Independence Archives - Colleen Angela Van Etten

This July 4^th as we reflect on America’s independence, let’s consider the fight for independence continuing for people with disabilities.

My parents understood right from the start that it was vital to my development as an independent mature person that I be treated according to my age not my size. This meant not being given a pass on chores, discipline, or responsibilities. In their wisdom, they didn’t fuss over or do everything for me.

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As a result, I loved the independence of going when and where I wanted when I started driving at age 18. The only problem was that this car was a machine that had to be fueled, watered, oiled, lubed, aired, and cleaned. I never had to think about such things before. Now it was my responsibility and dad insisted that I look after the car myself. One day our different views on the subject clashed.

Mo, a family friend, noticed that one of the tires needed air and offered to take the car to the garage for me. I was about to let him, when dad butted in and said, “No Angela, you take it to the garage yourself.” I was fuming. What did it have to do with dad anyway? Mo was willing to take it, so why not let him? But there was no chance of that now, dad had said enough for Mo to withdraw his offer. I had no choice but to take the tire in myself.

It didn’t take me long to realize that dad was right. I had to learn how to look after my own car. Along with the privilege of driving, came the responsibility of caring for it. This was the beginning of achieving independence for myself as an adult and laid the groundwork for advancing independence for others.

A subtle challenge to independence comes from those who insist on helping people with disabilities when we don’t need it. We must stand firm against such offers so as not to erode our independent living skills or give in to patronization. In the times we do need help, we will ask for it.

As discussed in my dwarfism memoir trilogy, I have supported independent living principles through my marriage, career and volunteerism. For example:

I joined forces with Robert Van Etten, a rehabilitation engineer and my husband, who worked to improve the independence of individuals with disabilities at home, on the job, and in public places through environmental changes and adaptive equipment.
I served as a board member of a Center for Independent Living in Cleveland, Ohio and was appointed by Florida’s governor to serve on the Florida Independent Living Council.
I was a coordinator and advocacy specialist for the Coalition for Independent Living Options in Stuart, Florida.
As a volunteer with LPA, I led the charge for little people—and a half million others whose disability involved a reach limitation—to gain independent use of public facilities such as ATMs, bathrooms, elevators, and gas pumps.

What can you add about the disability fight for independence?

This post is drawn from excerpts and concepts in my dwarfism memoir trilogy, https://angelamuirvanetten.com:

ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities
PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith
Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses

To Boldly Go With a White Cane

white cane pic — Jody W. Ianuzzi, a mentor and advocate for blind people conveying a can do attitude towards vision loss.

Through the ages blind people have used a staff, walking stick, or cane to explore their environment. This all changed in 1921 when James Big from Bristol, England painted his walking stick white to make it more visible. The concept caught on when Rotary clubs and the BBC encouraged all blind people to use white canes for identification. The concept spread to France and, in the 1930s, to the United States where Lions clubs promoted the white cane to identify blind people. By the late 1930s, state laws were enacted to protect blind pedestrians.

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The next major advancement in cane mobility came after World War II when Richard Hoover used a long white cane to explore the environment along with a new method of moving the cane from side to side one step ahead of the traveler. This was the beginning of the Orientation and Mobility Specialist profession. Today O and M specialists teach young children to senior citizens how to use the long white cane and nonvisual environmental clues to negotiate around all kinds of obstacles. These techniques include listening for traffic and safely crossing the street.

In the past, blind people rarely traveled alone but now with the advanced O and M techniques blind people are able to travel independently with safety and dignity. The techniques have evolved but so have the canes. Historically the walking stick was made of wood. Now modern canes are made of carbon fiber and they are available with many different types of tips depending on the travelers preference.

Blind adults who learned to use the white cane as a young child never knew a time in their life when they didn’t have the advantage of traveling with a long white cane. Other adults sometimes have an adjustment and resist using the white cane until they discover the freedom and independence it provides.

I was taught to use the white cane at age 16 when all of my friends were getting their drivers licenses. This was very difficult for me because I did not want to appear different from my friends. I also resisted using the white cane until I met other capable blind adults who could travel more freely than I could because they had great cane skills. I realized that I would rather travel as a competent blind person than try to fake being sighted and risk a serious injury. I no longer walked with my head down. Rather I held my head up high and walked proudly and quickly for the first time in my life!

In 1964, Congress recognized the importance of the long white cane in providing freedom and independence to blind people and passed resolution HR 753 declaring October 15 to be White Cane Safety Day across the United States. Every president since Lyndon Johnson has observed this date as White Cane Safety Day for all blind Americans.

Now, a century after James Big painted the first white cane, blind people around the world can all go boldly with their long white canes!

Reference: https://www.njcounciloftheblind.org/brochures/history_of_white_cane.htm

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