Shanghai’s Citizen Canes Prepare the Blind to Navigate Their Futures
- Chris McMillan
- Aug 28, 2020
- 1 min read
Sixth Tone
28th August 2020
Shanghai’s Citizen Canes Prepare the Blind to Navigate Their Futures
A group called the Golden White Canes is helping individuals with visual impairments become independent and self-reliant.
Chen Huixian vividly remembers leaving her apartment on her own for the first time: She stumbled on a trash can and then bumped into a motorcycle, setting off its alarm.
“I couldn’t get over my fear of the piercing sound,” Chen said.
For the 23-year-old student, making that solo journey was part of a final exam at the Golden White Canes boot camp, which prepares individuals with visual impairments for college and life afterward. Chen was among the 20 students who graduated from the program, held this year in Shanghai, in mid-August.
The Golden White Canes boot camp began in 2018 with support from the China Disabled Persons’ Federation. The eight-day camp’s primary objective was to teach visually impaired students to move about independently, along with other social and practical skills ranging from lessons on computers to reproductive health.
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