National Sighted Guide Training
Trainer’s Guide
The National Sighted Guide Training Programme has been developed through a consortium of 17 different visual impairment organisations. We have worked together to create one standard for sighted guides throughout the UK.
Insert logos of all consortium members
National Sighted Guide Training - Training pack
Introduction:
This is the training pack for Modules 1-3 of the National Sighted Guide Training.
This pack is to be used by the sighted guide trainer, not the learner. The guide should be used together with the PowerPoint presentations for each course. It includes trainer notes and a link to the learning website. At the beginning of each module there is an introduction to each course which explains the resources you will need.
Learners can step off the programme after any of the modules. Only the learners who want to continue to module 2 needs to complete assessment, although it should be open to any learner. If a learner wants to progress from module 1 to 2, then assessment and practice is needed. The diagram below explains how the learning, assessment and practice fit together over modules 1-3.
Module 1 – Everyday Sighted Guides
What is an everyday sighted guide?
An everyday sighted guide is absolutely anyone who could offer assistance while they are out and about in their normal daily lives or as part of their job. It requires no particular time commitment beyond the course.
Learning takes place on the training course and assessment happens online via the learning website for sighted guides. Not everyone who attends the training for module 1 will complete assessment. Only the people who want to progress to module 2 need to complete the assessment.
How this will be delivered:
A taught course over 3 hours. The majority of the course will be given over to the practical exercises of awareness about blind and partially sighted people and practice guiding.
Optional extra half hour’s work online to have learning assessed
You will need:
Documents that you need can be found on the Sighted Guide Training website
Power point “Everyday sighted guide training”
Awareness tools (blindfolds or simulation specs)
2 practice routes in and around the venue which have been identified by the trainer
Copies of the Guide Dogs Sighted guiding DVD for all participants
A venue that allows for sighted guide practice, inside and outside
Copies of the power point presentation for handouts
Copies of the Guidance notes for sighted guides (appendix 2.1)
Copies of the Information leaflet about National Sighted Guide training (website)
For learners progressing to module 2
Assessment questions module 1
Assessor’s guide module 1
The assessment questions and assessor guide can be obtained by email request via the sighted guide website.
This course is aimed at:
Any member of the general public who would like to know more about how to approach and guide blind or partially sighted people.
Corporate and voluntary sector services (eg Supermarkets, Police, schools)
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria:
Learning outcome: The learner should be able to:Assessment criteria: The learner has achieved this because he or she can: Q
1. Develop an awareness of being blind or partially sighted:
1.1 Recognise some of the myths about sight loss
1.2 Identify the emotional consequences of sight loss
1.3 Identify barriers to independence for blind and partially sighted people
1.1 Correctly identify 3 myths about sight loss
1.2 List 3 emotional consequences of sight loss
1.3 List 3 barriers to independence for blind and partially sighted people
2. Demonstrate good practice in being a sighted guide:
2.1 Understand good sighted guide practice in theory in the following areas:
What being person centred means
Approaching someone and setting off
Guiding in a narrow space
Crossing a road
Going up or down stairs
Doorways
Sitting down
Leaving and finishing assistance
How to guide a client with a guide dog
What to do about toilets
Getting on and off trains and buses
2.2 Know safety tips for being a sighted guide
2.3 Practically demonstrate good sighted guide technique
2.1 Describe the correct technique for guiding people in each of these situations:
2.1.1 Being person centred
2.1.2 Approaching someone and setting off
2.1.3 Guiding in a narrow space
2.1.4 Crossing the road
2.1.5 Guiding up or down stairs
2.1.6 Doorways
2.1.7 Sitting down
2.1.8 Leaving and finishing assistance
2.1.9 Guiding a client with a guie dog
2.1.10 Toilets
2.1.11 Getting on and off trains and buses
2.1.12 Getting in a car
2.2 List 3 safety tips for being a sighted guide
2.2 Complete an observed assessment of guiding a blind or partially sighted person which includes:
Being person centred
Approaching someone and setting off
Guiding in a narrow space
Crossing the road
Going up or down stairs
Doorways
Sitting down
Leaving and finishing assistance
The session must be observed and signed off by both the assessor and the blind or partially sighted person.
Programme at a glance
3 hoursContent
20 Mins
Introductions and welcome:
Who developed the programme?
Aims of the course and agenda
Context of the course (modules 2 & 3, opportunities beyond this course)
Assessment options
Guidelines for the course (some simple guidelines to reduce anxiety and for the course to run well)
45 mins
Awareness of visual impairment
Trainer introduces the myths about sight loss (quiz)
A personal story about someone’s journey back to independence through mobility
Presentation covering barriers to independence for blind or partially sighted people and the emotional consequences of isolation (slides)
15 mins
Practice 1: Pairs will take turns in guiding each other around the training room.
10 mins
Feedback: The trainer leads a discussion on what that felt like, what worked and what didn’t.
30 mins
Training: The trainer physically demonstrates the basic tips for sighted guides supported by slides and a volunteer from the delegates:
What being person centred means
Approaching someone and setting off
Guiding in a narrow space
Crossing a road
Going up or down stairs
Doorways
Sitting down
Leaving and finishing assistance
40 mins
Practice 2: Pairs are now asked to practice what they have just learned, using the clearly demonstrated techniques and then the group gives feedback.
20 minsTrainer introduces other tips for sighted guides using slides:
How to guide a client with a guide dog
What to do about toilets
Getting on and off trains and buses
Close – Assessor leaves assessment information with those who require it, and course handouts and distributes DVDs
Introductions and welcome
You will need slides 2-8 for this section:
Introductions and welcome:
This is a short presentation to the group.
Who developed the programme?
Slide 2 shows you all the logos of the 17 organisations who have come together to develop this programme.
The purpose of the programme is to make excellent Sighted Guide training accessible for as many people as possible. The hope of the founding organisations is that more and more people in everyday roles can use this module to make a difference in the lives of visually impaired people.
Objectives of the course and agenda
Slides 3 and 4
Make sure everyone is clear about the objectives and briefly show them an overview of the course.
Context of the course (modules 2 & 3, opportunities beyond this course)
Slides 5 and 6
Define clearly the role of an Everyday Sighted Guide and, if relevant to the group, explain modules 2 and 3. An everyday sighted guide is absolutely anyone who could offer assistance while they are out and about in their normal daily lives or as part of their job. It requires no particular time commitment beyond the course. The guider is acting merely as the eyes/vision of the person being guided and that they will be slightly in front of their 'client' to enable them to ensure they have an unobstructed view of the way ahead.
Assessment options
Slide 7
Explain that if anyone thinks they might be interested in progressing further and becoming a sighted guide volunteer or practitioner, they will need to complete online assessment. Make sure you take the details of anyone who wants to complete assessment.
Guidelines for the course
Some simple guidelines to reduce anxiety and for the course to run well:
Mobile phones off or on silent please
We all agree for only one person to speak at a time
Relax! – It is likely that people might be quite anxious about either guiding or being guided. Your own relaxed manner will go a very long way to putting your learners at ease.
Say what you think – People who don't live their lives in contact with visually impaired people can get very tongue tied because they are worried about saying the wrong thing or using the wrong terms. Reassure people that as long as we are being respectful at all times, it is ok to make mistakes. If it helps, let the group know that you will mostly use the term “Visual impairment”.
Be respectful at all times
Introductions:
Give everyone in the room the chance to introduce themselves and describe in a few words, what their hopes and fears are for the training course.
The purpose of this is to make everyone feel welcome and break the ice by making sure everyone has had the chance to speak. Also, as a trainer, it helps if you know what part of the course someone might be particularly worried about so that you can support people individually.
There are many different ways you can get a round of introductions going, feel free to use your own or try this:
People can pair up and discuss what they want out of the session and introduce themselves to their neighbour and then feedback as a pair what they want out of the session or people to post up on the wall a sticky note with what they want out of the day
Awareness of Visual Impairment
You will need slides 9-12:
Awareness of sight loss notes:
Slide 9: Awareness of visual impairment (45 mins)
Trainer introduces the myths about sight loss (quiz) 20 mins
Allocate one side of the training room “True” and one side “false”. You might find it helpful to make a couple of signs and stick them up.
Explain to people that you will read out a statement and they must move to either the true or the false side of the room, depending on their view.
Stress that no-one will be judged; this is purely a relaxed and interactive way of learning and dispelling some of the myths about visual impairment. It’s a nice idea of allow people to move to the middle if they are unsure ... people will tend to congregate here anyway of they are nervous!
Your statements:
1.Most blind and partially sighted people can see
True: Around 2 million people in the UK have an uncorrectable sight problem. As life expectancy increases over the next 30 years, that figure is expected to increase to 2.5 million. Only about 4% of the registered blind population see nothing at all. Most people have some residual vision. Exactly what each person sees is individual to them.
2.80% of all blind and partially sighted people are aged 60 and over
True: one in 12 of us will become blind or partially sighted by the time we are 60 and this rises to 1 in 5 by the time we reach 75.
3.Blind and partially sighted people have advanced hearing
False: It is a myth that blind and partially sighted people have either better hearing, smell touch or taste. Quite often they will be more aware of their senses and rely on them more heavily than sighted people. This is not a natural phenomenon however and needs to be consciously worked at. You may notice that someone you are guiding uses their sense of smell to identify shops you are passing or hearing to judge the distance of the pelican crossing, but his is nothing supernatural, it is a hard learned skill.
4.40% of blind and partially sighted people have a guide dog
False: only about 2.5% of people have a partnership with a guide dog – that’s about 5,000 in the UK. Like the rest of society, there are people with sight loss that don't like dogs, or dogs may simply not fit with their lifestyle. Dogs require a lot of looking after and some people prefer other aids and adaptations.
5.Every day 100 new people are formally registered blind or partially sighted
True: Registering as either blind or partially sighted is voluntary.
6.If a person with normal vision loses the sight in one eye, they are considered partially sighted.
False: If the remaining vision in their other eye is good, or at least correctable by wearing glasses or lenses, then the person is not considered partially sighted and can drive.
7.Only 2% of the blind and partially sighted population reads Braille
True: Many people do not have the sensitivity in their fingers to read Braille and with the advent of screen reading technology, there are other ways for people to read so less people are learning Braille.
8.Sight can be damaged by reading in dim light
False: Reading in dim light cannot damage your sight, although it can cause eye strain and headaches. Good lighting makes reading easier, but reading in dim light does not damage sight itself.
9.Blind and partially sighted people who are visually impaired watch and play football
True: There are many football fans who are visually impaired. Some people listen to commentary on the radio as it’s more detailed than TV. Some clubs provide seating just for visually impaired fans where they can listen to commentary on headphones and not miss out on the atmosphere. As for playing, there are blind and partially sighted football teams that compete at the Paralympics and other tournaments. They use a ball with bells inside so they can hear where it is – this means that cheering is forbidden as it would prevent the players hearing the ball.
10.Blind and partially sighted people will want to feel your face to find out who you are.
False: This is a myth. If a person wants to find out about you they will ask you!
11.75% of Blind and partially sighted working age adults are unemployed
True: Unfortunately this is true. Hopefully this number will decrease as employers have to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. Employers are required to make adjustments and provide assistance to people via assistive technology and adaptations. They must also be prepared to interview blind and partially sighted people . In the past, it was easier for employers to “let people go” as their sight deteriorated.
End of Quiz
Slide 10: A personal story 10 mins: About someone’s journey back to independence through mobility (ideally the you will have invited someone for whom you have acted as a guide to come along and share their experiences. If this is not possible, there is an audio story embedded in the power point that can be used instead). You can choose to tell the story of someone you know – but it must be someone you know personally. Don't be tempted to embellish or make someone up, as true stories are much more powerful.
Barriers to independence: 15 mins
Prepare a piece of flip chart. Ask the group to imagine how they think sight loss could present barriers to independence in their own lives.
To get things started, ask how people got to the training venue. Would visual impairment mean they would have to change their transport? Would they still feel able to travel independently?
Think about living arrangements. How would sight loss affect independence at home?
Try to get as varied a list as possible that reflects the people in the room and their particular lives.
Now ask the group to imagine what the emotional consequences of these barriers might be. How would it feel? E.g. Isolated, scared etc.
You may choose to summarise using slides 11 and 12 – optional
Training and Practice 1hr 20 mins
Slides 13 & 14:
Practice 1 (15 mins)
Why we practice:
Explain to the group why it is important to experience what it is like being guided: it is one of the best ways we can become good sighted guides by personally understanding the fears, concerns and priorities of being guided well.
Explain to the group that this first exercise is to give a sense of how it feels to be guided and to guide. There is no pressure on guiding in a particular way. This exercise is designed to help people experience the world as a visually impaired person might. The exercise should be relaxed and light hearted.
Pairs will take turns in guiding each other around the training room. This exercise must only happen within the training room and not outside. Each person has a maximum of 5 minutes each being the guide, the other will wear a blindfold.
The trainer’s role will be to introduce some simple environmental hazards: