October15,1970wasdeclaredInternationalWhiteCaneSafetyDayforthefirsttimebythePresidentoftheInternationalFederationoftheBlind.ThisdatewasadoptedatthefirstquinquennialconventionoftheIFB,heldinColomboonOctober4,1969.Theobjectoftheexerciseistostimulatethegeneralpublictoabetterunderstandingofblindnessandvisualhandicap,andtomakepeoplemoreawareofthewhitecaneasamobilityaid.
Peguillyd’Herbemontwasbornon25thJune1888intoanoldFrenchnoblefamilyofthesamename.Inheryouthsheledtheconventionalandprotectedexistence,devoidofgreatactivity,ofagirlfroma"goodfamily",anexistencereminiscentofthelifeofthearistocracybeforetheFrenchRevolution.Shenevervisitedapublicschool,butwaseducatedbyGermanandEnglishgovernessesandconventsisters.HermovementswererestrictedandweremainlyconfinedtothefamilypositionsinParisandBelgium,butshespentmostofhertimeatthecastleofCharmoisnotfarfromVerdun.
Intheprocessofhelpingindividualblindpeopleacrosstheroad,Mademoiselled’Herbemontwasmadeawarebynarrowscrapeswhichalmostledtoaccidents,oftheprecarioussituationofthevisuallyimpairedbroughtaboutbythesteadilyincreasingtrafficontheroads.Shefirstspokeaboutmeasurestoprotecttheblindagainststreethazardstohermotherin1930,butshewasoftheopinionthatitwasunfitforaladyofgoodsocietytocreateapublicoutcryandadvisedhertosticktothetranscriptionofbooks,apopularpastimeofladiesofrankatthetime.
Buttheideadidnotleaveher.Theurgentwishtoencouragetheintegrationoftheblindintosocietybyprovidingthemwithameansofmovingaboutmorefreelywithoutendangeringothers,andatthesametimeattractingtheattentionofpassers-byreadytoofferassistance,causedhertotakethe,unusualstepofwritingtotheeditoroftheParisdaily"EchodeParis"inwhichshesuggestedissuingtheblindoftheParisregionwithwhitestickssimilartothoseusedbythetrafficpolice.
Theeditortookuptheidea,publisheditinNovember1930andsawtoitthattherelevantauthoritiesactedwithatypicalspeed.Thusitwasthatthewhitecanereceivedofficialbacking,andon7thFebruary1931