"The White Cane Movement," beginning in 1921 led by James Biggs and becoming a global campaign since 1931, aims to create and propagate awareness which would allow people with visual impairment to act safely and freely in daily life. In time, white cane which became a prominent symbol of the White Cane Movement also became a global symbol of people with visual impairment safely, actively, and independently participating in social life. A study conducted to identify the difficulties faced by young adults with visual impairment and their parents in physical activity and participation in social life revealed that participants refused to use a white cane to avoid being stigmatized, even though it aids mobility (Anna-Liisa Salminen & Maarit E. Karhula, Young persons with visual impairment: Challenges of participation, Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2014). However, individuals using white cane in public due to their loss of vision should not result in persons with visual impairment to be labeled in their social environments and/or professional lives, be marginalized due to their differences and subjected to discriminatory treatment; any initiative that raises social awareness and awareness on this issue should be supported, and solutions should be developed by approaching the problems of individuals with visual impairment in a holistic manner. ​

As HREIT, we would like to remind that we accept the understanding that "first of all, persons with visual impairment are not seen as an object of compassion but as subjects of rights having decisions over their own lives..." (HREIT, B. No:2022/392, K. No: 2022/487, 19.07.2022, para.33) in line with the universal values. We work for a world where our society internalizes this understanding more, where stereotypes and prejudiced ways of thinking, which are the "invisible obstacles" that visually impaired people struggle with, are eliminated, where the norms brought about by the principles of human rights and the rule of law are transformed into social values, and where we live in equality and celebrate White Cane Visually Impaired Week, which is annually celebrated in the second week of January around the world.

Respectfully announced to the public.