemingly ignores another who might be in need may not, necessarily, be selfish or thoughtless; they may be worried about being patronising and treating that other as someone 'incapable', crushing their self-confidence.
Imagine, for example, that you're fluent in Spanish but, as an expat, everyone in public assumed you needed help communicating and tried to interpret for you, making hand-signs, or speaking very slowly and deliberately in monosyllables – it would soon start to grate on you that you were automatically considered less able than the next person. On the other hand, if you come across another expat who's still learning Spanish, you wouldn't want to see them struggling and, if they were, you might offer to help out.
Fátima, like countless others in the same situation, is conscious of all this, and in an interview with the Spanish daily media for 'White Stick Day', sought to guide readers on how to help, when to help, and what life is really like for someone who cannot see fully, or at all.
Awareness is improving, but more can be done (town councils, take note)
“The majority of our towns and cities have improved greatly in terms of accessibility for people with visual disabilities, but there's still lots left to do,” Fátima says.
“For example, in Madrid, where I live, I have to say that our basic access needs are covered. Like beeping pedestrian crossings, or extra measures on public transport...all this means we can get about safely.
“But there are still hurdles that need to be solved. Such as pavements, where obstacles can prevent us moving around comfortably. Hoverboards or scooters are one example: People just leave them literally chucked down on the sidewalks, where we can trip over them.
“Restaurant menu boards, outside seating in bars that have spread out into pedestrian areas, wheelie-bins which are just dumped any old how when the bin-men empty them at night...”
Effectively, the public can help by simply not leaving anything 'in the way'. Not leaving shopping baskets in the middle of the supermarket aisle, taking a quick look behind you before you stop dead on the pavement, and always leaving enough space for someone else to pass you rather than walking four abreast and blocking the way.
And not just because you see someone with a white stick – a person with severe cataracts awaiting surgery may have trouble making out obstacles on the ground, or see much beyond shapes and colours, but would not typically be registered as legally blind and use a stick, particularly as their condition is one that can be completely reversed when they are called in for their operation, so you may not be aware of their situation just by looking at them.
Some use red-and-white sticks. What do they mean?
Although most of us know what a white stick means, we also need to be aware of red-and-white sticks, which are less-commonly recognised.
“White sticks are a fully-accepted symbol that you identify very well with people who have visual disabilities, but that's not the case with a red-and-white stick,” says Fátima.
“These indicate that the person using them, as well as being blind or partially-sighted, is also deaf or partially deaf.”
Green sticks are for those with some, but limited, vision.
It's another case where lack of information can lead to crossed wires – along with attempts to help that actually hinder the recipient of that help.
Well-intended actions can be frightening
“The best thing to do is to approach the person and ask if they need assistance, not to just assume they do automatically because they cannot see,” Fátima clarifies.
“As an example, we blind people often move in ways that make people think we're going to bump into something, fall over, or that we're lost. That's not always the case: It could be we're checking whether there's anything in our path, moving something aside, or working out where it's safe to step.”
One well-meaning gesture that does not help at all is when 'people make decisions for you, grab your arm or push you to one side without word or warning', Fátima admits.
“This can happen, when, perhaps, you're waiting for the metro, and someone suddenly grabs you thinking you're going to fall onto the track.
“That's terrifying for us, because we don't know that the person isn't actually trying to push us into the path of a train.
“Another thing that's quite distressing is when someone grabs your stick or lifts it up.
“We need to have it in our hand at all times, and in contact with the ground, because that's how we identify where stairs are, or where the ground is uneven, and we can lose our 'thread' if this contact with the ground is broken by someone moving our stick.
“Also, it can be confusing for us when people shout warnings at you, sometimes from some distance, such as, 'careful! There's a wheelie-bin in your way!'”
“We know you care, and we're grateful for that”
Fátima says white-stick users realise that, 'behind every one of these annoying situations' is a 'genuine desire to be nice', and that 'any action, however ill-advised, is always well-intended'.
“There are some people who simply don't care enough to help, but there are others who don't because they understand that we don't necessarily always need it,” she recalls.
“But, in general, the instinct to help others who seem to need it is strong in the majority of humans. And there are more people who try to over-protect you than those who couldn't care less whether you're in difficulties.
“It's true that people's attempts to assist us can sometimes be more of a hindrance, but we're in no doubt that, if ever we do actually need assistance, we'll get it. There's a lot of solidarity among the human race, and we're really grateful for that.”
How to help, and how to know when there's no need
So we know now what not to do. But what should we actually do?
“If white-stick or red-and-white-stick users ever get lost, confused or are otherwise in trouble, we will always ask someone for help,” Fátima assures.
Having the type of disability that ceases to be a disability once you have the right accessibility measures in place tends to make you more socially-aware than many fully-able bodied people: You become assertive, honest and open, not too proud to ask for your needs to be met, nor too timid because you 'don't want to put anyone out', and never passive-aggressive – thinking everyone ought to know what you need and getting annoyed with them because they don't notice you're 'not okay'. In other words, an approach to human interaction that is far simpler and more effective; if you need something, you'll say so, and if you don't, you won't, and extremes of misplaced pride or shame are simply not part of the furniture.
“Although we'll always be thankful that you've thought of us, it's always better to ask the person if they need or want you to help rather than launching straight in. It's almost certain that a person who cannot see will be moving around in an environment they are very familiar with, following the same routes as they always do,” Fátima explains.
“Unless you spot a real potential danger, don't shout and scream, or grab us or move us, especially without warning – these situations can be really scary for us.
“If you think a white-stick or red-and-white-stick user needs assistance, the best thing to do is to approach them, briefly touch their shoulder and talk to them; remember, most of our information about you comes from your voice.
“But whatever answer you get is what we really think; we're not just being polite so as not to inconvenience you. If we say we're fine and don't need help, it means we genuinely don't, so don't keep insisting and assuming we're 'just saying that' or that we're 'too proud' and help us anyway. If we do need assistance, we'll be honest and tell you, so you'll know.
“We'll always thank you for your kindness whether we need you or not, so don't be embarrassed to ask us, or worry you've offended us, as we know you mean well.”
Related Topics
OCTOBER is International Blindness Awareness Month – as you'll already know if you've entered Specsavers' 'name a baby future guide dog competition' – and today (Friday) is World White Stick Day, which has been aiming, since 1980, to raise the profile of those who use these universally-recognised tools to get about and to remind them we are thinking of them.
Used by the partially-sighted as well as those completely blind, white sticks are not as efficient as a guide dog, but are a godsend to anyone who was either born with limited or no eyesight or whose visual challenges were acquired in later life, and almost everyone, anywhere in the world, knows what they are.
Spain's national charity for the blind, ONCE, runs a daily lottery – you've probably seen ticket-sellers on the streets – and a high number of those with reduced or zero vision are members, given that they can call upon the organisation for practical support, or just for advice and information or ways of meeting others in their situation so they can compare notes.
Blindness or being partially-sighted is not necessarily a disability. When it has been present from birth or earliest childhood, the person in question will never have had to 'adapt' to a 'different way of life'; a blind person does have certain needs to enable him or her to access daily activities and jobs, but if those needs are met, they are just as capable as a sighted person.
After all, a large haul of Spain's Paralympic medals this year was won by sportsmen and sportswomen who are registered as legally blind, and their achievements would be difficult even for the average fully-sighted person to match.
ONCE worker Fátima talks us through it all
Head of social services for ONCE members in Madrid, Fátima Peinado, who is a white-stick user herself, explains that it's all about balance. Human nature is to want to be helpful to someone who appears disadvantaged in comparison to ourselves, and a person who seemingly ignores another who might be in need may not, necessarily, be selfish or thoughtless; they may be worried about being patronising and treating that other as someone 'incapable', crushing their self-confidence.
Imagine, for example, that you're fluent in Spanish but, as an expat, everyone in public assumed you needed help communicating and tried to interpret for you, making hand-signs, or speaking very slowly and deliberately in monosyllables – it would soon start to grate on you that you were automatically considered less able than the next person. On the other hand, if you come across another expat who's still learning Spanish, you wouldn't want to see them struggling and, if they were, you might offer to help out.
Fátima, like countless others in the same situation, is conscious of all this, and in an interview with the Spanish daily media for 'White Stick Day', sought to guide readers on how to help, when to help, and what life is really like for someone who cannot see fully, or at all.
Awareness is improving, but more can be done (town councils, take note)
“The majority of our towns and cities have improved greatly in terms of accessibility for people with visual disabilities, but there's still lots left to do,” Fátima says.
“For example, in Madrid, where I live, I have to say that our basic access needs are covered. Like beeping pedestrian crossings, or extra measures on public transport...all this means we can get about safely.
“But there are still hurdles that need to be solved. Such as pavements, where obstacles can prevent us moving around comfortably. Hoverboards or scooters are one example: People just leave them literally chucked down on the sidewalks, where we can trip over them.
“Restaurant menu boards, outside seating in bars that have spread out into pedestrian areas, wheelie-bins which are just dumped any old how when the bin-men empty them at night...”
Effectively, the public can help by simply not leaving anything 'in the way'. Not leaving shopping baskets in the middle of the supermarket aisle, taking a quick look behind you before you stop dead on the pavement, and always leaving enough space for someone else to pass you rather than walking four abreast and blocking the way.
And not just because you see someone with a white stick – a person with severe cataracts awaiting surgery may have trouble making out obstacles on the ground, or see much beyond shapes and colours, but would not typically be registered as legally blind and use a stick, particularly as their condition is one that can be completely reversed when they are called in for their operation, so you may not be aware of their situation just by looking at them.
Some use red-and-white sticks. What do they mean?
Although most of us know what a white stick means, we also need to be aware of red-and-white sticks, which are less-commonly recognised.
“White sticks are a fully-accepted symbol that you identify very well with people who have visual disabilities, but that's not the case with a red-and-white stick,” says Fátima.
“These indicate that the person using them, as well as being blind or partially-sighted, is also deaf or partially deaf.”
Green sticks are for those with some, but limited, vision.
It's another case where lack of information can lead to crossed wires – along with attempts to help that actually hinder the recipient of that help.
Well-intended actions can be frightening
“The best thing to do is to approach the person and ask if they need assistance, not to just assume they do automatically because they cannot see,” Fátima clarifies.
“As an example, we blind people often move in ways that make people think we're going to bump into something, fall over, or that we're lost. That's not always the case: It could be we're checking whether there's anything in our path, moving something aside, or working out where it's safe to step.”
One well-meaning gesture that does not help at all is when 'people make decisions for you, grab your arm or push you to one side without word or warning', Fátima admits.
“This can happen, when, perhaps, you're waiting for the metro, and someone suddenly grabs you thinking you're going to fall onto the track.
“That's terrifying for us, because we don't know that the person isn't actually trying to push us into the path of a train.
“Another thing that's quite distressing is when someone grabs your stick or lifts it up.
“We need to have it in our hand at all times, and in contact with the ground, because that's how we identify where stairs are, or where the ground is uneven, and we can lose our 'thread' if this contact with the ground is broken by someone moving our stick.
“Also, it can be confusing for us when people shout warnings at you, sometimes from some distance, such as, 'careful! There's a wheelie-bin in your way!'”
“We know you care, and we're grateful for that”
Fátima says white-stick users realise that, 'behind every one of these annoying situations' is a 'genuine desire to be nice', and that 'any action, however ill-advised, is always well-intended'.
“There are some people who simply don't care enough to help, but there are others who don't because they understand that we don't necessarily always need it,” she recalls.
“But, in general, the instinct to help others who seem to need it is strong in the majority of humans. And there are more people who try to over-protect you than those who couldn't care less whether you're in difficulties.
“It's true that people's attempts to assist us can sometimes be more of a hindrance, but we're in no doubt that, if ever we do actually need assistance, we'll get it. There's a lot of solidarity among the human race, and we're really grateful for that.”
How to help, and how to know when there's no need
So we know now what not to do. But what should we actually do?
“If white-stick or red-and-white-stick users ever get lost, confused or are otherwise in trouble, we will always ask someone for help,” Fátima assures.
Having the type of disability that ceases to be a disability once you have the right accessibility measures in place tends to make you more socially-aware than many fully-able bodied people: You become assertive, honest and open, not too proud to ask for your needs to be met, nor too timid because you 'don't want to put anyone out', and never passive-aggressive – thinking everyone ought to know what you need and getting annoyed with them because they don't notice you're 'not okay'. In other words, an approach to human interaction that is far simpler and more effective; if you need something, you'll say so, and if you don't, you won't, and extremes of misplaced pride or shame are simply not part of the furniture.
“Although we'll always be thankful that you've thought of us, it's always better to ask the person if they need or want you to help rather than launching straight in. It's almost certain that a person who cannot see will be moving around in an environment they are very familiar with, following the same routes as they always do,” Fátima explains.
“Unless you spot a real potential danger, don't shout and scream, or grab us or move us, especially without warning – these situations can be really scary for us.
“If you think a white-stick or red-and-white-stick user needs assistance, the best thing to do is to approach them, briefly touch their shoulder and talk to them; remember, most of our information about you comes from your voice.
“But whatever answer you get is what we really think; we're not just being polite so as not to inconvenience you. If we say we're fine and don't need help, it means we genuinely don't, so don't keep insisting and assuming we're 'just saying that' or that we're 'too proud' and help us anyway. If we do need assistance, we'll be honest and tell you, so you'll know.
“We'll always thank you for your kindness whether we need you or not, so don't be embarrassed to ask us, or worry you've offended us, as we know you mean well.”
Related Topics
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