White Cane Safety Day highlight: first Visually Impaired Female with a Ph.D. in Sociology in Punjab reflects her achievement-Puri
Jaswant Singh Puri/ October 15,2024
The National Federation of the Blind celebrates White Cane Awareness Day every year on October 15 to raise awareness about the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals and their rights to independence and mobility.
Dr. Kiran Kumari, a visually impaired Assistant Professor at Punjabi University, exemplifies the resilience and determination that White Cane Safety Day represents. After losing her eyesight due to meningitis, Dr. Kiran mastered Braille and various independent living skills, which enabled her to continue her education and career. As the “First Visually Impaired Female with a Ph.D. in Sociology in Punjab” and a recipient of multiple awards, Dr. Kiran’s journey reflects the empowerment and achievements that White Cane Safety Day aims to highlight.
For blind people, the white cane is an essential tool that gives us the ability to achieve a full and independent life. It allows us to move freely and safely from place to place—whether it’s at work, at school, or around our neighborhoods.
White Cane Safety Day highlight: first Visually Impaired Female with a Ph.D. in Sociology in Punjab reflects her achievement-Puri “We use our senses of hearing and touch to explore and understand the world around us. The white cane, in effect, makes our hands and arms longer, so that we can assess the situation, and move quickly and confidently. The white cane allows us to avoid obstacles, find steps and curbs, locate and step over cracks or uneven places in the sidewalk, find doorways, get into cars and buses, and much more.”
NOTE: (The views expressed are personal. This article is dedicated to Smt. Alka Puri, wife of Dr. Ajit Sing Puri and mother of Jaswant Singh Puri)
