State Services for the Blind

For Family and Friends

How can I help?

These practical suggestions from Vision Loss Resources are guidelines for greater interaction and better understanding among people who are sighted and those with vision loss. Although they’re written primarily with blind people in mind, they’re useful reminders in dealing with any degree of vision loss.

Remember that everyone is a unique individual, and that eye conditions vary from person to person. The guidelines may need to be adapted to suit the particular abilities, preferences and needs of the person with vision loss.

Speak directly to the visually impaired person, not through a companion or third party. Visually impaired people can hear and respond for themselves.
Don’t shout. Most blind people have normal hearing. Speak clearly and strongly if you know that an older visually impaired person also has a hearing problem.
Introduce yourself. Not everyone recognizes voices or remembers them.
Identify yourself when entering a room and let the blind person know when you are leaving. Don’t leave a blind person talking to an empty room.
Don’t hesitate to use words like “see” and “look.” Blind people understand that these words are part of normal conversation and are not offended by them.
Give explicit directions to a blind person, such as “on your left,” “to the right of your plate,” “three blocks north.” Vague phrases like “over there” and “down the street” aren't helpful.
Don’t use hand signals. Blind people can’t see waving hands or pointing fingers.
Describe the position of foods on a plate by relating them to the numbers on the face of a clock. For example: with 12:00 at the top of the plate, you would say that beans are at 3:00, meat is at 6:00, potatoes are at 10:00 and the beverage is off the plate at 2:00.
Don’t leave a blind person standing alone in open space. Instead, offer a chair or direction to a stationary reference point like a counter or table.
Don’t assume that help is needed. Always ask before providing assistance.
Never push, pull or grab a blind person. This can be frightening and it’s often embarrassing. Instead, offer Sighted Guide Technique (following) if assistance is requested.
Do not pet or otherwise distract a guide dog in harness. The dog is hard at work guiding whenever it is in harness.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and be willing to apologize when they do occur!

Lighthouse International publishes a free newsletter entitled Sharing Solutions that highlights coping strategies for people with vision impairment and their support networks.

Sighted Guide Technique

While many blind and visually impaired people prefer to travel independently using either a cane or a guide dog, Sighted Guide Technique is a safe, comfortable and pleasant way to talk with a sighted companion, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings. The technique is also helpful for older visually impaired people who may have balance or mobility problems.

To begin the guiding process, the visually impaired person gently grasps the guide’s arm just above the elbow with four fingers on the inside of the arm and the thumb on the outside. The guide’s arm remains relaxed at the side, while the visually impaired person’s arm is held close to the side with a 90-degree bend at the elbow.
Walking together at a normal pace, the guide stays half a step ahead and describes landmarks and things of interest along the way. The guide must also alert the visually impaired person to potential obstacles in the path, such as stationary objects, narrow passages, low-hanging objects, doors, steps, and irregularities in the pavement or floor surface.
Approach stairs and curbs squarely, never at an angle. The guide should announce whether the steps go up or down. Before proceeding, it is important to pause. Give the visually impaired person time to take hold of the handrail and locate the edge of the first step with the foot. On the stairs, the sighted guide stays one step ahead. The guide should not count the steps but may, upon reaching the end of a stairway, mention that there is one step left.

This section is adapted with permission from “Living With Vision Loss,” a publication of Vision Loss Resources, Minneapolis MN.