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The white cane: what it tells you and how it is used
A white cane is the long, light cane that many blind and low-vision people use to get around. It does two jobs at once: it tells the person what is on the ground ahead, a curb, a step or an obstacle, and it tells everyone else that the person may not see them.
This guide summarizes the sources it cites; it is not legal advice. The official texts are the reference.
What a white cane does
Swept from side to side a step ahead, the tip of the cane finds changes in the ground before the feet do: the edge of a curb, the first step of a staircase, a pothole, a bag left on the floor. Through the handle the person feels the surface too, smooth paving, grass or the bumps of tactile paving.
A cane sweeps the ground, so objects higher up, such as overhanging branches or wall-mounted signs, can still be a hazard. The 2010 ADA Standards limit objects with a leading edge between 27 and 80 inches (685–2030 mm) above the floor to 4 inches (100 mm) of protrusion into a walkway, and their advisory explains that an element in the range a cane detects gives the person time to find it before body contact (2010 ADA Standards, 307.2 and advisory 307.2).
The white color is a signal to other people. A driver or a passer-by who sees it knows the person may not see them coming.
Kinds of cane, and the red band
- Long cane. Long enough to reach the ground a step or two ahead; it is the one used to find obstacles and changes in level.
- Identification or symbol cane. Shorter and lighter, used mainly to let other people know the user has low vision.
- Support cane. A walking cane in white, for someone who needs it for balance and also has a visual impairment.
A white cane with a red band means the person is deafblind: the UK Highway Code tells drivers that a deafblind person may carry a white cane with a red band, or use a dog with a red and white harness, and may not see or hear instructions or signals (The Highway Code, rule 207).
White Cane Safety Day: October 15
By a joint resolution approved on October 6, 1964 (Public Law 88-628), the U.S. Congress authorized October 15 of each year as White Cane Safety Day. In the 2024 proclamation, the day is recognized as Blind Americans Equality Day, to honor the contributions of blind and low-vision Americans (Proclamation 10840, Blind Americans Equality Day, 2024).
How to act around someone using a white cane
- If you drive, slow down and give way: the Highway Code lists blind and partially sighted people with a white cane or a guide dog among particularly vulnerable pedestrians, who may not be able to see you approaching (The Highway Code, rule 207).
- Say who you are and ask before helping. If the person accepts, offer your arm; do not take hold of the cane.
- Do not leave bikes, scooters or signs on the sidewalk, and keep tactile paving clear.
- Do not move things in a shared space without saying so: the person may rely on where they were.
The cane and the ground
Tactile paving is made to be read with a cane as well as underfoot. The UK guidance path surface was designed so people can follow a route either by walking on it or by keeping a long cane in contact with it (DfT tactile paving guidance), and the truncated domes at curb ramps and platform edges warn of the street or the track ahead.
Some cane users also work with a guide dog, and many switch between the two.
Frequently asked questions
What does a white cane with a red band mean?
That the person is deafblind. The UK Highway Code says a deafblind person may carry a white cane with a red band or use a dog with a red and white harness, and may not see or hear instructions or signals (The Highway Code, rule 207).
When is White Cane Safety Day?
October 15. Congress authorized it as White Cane Safety Day by a joint resolution approved on October 6, 1964 (Public Law 88-628); it is recognized today as Blind Americans Equality Day (Proclamation 10840, Blind Americans Equality Day, 2024).
Should I help someone using a white cane?
Ask first, and say who you are. If they want help, offer your arm and let them hold it; do not grab the cane or steer the person.
What is the difference between a long cane and an identification cane?
A long cane reaches the ground ahead and is used to find obstacles and steps. An identification cane is shorter and lighter and mainly tells other people that the user has low vision.
More accessibility guides
- Guide dogs: how they work, where they can go under the ADA, and how to act around one.
- Truncated domes and tactile paving: what the bumps on curb ramps and platform edges mean, and their sizes in the US and the UK.
- Universal design: the seven principles, with an example from a building for each.
- Accessibility symbols: what the wheelchair symbol means, where it is required and the other access symbols.
- All accessibility guides
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.
- The Highway Code, rule 207. Department for Transport (UK), updated October 22, 2025.
- Proclamation 10840, Blind Americans Equality Day, 2024. Federal Register, 89 FR 83609, October 11, 2024.
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. U.S. Department of Justice, published September 15, 2010; required for new work since March 15, 2012.
- Guidance on the use of tactile paving surfaces. Department for Transport (UK), December 2021, published January 10, 2022.
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