White Cane Awareness Day

09/15/2026

🦯 We Are One-Month Away From White Cane Awareness Day! 🦯

Date: Thursday, October 15th, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
📍 Location: Chris and Kameron Cline
Center
(2871 Robert C. Byrd Dr, Beckley, WV
25801)

What To Expect:

📜:Proclamation read by The Mayor of Beckley, WV

🦯: White Cane Obstacle Course

🖥️: West Virginia Assistive Technology Services (WVATS) Accessible Technology Demonstrations

🫆: Braille Demonstration

👁️: Eye-Disease Simulation Experience

👀: Free Eye-Screenings provided by District 29C Lions Club 🦁

🦮: Mira Foundation USA and Puppy Raiser From LeaderDogs

💛💙 👋: Local Community Agencies and Organizations

🌭-FREE FOOD AVAILABLE

👓: Eye-Glasses Donation Box

08/29/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1TKfmYE9bd/?mibextid=wwXIfr

“None of my son’s needs are special,” Jessica Caromile says of her 12-year-old, who is blind — and she believes the late country music legend understood this, too.

08/27/2026

I am excited to announce that I am now a Mental Health Therapist! 🧠

I am beyond grateful for this opportunity, as 80% of individuals who are blind or visually impaired are unemployed. I am now in the 20% that are employed, and I do not take that for granted!

Officially stepping into the next chapter as Cole Sweeney, MSW, LGSW, Mental Health Therapist 🧠❤️‍🩹

08/17/2026

✨Here Is The Event Flyer!✨

Please share the flyer around, invite folks to the page, and, if you would like to promote the event, please print off the flyer and hang it up!

We hope to see you at White Cane Awareness Day this year! 🦯

08/11/2026

We Now Have 400 Followers Here On The White Cane Awareness Day Event Page! 🥹✨🦯

This milestone means so much to me; as a social worker who is legally blind, I strive to make a difference in both my local community of Beckley, West Virginia, The State of West Virginia, and the visually impaired community.

Thank you all, so, so much, for following, sharing, liking, and, of course, for attending the event!

Please consider following and inviting folks to my event page to follow along with my journey, the event, and to raise awareness! 💙💛🦯

06/22/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Bk56JopxS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Today marks the 27th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C., which affirmed that the unjustified segregation of people with disabilities is discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The ruling reinforced the right of people with disabilities to live, work, and participate fully in their communities rather than in institutions. Twenty-seven years later, Olmstead remains one of the most important disability rights decisions in our nation’s history and continues to advance inclusion, independence, and equal opportunity.

This anniversary comes just days after the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a memo challenging longstanding interpretations of the integration mandate and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision. ACB is deeply troubled by the memo’s conclusions and its potential implications for the rights of people with disabilities to live in their communities without fear of unnecessary institutionalization.

Despite this recent challenge, we remain committed to defending the rights and freedoms recognized in the Olmstead ruling, and will continue to advocate for policies that promote full participation, independence, and social and economic opportunity for all people with disabilities.

05/03/2026

On Friday, April 17th, 2026, I had the privilege to speak at The Summers County Deaf, Hatd-of-Hearing, and Blindness Event, held at Summers County High School, in Hinton, West Virginia. I was able to speak to students with disabilities, school staff, parents, and the Summers County community about resiliencey, self-determination, advocacy, and accessibility. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Pamela Hamrick, Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) and Deaf and Hatd-of-Hearing (D/HH) for inviting me to speak at this wonderful event!

04/28/2026

The Event Founder and Coordinator of this White Cane Day Event, Cole Sweeney, MSW,
has received their Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) licensure from The West Virginia Board of Social Work, and is now able to practice social work at the graduate/master-level! 🦯👨‍🦯💼🎉✨

Officially, Cole Sweeney, MSW, LGSW

04/18/2026

If you would like to network with me, here is the link to my LinkedIn profile:

Colten (Cole) Sweeney, MSW, is a Concord University alumnus who earned a Master of Social… · Experience: White Cane Awareness Day · Education: Concord University · Location: Beckley · 59 connections on LinkedIn. View Colten Sweeney, MSW’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 bi...

04/13/2026

The Event Founder and Coordinator of White Cane Awareness Day, Cole Sweeney, MSW, would like to share that after some access issues due to software not functioning as intended, and advocacy, is thrilled to announce their passing of the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Licensed Graduate Social Worker Exam in The State of West Virginia and I am now a Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW)!

What is an LGSW? A Licensed Graduate Social Worker is a graduate-level social worker who possess a Master of Social Work (MSW) from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited university, and passing The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Master’s level examination.

Proudly Serving as Cole Sweeney, MSW, LGSW!