Rowena Ginns has used a white cane for four years because of her deteriorating sight and poor depth perception, calling it her ‘confidence booster’. 

She said people reacted differently to seeing white canes on the street – but the real problem was those who weren’t looking. 

“Children want to find out what it is and their parents feel a bit embarrassed, so quite often I go to them and say ‘it’s okay, this helps me go where I’m going’,” Mrs Ginns said.

“But people are so interested in texting that they don’t consider others who might not be able to see them coming towards them.

“It’s definitely a hazard, it’s as bad as a big hole in the footpath.”

Mrs Ginns, others with blindness or low vision and Vision Australia representative walked through Albury on Monday to show the wider community the importance of mobility aids in someone’s independence and confidence. 

Mary Esler lost 95 per cent of her vision after a car accident 27 years ago said it was also important people realised not everyone with a cane has the same level of vision.

Miss Esler said she has no peripheral vision and people weaving across pathways through crowds often put themselves and her safety at risk by stepping sideways in front of her.

“There’d be a lot of people with broken noses in Albury if I didn’t have enough sight to pull my cane in at the last minute because people just zip in front of you and leave about a centimetre,” she said.

Murrumbidgee Hume Region business manager Helen Vey said about 1000 people in the Border region have low vision or blindness and the walk was to highlight safety and respect.

She said generally people with a cane have been trained to use the aid and don’t need assistance.

However, Ms Vey said, if someone was looking lost it was best to respectfully ask them if they need assistance, and remember while someone’s vision might be low they’re still just an ordinary person. 

- SOPHIE BOYD