[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 166 (Friday, October 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1065]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING NATIONAL WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VERONICA ESCOBAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 21, 2022

  Ms. ESCOBAR. Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize October 15, 
2022, as National White Cane Safety Day.
  White Cane Safety Day is observed every year to celebrate the 
accomplishments of people who are blind or visually impaired. The white 
cane carries special significance because it is a tool that helps 
visually impaired people be independent. To celebrate this year, the El 
Paso Council of the Blind is partnering with the El Paso Community 
College, Center for Students with Disabilities and Diversity and 
Inclusion Programs to host a community-wide event to bring awareness 
about issues that blind and visually impaired people have learned to 
conquer.
  The El Paso Council of the Blind has been active in our community for 
nearly ten years and has welcomed hundreds of members over that time. 
They provide essential programs like peer support for persons with 
vision loss and their families, Braille for Badges, sensitivity 
training for paratransit drivers, guide dog meet and greet sessions, 
and assistance to older individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 
They also fight to protect the right to voting privacy and 
accessibility, and they advocate for the expansion of much-needed 
training resources in Texas and El Paso.
  I am grateful to the El Paso Council of the Blind and our community 
partners for gathering on this day to raise our consciousness to the 
plight of the blind and visually impaired and for their tireless work 
to help those who carry a white cane lead their lives with 
independence, dignity, and hope.

                          ____________________