World White Cane Day: Beyond Visual Limitations

The head of the State Welfare Organization said attention to World White Cane Day must extend beyond visual limitations.

According to the report of Ambassador Arjan Seyedjavad Hosseini, in a message on the occasion of International White Cane Day, he said: The twenty-second of October, equal to the fifteenth of October, is known as White Cane Day in the world calendar. A symbol of independence, mobility, awareness and the right of blind and partially sighted people to have equal opportunities in personal and social life. This occasion, in addition to celebrating the capabilities and achievements of this group of citizens, is a valuable opportunity to review the performance of the government, executive bodies, legislative and regulatory institutions in the field of protecting their rights and removing obstacles to effective social participation.

Today, our society is in a difficult situation and facing economic restrictions and pressures caused by oppressive sanctions; Conditions that undoubtedly affect the process of development and learning of social services. Nevertheless, the existing difficulties should not make us forget a fundamental principle: providing the context for the equal, independent and effective presence of people with disabilities, including the blind and visually impaired, is not just a protective measure, but a legal, social and human responsibility.

According to the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, providing the basis for the participation of these persons in the cultural, social, economic and administrative fields requires the cooperation and responsibility of all relevant institutions. The realization of this goal will be possible when blind and partially sighted people are recognized not only as recipients of services, but as citizens with equal rights, possessors of knowledge and experience, and valuable human capital of the society, and the possibility of their effective presence in the decision-making, decision-making, and implementation processes is provided.

By relying on its legal missions and in interaction with non-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations active in the field of the blind and partially sighted, the welfare organization considers the active participation of these people as one of the basic strategies in the path of empowerment, equalization of opportunities and realization of social integration. We believe that policy-making for people with disabilities, without hearing their voices and taking advantage of their experiences, views and capacities, cannot lead to the full realization of their rights and real needs.

Therefore, the convergence of executive bodies, public institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and the media is an undeniable necessity to remove the barriers to the social presence of blind and partially sighted people. Optimizing public and urban spaces, developing accessible transportation, providing equal access to information, educational resources, administrative services and databases, as well as improving the accessibility of digital environments and cyberspace, are among the measures that can strengthen individual independence and the opportunity of equal presence of these citizens.

However, accessibility is not limited to modifying physical environments and providing technical facilities. Sometimes attitudinal barriers, prejudices and social ignorance, more than environmental barriers, make the path of participation of people with disabilities difficult. Therefore, promoting the culture of respect for human differences, strengthening social responsibility and reforming the public attitude towards the capabilities of blind and visually impaired people should be considered along with implementation and support programs.

In this, writers, media activists, cultural and educational institutions and individual members of the society have an important and effective role. Correctly representing the capabilities and achievements of blind and partially sighted people, avoiding a pitiful look and emphasizing their right to choose, independence and participation, can help to form a fairer and more humane attitude in the society.

International White Cane Day is an invitation to see human abilities, talents and capacities beyond the limits of sight; Identify and remove obstacles and instead of making decisions about blind and partially sighted people, provide the context for their participation in decision-making. to see the blind better; It means to recognize their rights, believe in their abilities and provide equal opportunities for their independent and effective presence in all areas of social life.

While commemorating International White Cane Day, I congratulate all the blind and partially sighted people, their dear families, social activists, professionals and activists in this field, and I hope that with the synergy of all institutions and the active participation of the target community, we will take more effective steps in the direction of removing obstacles, realizing citizenship rights, and building an accessible, inclusive and equal opportunity society for everyone.