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WHITE CANE WEEK

In today's world, with everyone on the go, you can
injure your sight in the twinkling of an eye or the span
of a camera flash. Accidents take place in the most sur-
prising places - your own kitchen, the basement workshop,
the school playground.

In a special White Cane Week interview, Miss S.J.
Hennighausen, Coordinator, Prevention of Blindness
Services, The Canadian National Institute for the Blind
emphasized, "Since sight is the gateway to 90 percent of
our knowledge, feo eyes are too important to risk life-
long impairment.’

Last year 287 Canadians suffered serious eye injur-
ies on the hockey rink. The figure was reported by the
Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Only 104 returned to
full vision after treatment. On the road to recovery the
group spent 968 days in hospital and 17 of the hockey
buffs became legally blind in one eye. About half the
accidents, 137, happened to young players under 20 years
of age.

"The survey is only at its beginning,’ said Miss
Hennighausen, "but it shows that the danger to hockey
players' eyes is very real. A face mask would have pre-
vented most of these accidents."

"The Snowmobile is another source of serious eye
injury. It's such an exciting sport, most people think
of the joy ride only and forget the dangers that go with
it," she said. "Too many people are thrown off, injure
their heads and damage their sight."

"Most people take better care of their camera than
their eyes," the CNIB official said, "but your eyes are
really the most sensitive camera in the world. They have
no spare parts. They must last a lifetime."

With White Cane Week under way, make good vision
your decision and when you can, share your sight with
your fellow blind Canadians.

Hundreds ,of children ana the age of seven are
losing the sight of one eye. .''Their problem is an, eye
condition known as Strabismus said George Gibbs, Dis-
trict Administrator, The Canadian National Institute for
the Blind. "Strabismus (crossed eyes) is not a disease,
he said in a special White Cane Week interview, sponsor-
ed by CNIB and The Canadian Council of the Blind. Et
is a conditgon in young children which reduces the vis-
ion of one eye. The treatment is simple enough. It
consists of patching the good eye to make the child use
the poor one. Glasses and sometimes surgery are also
used."

Mr. Gibbs told of one youngster who was first seen
by the eye doctor when he was two. The condition was
spotted and a simple patch put over the other eye to
make the child use the poor one. He was due back for a
check in three months, but did not keep the appointment.
By the time he was seen again, it was too late to save
the sight in the one eye. The patch bothered the child
and the parents had let him take it off.’ "What they
really did was let him lose the vision in one eye,'' the
CNIB official said. "Most parents don't understand this
and sometimes don't believe it, but once the child reach~
es seven years of age without treatment, the sight in
one eye is lost fee life. An operation can cure the
‘squint but it can't restore sight."

He pointed out some of the symptoms of poor eye-
sight which parents should look for, blinking and rub-
bing the eyes, tripping over small objects, showing an
over sensitivity to light - these are nature's signals
of possible eye trouble. "It's bad enough to lose the
sight in one eye but an estimated 200 children will lose
their sight completely this year," the CNIB spokesman
said.

"Conscientious parents can protect the sight of
their children in an easy way with an eye examination in
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who received an award instead of an injury.

"Remember, one pair of eyes must last a lifetime."

Thousands of Canadians over thirty are in danger of
losing their sight and may not know it. According to
G.J. Collrin, National President, The Canadian Council
of the Blind, glaucoma is an eye disease that left un-
checked leads to blindness. In an interview for White
Cane Week, February 2-8, sponsored by the CCB and The
Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Mr. Collrin
said, "Glaucoma is one of the highest causes of blind-
ness in Canada, second only to old age eye problems. It
is reassuring to know the disease can be arrested. With
a simple, painless test, eye doctors can detect glaucoma
in the early stages and arrest its progress. In most
cases eye drops are all the medication needed."

The CCB president told of a school teacher in his
mid thirties. As far as he knew his eyes were perfect
in every way. One day he was passing a community glau-
coma survey. The sign read "No Appointment Needed", so
he stepped in and took the test. .Glaucoma had already
reduced his side vision. On further examination, his
own doctor prescribed drops and stopped the course of a
disease that would have ended in certain blindness. The
teacher was applying for an inspectorship and was well
on the way to a career in education administration. As
a blind person he would have had to retrain for a new
career, probably at a lower salary range and make many
adjustments in life style, recreation and most of the.
activities people take for granted.

Partially sighted himself, Mr. Collrin urged every-
one over thirty to have a complete eye examination.

"With treatment so simple and results so important,
glaucoma should be low on the list of causes of blindness
Mr. Collrin observed. "This White Cane Week make good
vision your decision. Your eyes must last your lifetime"

_ A safety award is now available from the Canadian
National. Institute for the Blind for those who prevent an
eye injury during leisure hours. Not to be confused with
the CNIB Wise Owl Club, which makes awards to industrial

employees preventing an eye injury through safety glasses

the Eye Safety Award goes to housewives, do-it-yourself
husbands, children - anyone who prevents an eye accident
off the job by the use of safety glasses.

The program received high praise here from Joe
Stevens President of the B.C. Yukon Division of The
Canadian Council of the Blind who co-sponsor White Cane
Week with CNIB.

He told of two hockey players who began exchanging
sticks over the boards. One stick struck the glasses of
a spectator seated in the first row. Fortunately his
glasses were made of hardex lenses and his eyes were un-
harmed.

The president told of a man about to saw a piece of
lumber in his own workshop. "He was tempted to turn on
the juice without eye protection but his better judgment
stopped him. .He located his safety glasses, put them on,
and later that evening prevented a long sharp splinter
from entering one eye."

The CCB official talked about another lucky fellow
He was re-
As he worked, a small piece
His

placing springs on his car.
of wire flew up and gouged one of his safety lenses.
eye was untouched.

"As a blind person esis x Enow the value of a
good pair of eyes," he said. "I can't stress too much
the importance,of safety glasses around the house as a
means of taking care of your good vision. This is White
Cane Week - a time to make good vision your decision.
Repeanor ss you have only one pair of eyes to last a life-
time.

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SyOKE

‘Some friends of mine were accusing me of getting
paunchy and out of shape. In an effort to defend myself,
I started detailing my morning exercise regimen: ''As
soon as I wake up, I always say to myself, "All right now
let's get with it, up, down, up, down. Then, after five
stenuous minutes, I relax and get ready for another go at
it." "And then," piped up my wife, "he starts on his
other eyelid."