LIHUE — Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami was surprised when he ran into Milton Yamase on Thursday, waving a sign with other National Federation for the Blind members.
“We used to play together,” Kawakami said as he took a position next to Yamase and members of the Kauai Lions Club.
Yamase, formerly a high school football player, said he caught COVID-19, and his blindness is a result of that.
The group of about a dozen sign wavers, including members of the Kauai Lions Club — who also recently supported the American Cancer Society at the August Relay for Life and hosted a fundraising Boogie Wonderland — braved the forecasted morning showers to honor a tradition of raising awareness for the blind on what used to be known as White Cane Day.
The threat of showers relocated the rally participants from in front of the historic County Building to an area closer to Doug’s Dugout, the blind vendor location inside the Piikoi Building at the Lihue Civic Center.
“Rain wasn’t going to stop us,” said Doug Moises, operator of Doug’s Dugout. “Now, we’re closer to shelter in case it decides to rain.”
Online sources state that October is Blindness Awareness Month, which provides a platform to educate the public about eye health, support innovations, and advocate for the blind and visually impaired.
Known as Blind Equality Achievement Month, the month is celebrated by groups like the National Federation of the Blind to educate and inspire. The month also includes Blind Americans Equality Day on Oct. 15, which was formerly known as White Cane Day.
Previous White Cane Day events include achievements toward greater independent living by the blind or visually impaired community. Some of these include better access to pay telephones, improved street designs for those needing a white cane to navigate, and more.
For more information on blindness, visit the National Federation of the Blind, Hawaii at www.hawaii.nfb.org.
Source: The Garden Island