White Cane Award

On 15 September, the Swiss Central Union for the Blind (UCBA) will present the White Cane Award for the tenth time, recognising innovative projects that support blind, partially sighted and deafblind people. This year, the 20 Minutes community will choose the winner from among three finalists selected by a jury of experts from 27 entries.

Emoti’Sens — Developed by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), this educational kit rethinks how children with visual impairments learn about emotions. Rather than relying on facial expressions, it engages the senses of touch and hearing: textures, tactile masks and sound exploration. Designed in collaboration with the children themselves, it is already available and is currently being rolled out in educational institutions.

VIRAS — The University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland has devised an autonomous supermarket trolley. Paired with a smartphone app, it navigates the aisles independently, avoids obstacles, identifies products via audible signals and features an accessible set of scales. The prototype is currently being tested at a Migros branch in Hinwil.

Visions — The Asile des aveugles Foundation has developed an app that simulates various visual impairments in real time using a smartphone’s camera. Restricted field of vision, blurred areas, loss of contrast: the tool v

➡️ You can vote until 2 July 2026 on 20minutes.ch. The prize will be announced on 15 September 2026 by the the Swiss Central Union for the Blind (UCBA).