Sunday is National White Cane Awareness Day. To honor this holiday, the National Federation of the Blind of Nevada organized a march.
This organization and their blind and visually impaired members started at the 4th street bus station, walked under the Reno arch, and then ended at City Hall where council member Jenny Brekhus read the holiday's proclamation.
"We just want to get out and have the public see us walking independently using the streets, the sidewalks, going about what we want to do and where we want to go," said Mark Tadder, President of National Federation of the Blind Nevada. "And when we interact with folks we can talk to them, we have literature, but we also can just talk to them about the independence that a white cane can bring everyone."
Tadder says that they have been celebrating this holiday for many years. By walking across downtown Reno they are showing how the white cane serves as their eyes and allows them to navigate through the area, serving as a symbol of independence.
After the march, the organization attended the National Automobile Museum where they got to participate in a guided tour.
One member says that he hopes this inspires more people to feel comfortable and reach out to join the community.
"It was pretty good. I liked it," said Miles Collins, Member of National Federation of the Blind Nevada. "I hope that people in Reno consider us to be a chapter member if they have a disability because we want to help other people as well."
