Guilly d'Herbemont

Who is Guilly d'Herbemont?

Guilly d'Herbemont was the inventor of the white cane for blind people.

In 1930, d'Herbemont wrote a letter to the director of the national daily newspaper L'Écho de Paris. This letter was published causing much consternation.

On February 7, 1931, d'Herbemont symbolically presented, in the presence of several ministers, the first two white canes. These were given to a blind soldier and a blind civilian. These were followed by the distribution of 5000 white canes.