Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis Celebrates Six Years without Lost-Time Injuries

ST. LOUIS - Oct. 15, 2014 - PRLog -- St. Louis, Missouri...Employees at two manufacturing plants staffed by Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis (LHB) in St. Louis County have achieved an impressive safety milestone: They will celebrate six years without any lost-time injuries, a proud accomplishment for safety and plant productivity, on National White Cane Safety Day October 15.

John Thompson, President of Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis, a not-for-profit manufacturing and packaging organization with a dedicated social service mission that employs 50 individuals who are legally blind, said, “Few manufacturing operations can claim six continuous years without any lost-time injuries.

“We are especially proud of our employees’ skill, talent and commitment to maintaining safe and productive work environments,” said Thompson. “It reflects the success of our continuous safety training programs and precautionary activities. I congratulate our employees and supervisors for handling their job responsibilities so well, whether they use a cane or not. The white cane is a vital tool of independence and mobility that enhances personal freedom.”

On October 6, 1964, the U.S. Congress signed H.R. 752 into law, authorizing President Lyndon B. Johnson to designate October 15 of every year as “White Cane Safety Day,” calling on U.S. citizens to observe White Cane Safety Day with meaningful activities. Today, October 15 is a time that many communities reaffirm their commitment to improve access to basic services for people blind and visually impaired.

Thompson notes that in Biblical times shepherds used a staff to help accommodate solitary travel, and canes were used by people in all walks of life, including people blinded, for centuries that followed. As automobiles began to appear in the 1920s, more people began using canes to cross busy streets. James Biggs, an artist in Bristol, England, is said to have invented the white cane when he painted his black walking stick white so that he would be more visible to motorists.

In 1931, Lions Club International began a national program to promote the use of white canes for persons who are blind.  The movement gained more traction when blinded veterans of World War Two returned from overseas battlefields with goals of living productively, and white canes began appearing in every American city.

Since President Johnson proclaimed October 15 as White Cane Safety Day in 1964, agencies such as LHB have celebrated the occasion. President Bill Clinton, on October 15, 2000, endorsed the history and meaning of the white cane as a tool, and its value as a symbol of blindness.

President Clinton said: "With proper training, people using the white cane can enjoy greater mobility and safety by determining the location of curbs, steps, uneven pavement, and other physical obstacles in their path. The white cane has given them the freedom to travel independently to their schools and workplaces and to participate more fully in the life of their communities. It reminds us that the only barriers against people with disabilities are discriminatory attitudes and practices that our society has too often placed in their way."

Five different white canes are typically used by people who are blind or visually impaired. They include:

·         Long Cane: Designed primarily as a mobility tool used to detect objects in a user’s path.

·         Guide Cane: A shorter cane generally used to detect curbs and steps; also used across the body for protection, warning the user of obstacles.

·         Identification Cane: Used primarily to alert others as to the bearer's visual impairment; it is short and has no use as a mobility tool.

·         Support Cane: Designed primarily to offer physical stability; also works as a means of identification.

·         Kiddie Cane: The same as a Long Cane but designed for children.

Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis is a non-profit entity that helps adults and children who are visually impaired maintain dignity and independence by offering Employment, Education and Support Services.

The Lighthouse currently employs some 50 people who are legally blind at its plants in the cities of Berkeley and Overland in St. Louis County. The Lighthouse and its employees manufacture, assemble, warehouse and sell high-quality products to government and business customers nationwide. These include first aid kits, medical kits, catheters, aerosol and liquid paints, aerosol and liquid cleaning products, eco-friendly products and many others, including Quake Kare emergency survival kits.

All sales revenues directly support Lighthouse programs including Professional Career Development; Summer Orientation & Mobility and Adapted Living Resource program (S.O.A.R.); Summer Jobs for Students; Continuing Education; Arts & Entertainment Accessibility; Low Vision Aid; and others available for individuals who are legally blind and visually impaired in Missouri and Southwestern Illinois.

For information, contact Brittney Smithers, Marketing & Sales Specialist, at 314.423.4333 or visit the website http://www.lhbindustries.com. Media contact: Jeff Dunlap at 314.409.5203.

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