MUSKOGEE -- Oklahoma School for the Blind will be hosting its 12th annual Oklahoma Region Cane Quest with 43 eager students who are blind or visually impaired ready to prove their white cane proficiency. This competition will begin at noon on Nov. 6 at the school.
Contestants, with white canes as their guides, will identify obstacles and changes in surfaces, such as drop-offs at stairs or curbs, in a quest for medals and prizes.
Contestants who use a long white cane demonstrate their orientation and mobility skills. They are divided into three categories based on age and ability. They are also classified into two visual classifications.
More than 80 volunteers from across the state will score performance and partner with each participant.
“Our competition includes more than 10 stations for each of the contestant categories.” Faye Miller, OSB orientation and mobility specialist and regional Cane Quest coordinator said.
The Scouts category will compete on the OSB campus at 3300 Gibson Street in Muskogee. They will demonstrate basic cane skills, guide skills and work with their volunteer teammates to complete orientation and mobility tasks.
Explorers and Trailblazers will complete five types of street crossings and demonstrate more advanced cane skills along a route in downtown Muskogee.
Rounding out the day is the Awards Program from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. where all the winners will be announced.
“Independence. It’s all about independence. Without good cane skills a person who is blind or visually impaired is less able to travel on his or her own,” Oklahoma School for the Blind Interim Superintendent Brent Pierce said. “We want more for our kids than that. We want confident and independent young people who will succeed in all their future endeavors.”
“The white cane is a symbol that lets the public know people are visually impaired,” Miller said. “It helps to keep people safe, especially at street crossings. The long cane increases the chances a vehicle will yield when cane users are crossing streets.”
Oklahoma law requires drivers to completely stop their vehicles 15 feet away from pedestrians who are visually impaired and identified by their use of white canes or dog guides. People who violate this law are guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to three months or $100 fine or both.
Cane Quest sponsors include:
- Oklahoma School for the Blind
- Braille Institute
- Donations In Memory of Frank Dirksen
- Friends of the Library OSLS
- Lawton Council of the Blind
- Let’s Choose Love Grant (Natalie Armstrong)
- Liberty Braille
- Muskogee County Health Department
- NanoPac
- NewView Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Chapter of AERBVI
- Oklahoma Council of the Blind
- Oklahoma State University - HOP
- Oklahoma University - Pre-ETS
- Ruth Kelly Studios
- Sapulpa Lions Club
- Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
- Transcribing Mariners
- Tulsa Downtown Lions Club
OSB and Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired are divisions of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.
OSB’s staff serves students from preschool through 12th grade, offering specialized educational instruction that meets all state education requirements. Students also receive instruction in Braille, orientation and mobility, assistive technology and other specialty areas. They attend classes Monday through Thursday free of charge and are transported to regional stops throughout the state for holidays, summer breaks and three-day weekends during the regular school year. OSB outreach staff also assists students with visual disabilities who attend other Oklahoma public schools, their families and educators.
For more information, call OSB toll-free at 877-229-7136 or visit osb.k12.ok.us.
###
For more information
Dana Tallon,
DRS Communications Manager
Cell: 405-568-1404
