How to Use a White Cane

Last Updated: December 20, 2020 Approved

A long, white cane is used by people who are blind or visually impaired to detect terrain changes and obstacles, receive information about their environment by sound, and to provide a nonverbal explanation of why they may ask certain questions of the public about their environment. If you are blind or visually impaired, know someone who is blind or visually impaired, or simply want to know more about blindness and visual impairment, the following are basic steps to using a cane safely and effectively.

Steps

1
Obtain a suitable cane of the right length for your height. Generally speaking this will mean that the cane grip will reach your armpit when the tip is resting on the floor.
2
Use the cane with whichever hand feels most comfortable. Generally a right-handed person should use their left hand.

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3
Understand the parts of a cane. Note that all canes consist of 3 main parts; the grip, the tip, and the cane. Hold the grip firmly but loosely in your hand. If it has a flat surface, (like a golf club grip) lay your index finger on the flat surface.
4
Handle the cane. Let your wrist settle to somewhere between your belly button and waist, slightly to one side, and gently swing the cane from side to side. The tip should always stay in contact with the ground, swinging approximately the width of your shoulders.
5
Know how to walk. When you walk, alternate the swing with your steps. As you step with the right foot, your cane should go to the left, and vice versa. If you find that your cane is swinging in the wrong direction, let the cane stay in that general direction and fix it with your next few steps. Your head should be held high and you shoulders kept relaxed. This will allow you to use any remaining vision and whatever hearing you have to aid your mobility.
6
Know how to use the stairs. When going down stairs, let the cane tip fall onto the next step and don't swing it in case other people are trying to go down the stairs too. When going up the stairs, the cane will hit the first step when you are on the ground level. Grab the cane so it's relatively vertical, and let the cane hit each step as you ascend. Once you reach the top, go back to swinging. When going down the stairs, let the cane tip fall onto the next step and then step down to it. For a smoother descent push the cane forward along the step and allow the cane drop two steps below, so that it is always a step ahead of you.
- Keep the cane from swinging to allow other people to use the stairs.
- When pushing the cane forward doesn't result in it dropping you know you've reached the end of that set of stairs. To avoid a nasty fall, remember that after the cane has reached the bottom of the stairs, you still have another step to take!
7
Practice using a cane; it takes a while to get used to. Make sure you are confident in your cane mobility skills before going out alone.

Warnings

Blind mobility students are taught that if necessary, to use their canes in self-defense situations. (these canes are mainly made out of aluminum or graphite.)

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The cane is not a toy, it is a tool. Blind people treat a cane like an addition to their bodies and as a necessity for personal safety, mobility, and independence. f you are sighted, do not under any circumstances try to grab or take a person's cane.

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If you are in a play or something, don't over-dramatize. Remember that blind people have all their lives to adjust to being blind, and as a result they can navigate skillfully and gracefully through the world. After the performance, put the cane away and don't bring it out in public.

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