PITTSFIELD, Mass. — "Yes we can" was the phrase of the day on Friday as students with visual impairments gathered at Pittsfield High School to celebrate White Cane Awareness Day.

 

"It's nice for them to know that there are others dealing with the same situations,"  said Lynn Shortis, a district schoolteacher for the visually impaired. "Maybe not the same exact vision issues but they're in the same boat.  Some kids have that because there are multiple kids in the same school, it just happens to fall that way, other kids don't have that."

 

The national day of awareness is on Oct. 15 and has been celebrated since 1964.  It recognizes the accomplishments and independent skills of those that are visually impaired.

 

The cane is an essential tool used by this population to move around freely and safely.

 

Students of all ages came from district schools, Gateway Regional School District in Huntington, and one attended from Lenox schools.  There are about 35 visually impaired students in Pittsfield Public Schools right now.

 

Students participated in a meet and greet with one another, a virtual presentation through the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB), a walk to city hall to meet Mayor Linda Tyer, and lunch at the PHS culinary restaurant.

 

Meeting the mayor was the highlight of the day for many of the kids, who excitedly greeted her and posed for photos.  She was presented with a White Cane Day tee shirt that reads "Yes we can" and joined the kids in chanting the phrase on the City Hall steps.

 

Three students from Herberg Middle School: Gabbi, Kyron, and Brooke, agreed that they now have sibling bragging rights after meeting Tyer.

 

During the presentation, it was announced that Gateway student Gabby Mann received the Meg Robertson Award for Orientation and Mobility.  Robertson is the former director of the commission's Orientation & Mobility Department.

 

It was said that O&R has made a tremendous difference for Mann, as she is able to keep pace with her peers and travel in areas that other seventh graders travel in without much supervision.  She has also learned to problem-solve in other travel situations, including navigating a dirt driveway in a rural area to catch the bus for school.

 

Mann's teacher explained that she was hesitant about using the cane about six years ago but grew to be very successful with it and has gained a lot of independence.

 

"To me, it means our daily living," Gateway student Isabella Vera-Ortiz said. "It's something that whether you become blind later in life, or if you're born blind, most of us use a cane so it means our safety and our travel and independence as many people said.  It's very important."

 

More information on the MCB can be found at Mass.gov.