Being a Sighted Guide

Sighted guide technique enables a person who is blind to use a person with sight as a guide. The technique follows a specific form and has specific applications.

Offer to guide a person who is blind or visually impaired by asking if he or she would like assistance. Be aware that the person may not need or want guided help; in some instances it can be disorienting and disruptive. Respect the wishes of the person you are with.
If your help is accepted, offer the person your arm. To do so, tap the back of your hand against his or her hand. The person will then grasp your arm directly above the elbow. Never grab the person’s arm or try to direct him or her by pushing or pulling.
Relax and walk at a comfortable normal pace. Stay one step ahead of the person you are guiding, except at the top and bottom of stairs and to cross streets. At these places, pause and stand alongside the person. Then resume travel, walking one step ahead. Always pause when you change directions, step up, or step down.
It is helpful, but not necessary, to tell the person you are guiding about changes in terrain, stairs, narrow spaces, elevators, and escalators.
The standard form of sighted guide technique may have to be modified because of other disabilities or for someone who is exceptionally tall or short. Be sure to ask the person you are guiding what, if any, modifications he or she would like you to use.
When you are acting as a guide, never leave the person in "free space." When walking, always be sure that the person has a firm grasp on your arm. If you have to be separated briefly, be sure the person is in contact with a wall, railing, or some other stable object until you return.
To guide a person to a seat, place the hand of your guiding arm on the seat. The person you are guiding will find the seat by following along your arm.

Giving Directions to a Person Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired

When giving directions for how to get from one place to another, people who are not visually impaired tend to use gestures—pointing, looking in the direction referred to, etc.—at least as much as they use verbal cues. That isn't helpful to a person who is blind or has a visual impairment. And often even verbal directions are not precise enough for a person who can't see—for example, "It's right over there" or "It’s just around the next corner." Where is "there"? Where is "the next corner"?

Here are basic points to remember when giving directions to anyone who is visually impaired—a friend, relative, or stranger on the street.

Always refer to a specific direction—right or left as it applies to the person you're advising. What is on your right is on the left of the person facing you.
Indicate the approximate distance as well as the direction to a requested location.
Give the approximate number of streets to be crossed to reach the destination. Even if your estimate is off by a block or two, it will give the person a sense of when to stop and ask someone else for further directions in case she or he has overshot the mark.
If possible, provide information about landmarks along the way.

A large office building, a train station, or a shopping mall are also places where you may be called on to give directions, and the same considerations apply indoors as well as on the street. Here is an example:

"The escalator is directly in front of you about 10 feet away. You’ll hear it as you approach. When you reach the next floor, make a sharp u-turn to the right. Walk along the wall to your left past 4 doors. The office you want is the fifth door.

Keep in mind that both sounds and scents can be "landmarks." In a food hall, for example, the unmistakable smell of popcorn could be a useful landmark for someone headed in that direction. With all the coffee houses on streets in villages, towns, and cities, the scent of freshly brewed coffee may also be a helpful guidepost.

Thinking about how to give tactful, practical directions to someone who is visually impaired can heighten your own sensitivity to the world around you.

Giving Good Directions

What's the first thing you do when someone on the street asks you for directions?

Most people point. It's amazing how much of what we hear is supported by what we see. Here are some tips for giving directions to someone with vision loss:

Describe the environment in detail.
If you tell the person that the train station is two blocks to the left, he or she will probably get there. Still, it's always more helpful to paint the picture a bit. Is there a bakery next to the station? Then say, "When you smell the fresh bread you're right there." Is there a street being repaired en route? Say, "You'll hear the trucks and street diggers; be careful crossing the street." Also, if the person uses a cane to travel, he or she will want to know any changes in ground texture—concrete to grass, carpet to tile, that sort of thing.
Do not say, "it's right here," or "it's over there."
Remember, "here" and "there" alone are meaningless to someone with severe vision loss. For example, if a person asks you how to find the elevator,
DON'T say: "It's over there to your left."
DO say: "OK, if you walk straight down the long corridor to your left approximately 100 feet, you'll pass a set of water fountains that make a loud humming sound on your right. Just when you feel the carpet change to tile, you'll find the elevator is directly in front of you."
Point out potential danger points along the way.
Is there a sudden, steep decline in the sidewalk ahead, or a tricky, busy intersection to cross? Is a delivery truck being unloaded, blocking the sidewalk? Maybe the pedestrian path goes from wide to narrow. Passing on information about these or any similar obstacles will help the person arrive at his or her destination quickly and safely.

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