Author Biography

Hannah Hart is a sophomore here at Utah State University studying Special Education with an emphasis in visual impairment studies. She has a visual impairment herself and has had one since she was an infant. This community has meant a lot to her, and she was super excited to write about her community.

This essay was composed in January 2024 and uses MLA documentation.

The blind community is wonderful. I have been a part of this community for as long as I can remember. This community has been my life. However, I have only been involved more deeply since the eighth grade. I have had so many opportunities since joining this community that I wouldn’t have if I had not been a part of it. In this community, we have many goals. We like to say, “It’s not about what we see it’s about what we do.” (Robbin Clark). Our main goal is independence. In the state of Utah specifically, when a baby is born with a visual impairment, they automatically have access to a program to learn how to crawl, walk, and have many motor skills, called the Parent-Infant program. We also teach them to start to communicate. From there, they go to either the mainstream classroom or to the blind school. If they are in a regular local school, they are assigned a Teacher for the Visually Impaired. I loved working with my teacher Sue. She has helped me throughout many years. We went on so many trips, and I learned so much. I learned all about independence, mobility, and other things. I also loved working with my other teachers at Blind School, such as Kathy Bingham, Robbin, Becky, and others. They have helped me learn about who I am.

The document I am going to analyze is a flier for the White Cane Day Event. It documents when and where the event will be held. This also helps the families and the students decide whether they would want to attend and take part in this event. People enjoy coming to this every year because it is such a significant day of the year. This event was special for me because it was the first event I had ever attended with the blind school. Because of this event, I am who I am today. I have met so many incredible people through this event as well.

In this community, when you are in school, you are taught the Expanded Core Curriculum, which is an expansion of the normal core curriculum in school. We have nine areas: assistive technology, complementary skills, career education, independent living skills, orientation and mobility, recreation and leisure, sensory efficiency, and self-determination. In school, we do not necessarily talk about each area, but we talk about the curriculum as a whole. We use these skills all day every day. In sensory efficiency, we talk about braille, which is a lexis in this community. When we have White Cane Day, each of these areas is emphasized individually and is encouraged. My personal favorite area of the ECC is Career Exploration. The reason I enjoy this area the most is because it discusses career ideas in detail, and even how to get a job.

Something that is encouraged specifically for White Cane Day, is mobility. People in this community use the white cane to get around. Some use it more than others. As a child, you receive a mobility instructor. They teach you how to use the cane and get around. As you get older, the teacher helps you learn how to use the public transportation in the area. It is always super fun because we go on different routes, and I find it like a puzzle. My mobility instructor would help us learn routes to go to various kinds of restaurants and then would eat there.

My goal for the future is to become a Teacher For The Visually Impaired. I want to teach others just how my teachers have helped me. To become a teacher for the visually impaired, I must get either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in special education and a visual impairment endorsement. This is a great ethic to have because it is good to have teachers who are trustworthy and know what they are doing.

White Cane Day is a holiday that is celebrated each October. In Utah, we always celebrate it at a new location. We have had it at the zoo, children’s museums, schools, and even the Utah State Capital just to name a few. This holiday is especially important for this community. We celebrate all our goals. We encourage independence and enjoying who you are.

I have loved being a part of this community. We encourage people to be their own people in this community. This has been such a wonderful community to be a part of. I have enjoyed learning new skills. I also have enjoyed taking part in white cane day every year. It is always my favorite day of the year where I get to feel like myself and get to see my friends. Ethos represents the trust we have in our educators, logos represent the details about when and where the event will be, and pathos is how significant this event is for the community. This document represents how significant this holiday is for the blind community here in Utah.