A quick guide on how to guide people who are blind or partially sighted.
Haggeye, RNIB: Stop and Stare
Hello and welcome to this quick guide on how to guide people who are blind or partially sighted. As our towns and cities become busier, and become more complicated places to walk through, people who are blind or partially sighted often require help getting where they want to go, even if they are a long cane user or guide dog user.
Assisting someone who is blind or partially sighted is not that difficult. In this video we help you to understand the basics of how to do it. The members of Haggeye, which is the youth forum of RNIB Scotland, will demonstrate the simple techniques that you can use.
If you see someone who is blind or partially sighted do not be afraid to go up to them and offer them your help.
Introduce yourself first of all and ask if they want any assistance.
If they take you up on the offer, ask where they want to go. When you are both ready, set off together. The guided person will usually walk half a step behind. Check the pace that you are walking at is ok. Make sure that you point out things that the guided person needs to know as you walk along, such as kerbs, steps and narrow spaces. Otherwise, just chat away as you would normally.
Blind and partially sighted people can often managed crossing roads on their own by listening out for breaks in the traffic.
Contrary to popular belief, guide dogs do not make decisions about when to cross roads. It is always down to the person listening out for the traffic.
When you reach a narrow space, tell the person you are guiding and drop your guiding arm behind you. They will then walk behind you in single file through the space. When it is wide enough for both of you, tell them so, and bring your guiding arm back to your side.
Going through doors easily is something that you probably take for granted, but often people who are blind or partially sighted need help to do so safely. Say whether the door opens towards or away from you, and if it opens on the left or on the right. Open the door and as you walk through the person you are guiding will locate your hand on the door andcontinue to hold it open as they follow through. Make sure you are well clear of the closing door and describe where you are before asking if they need more assistance.
Unfamiliar stairs can be difficult for blind and partially sighted people as they don’t know how many steps there are and how the staircase bends. To guide someone upstairs, place the hand of your guiding arm on the staircase banister and the person you are guiding will slide their free hand down your guiding arm to locate the banister. Ensure they have their foot on the first step before you set off. Let them know just before you come to a landing or the top of the stairs.
There are many different types of seats and it is important to know how to help a person who is blind or partially sighted to find their seat and then safely sit down in it. After you have guided them to their seat, describe what type of seat it is. Place your guiding arm on the back of the chair allowing the person being guided to slide their free hand down your arm to find the seat and feel its shape.
You do the same sort of thing when helping someone into their seat in a bus or car. In a bus, after guiding them to their seat describe the seat to them. Then place the hand of your guiding arm on the seat back to allow them to locate the seat and feel it for themselves.
When helping someone into a car, place your guiding arm on the door frame so they can locate the car and feel how big the space is that they've got to get through. Describe the car seat and allow them to feel the seat outline before they sit down. Place your hand against the top of the door frame to prevent them bumping their head.
With the help of the members of Haggeye we have shown you the basic techniques for guiding someone who is blind or partially sighted. We hope that this quick guide has given you the confidence to help guide someone who is blind or partially sighted and that next time you're able to offer assistance you do go up and introduce yourself. Thanks for watching.
For more information and resources contact RNIB Scotland: Telephone 0131 652 3140 or visit: rnib.org.uk/scotland