For White Cane Awareness Day and Blindness equality achievement Month, we're talking about something many blind people have a complicated history with: the long white cane. Whether you've carried one proudly, kept it folded in your bag, or avoided using it altogether, chances are you have a story to tell.
This week, Kisha, Terrin, and Josselyn, along with producer Danny, share their personal journeys with cane shame, learning to travel independently, and the experiences that finally changed their relationships with their canes. From Josselyn and Terrin learning to embrace cane travel while pursuing guide dogs, to Kisha discovering a new level of confidence at a blindness training center, the crew reflects on how their attitudes toward mobility have changed over the years.
We also get into the differences between sighted and blind orientation and mobility instructors, learning through structured discovery versus memorizing routes, and whether smart canes and newer technology can truly replace traditional cane skills. And because this is BDBU, you know there are stories! Kisha recalls falling into a ravine and needing a rope rescue, Terrin shares how she accidentally walked into a stranger's apartment, and Danny remembers the time his cane snapped in half in New York City.
Whether you're just beginning to use a white cane, still struggling with cane shame, or have years of independent travel under your belt, this conversation offers plenty of laughs, familiar experiences, and some perspective on what it takes to feel comfortable traveling on your own terms.
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