When I had to order some more blindness canes (white canes) for college, I discovered that I could customize canes to include reflective tape in different colors that weren’t just white or red. I love anything purple, so I decided to order a white cane with a purple bottom segment, along with a few other colors. Several of my friends pointed out that I seemed to be a lot more confident when using the custom colored canes and that I wasn’t slouching or trying to “hide myself” when walking on campus, something I hadn’t even noticed that I was doing. My purple cane and pink cane even inspired some younger friends and students I work with to start orientation and mobility training and using a white cane to help them navigate unfamiliar places. Here is how to order custom colors for blindness canes and white canes for people with visual impairments, and tips for choosing custom colors from Ambutech.
What are custom colored blindness canes?
Custom colored blindness canes are blindness canes that have been altered to have different colors of reflective tape than the traditional white or white and red canes that are common for people with visual impairments. The shape and functionality remain the same, but people may choose to customize the following colors:
- Cane handle color and/or material
- Cane shaft (main body)
- Bottom shaft or bottom segment
- Individual section colors for collapsible canes
- Cane tip
Since the white cane is universally accepted as symbolizing blindness, I recommend only customizing the bottom shaft of a cane and keeping the cane shaft white or yellow (which may provide additional visibility). Cane tips and handles can also be customized in different colors.
Related links
- Decoding The Colors of Blindness Canes
- Decoding The Tips of Blindness Canes
- Blindness Canes and WonderWord: An O&M Word Search
How much do custom colors for blindness canes cost?
Custom colored white canes and custom colors for blindness canes from Ambutech are available at no additional cost, and can be ordered online or by calling Ambutech or another vendor like Maxi-Aids directly. Some Hi-Lite colors such as pink, green, and blue are available directly from Maxi-Aids or Ambutech as well.
One of my friends chose to DIY a custom white cane by purchasing 3M reflective tape from a hardware store and wrapping the different segments of their cane with tape. Another option is to add custom tape to the top of the cane near the handle for additional personalization— one young student I worked with had patterned duct tape across a small portion of their cane near the handle.
Related links
- Canes for the Blind | Ambutech
- Incorporating Blindness Canes into Halloween Costumes
- Ten Things To Know About Going To College With A Blindness Cane
Benefits of custom colored blindness canes
Is a custom colored blindness cane any more useful than a regular cane? Here are some of the benefits of custom colors for canes that I have noticed in my own experiences:
- Increased confidence: A white cane is a “statement accessory” and something people notice quickly. Customizing the cane with a favorite color can help someone feel less self-conscious about using a cane and give them a sense of control over how they present themselves.
- Easier to identify: At events with multiple cane users, I can easily locate my cane if I put it down somewhere. Custom cane colors can also “pop” against common surfaces, making them easier to locate— I often bring a yellow cane to sporting events at my college because my white cane blends into the reflective bleachers.
- Motivation: Several students and clients I work with are more excited to use a cane in their favorite color compared to a “regular cane.”
- Accessibility needs: For individuals with cerebral visual impairment/cortical visual impairment (CVI), using a cane in a preferred color can be helpful for orientation and mobility
- Weather and lighting: Anecdotally, I have noticed my yellow cane can be easier to spot when walking in rain or snow.
- Fashion/Aesthetics: It’s fun to match colored canes to an outfit or shoes, since it is a “statement accessory” after all!
Related links
- Tips For Improving Confidence About Using Assistive Technology
- How Do People With Visual Impairments Guide Each Other?
- Dealing With Imposter Syndrome: College O&M
- Walking In The Rain: College O&M
- Walking In The Snow: College O&M
- How I Use The Stylebook App With Low Vision
How to order custom colored blindness canes from Ambutech
The Ambutech website provides options for customizing the handle, main shaft, bottom shaft, and tip colors for both identity and mobility canes. To order custom colors for blindness canes online, open the desired product listing and select from the following options to customize colors:
- HiLite color for handle and/or tip— default is black handle unless otherwise noted on the product listing
- Tip color— varies by cane tip, can be either white or red
- Main shaft color— default is white
- Bottom shaft color— default is red
- Sections— affects size of bottom shaft for customization purposes
To order custom colors for individual sections (e.g. one red, one orange, one yellow section), contact Ambutech by phone or email to place a custom order.
Related links
- Ambutech Mobility Canes
- Five Questions To Ask When Buying A Blindness Cane
- Accessibility Support Phone Numbers and Low Vision
A list of custom colors for blindness canes
Available colors for custom colored blindness canes on the Ambutech website include:
- White
- Red
- Yellow (bright yellow)
- 2 Red Stripes
- Green (dark green)
- Marigold
- Blue (dark blue)
- Orange (pumpkin orange)
- Purple (royal/dark purple)
- Black
- Pink (darker pink, not neon)
My Ambutech custom canes
I own the following custom colors for blindness canes. Unless otherwise noted, all of my canes have a black handle and white marshmallow tip.
- White body, red bottom shaft, ball tip
- Marigold body, red bottom shaft
- White body, purple bottom shaft
- HiLite pink handle, white body, pink bottom shaft
After years of having this photo on a patterned carpet, I’ve removed the background to make it easier to see the canes!
I created a collage below of my different custom colored Ambutech canes “in action” from over the years, including a few candid shots where my canes made it into photos. Pictured below from left to right:
- Marigold and red with Seattle Gum Wall in the background
- White and red ball tip at Disney
- Yellow and green at a band performance— I actually have two of these canes, one with four segments and one with six segments. I later replaced the cane in this photo with one that has alternating green and yellow segments.
- White and pink at a library event
- White and purple at a city park
- Solid yellow at Disney
Related links
- Twelve Blindness Cane Storage Solutions
- How To Use Audio Description at Disney Parks
- Meeting Disney Characters With Low Vision
- How I Play In GMU Green Machine/Pep Band With Low Vision
- Taking Selfies With Low Vision
- Unique Summer Reading Prizes For Print Disabilities
How others react to custom colored canes
Because my canes are still mostly white or yellow, I haven’t encountered any issues with White Cane laws or not having my cane recognized as a blindness cane— yellow canes are often used in other countries, and I typically reserve my yellow canes for walking in the dark or in bad weather. Vision professionals and other people with visual impairments usually ask me where I ordered my canes from, or mention how cool it is that they match my outfit/shoes.
Kids in particular seem to really like my custom colored canes, and sometimes will tell me how much they like a specific color. When the Barbie movie was in theaters, I also had people tell me they loved my pink cane or that it reminded them of Barbie— though the actual “Blind Barbie” doll uses a white and red cane. At one point, a group of people saw my cane as they were leaving the Barbie movie and started shouting compliments about how much they loved the pink cane from across the street!
Related links
- How I Respond To Children’s Questions/Comments About Low Vision
- How I Respond To Questions/Comments About My Eyes
- How I Respond To Questions/Comments About My Glasses
- Blind Barbie and Assistive Technology For Visual Impairment
- Dealing With Paparazzi/Unwanted Attention: College O&M
More resources on custom colors for blindness canes
- Want to learn more about cane colors and cane tips? Read Decoding The Colors of Blindness Canes and Decoding The Tips of Blindness Canes
- The main reason I use a cane is because of double vision which causes me to have no depth perception, along with a reduced visual field from my eye condition/brain condition. Learn more in Two of Everything: Living With Double Vision and How I Explain My Brain With Chiari Malformation
- I am not a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), but I do have several posts on my website about how I use a cane in my day-to-day life. Browse Orientation and Mobility Archives | O&M Posts
Published October 14, 2019. Updated January 2025