Switzerland - White Cane Day 2016

Calling for an uninterrupted guideline system

Together with their companions, over 400 blind and visually impaired people from all over Switzerland gathered on Parliament Square in Bern on 15 October to mark International White Cane Day. Their message aimed at raising public awareness was: “Keep the guidelines clear!”

By making this demand, the sections of the Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (SFB) voiced their concerns to the population of Switzerland on White Cane Day 2016. The white lines applied on the ground in railway stations, at bus stops and on pavements help blind and visually impaired people, in a tactile-visual form, to find their way and thus ensure their independent mobility. Any obstruction of these guidelines by objects, people or vehicles means that blind and visually impaired people are seriously affected in their independence.

For the first time in the federation's history of more than 100 years, around 500 blind and visually impaired people from all corners of the country travelled to Parliament Square in Bern, where they and their companions were welcomed by Secretary General Kannarath Meystre.

Collective strength

The idea arose in the SFB's Section Council, the federation committee in which the section presidents meet regularly, coordinate their actions and positions, and exchange ideas and information. This year, the element of a powerful joint campaign was added to the White Cane Day programme for the sections, complementing or replacing the local activities already undertaken in previous years that included street campaigns and raising awareness among selected groups.

For the people of Bern, the parade of so many blind and visually impaired people was an extraordinary event. Some simply stood riveted to the spot, amazed at the crowd – not just because of the many white canes, but rather because the mood of the visitors was so amicable and cheerful. Equally impressive for the local people was the collective march from the railway station to Parliament Square. The visitors had to cross Bern's main urban thoroughfare, for which trams and city busses stopped running for a short time.

SFB President Remo Kuonen welcomed the participants and thanked them for taking the trouble of travelling to Bern, in some cases from far away, and for coming together on Parliament Square, the Swiss “symbol of democracy”, in order to emphasise their constructive contribution to social development. To use his own words: “The white cane is today well recognised by our society. As an aid, it is essential in ensuring the mobility of blind and visually impaired people in the light of the ever-increasing number of obstructions in public places.” Roland Studer, President of the Zurich-Schaffhausen section and President of the SFB Section Council, then stressed: “We are in Bern and want to make it clear that we demand an uninterrupted system of tactile-visual guidelines, a system that provides us, as visually impaired people, with independent mobility. We are always ready and willing to find solutions that are acceptable for all sections of the population. However, we are not afraid of going to the courts to claim our rights, if necessary.” And guest speaker Marianne Streiff-Feller, member of the National Council representing the Canton of Bern and the Evangelical People's Party, reminded listeners that the Federal Constitution guaranteed that all Swiss residents – with or without disability – were equal before the law.

Substantial media presence

The action day programme also included various presentations, such as that of the SFB Geneva section featuring choreographed sounds of white canes hitting the ground, while the witty performance of the Basel slam poet Laurin Buser focussed on the purpose of the white cane. In the course of the day, the participants were well catered for thanks to a roulade in the shape of a white cane that extended to more than four metres, before the “Surfdrummers” from Thun brought White Cane Day to a percussive end.

The public indeed took great notice of the commitment and presence of the SFB sections as there were exceptionally numerous and extensive reports by over eighty newspapers and radio stations all over Switzerland. A particular success for the SFB was no doubt the mention of the event on the “Tagesschau” national TV news and in the “10 vor 10” news magazine of the German-language TV service in Switzerland. Our conclusion: we'll be back!