The Ghana Blind Union (GBU) has made a passionate appeal to the government and members of the public to provide white canes for its members to facilitate their movement.

The appeal comes as the Union is preparing to celebrate the International White Cane Day, which falls on October 15, every year.

White cane is a tool which is a symbol of the blind or partially sighted persons, which enables them to be mobile and walk freely in their environment.

It also serves as an identity and informs the sighted world that there are visually impaired persons and therefore, they should give recognition and respect to the white canes when walking around or crossing the road.

In a statement made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, the Union said the white cane enabled members to know the things around them or their environment and made them independent in their daily activities.

According to the statement, although a large percentage of the partially impaired persons required the white canes, many of them were unable to afford them due to their weak financial situation.

The Union therefore urged individuals, NGO's, religious groups and other public-spirited organizations to come to their aid with financial support to acquire the white canes, since they were expensive and were not produced in Ghana.

It said the white canes/ mobility training for an individual now cost GHC100.00 in the country of which the majority of the members were unable to afford.