Tips on Blindness

1. Talk and act naturally when with a blind person.

2. Do not patronize blind persons; they are just "regular people" more than you realize.

3. Be frank. If a blind man or woman needs to button a shirt or blouse, or close a zipper, please point this out.

4. If you see a blind person who may need assistance, do not hesitate to offer your service by saying "May I help you?"

5. Remember not to point when directing a blind person. Give directions in terms of "straight ahead," or "to your right," etc.

6. Do not push a blind person ahead of you. Allow a blind person to take your arm.

7. Use the "Sighted Guide" technique. Allow the individual to take the back of your elbow and walk slightly behind you. When he holds your elbow, and your elbow is held close to the rib cage, he gets a great deal of information about your movement. The movement of your body will inform him as to whether he should step up or down, left or right. Do not be afraid to let the individual grasp your elbow. Remember, blindness is not contagious.

8. Be alert but restrained. Do not startle a blind person needlessly. Think however, to mention such things as projection, slippery surface, or the proximity of something hot.

9. When guiding a person through a doorway, move your guiding arm further to the rear and behind you. Remember that he is to one side of your body and allow for this rather than ramming him into the door jamb, which can be painful and may cause injury.

10. If the person is using a dog-guide, he may drop the harness handle to let the dog know it is temporarily off-duty and take your arm. Otherwise he will continue to use the dog and depend on your verbal directions. In such cases, please walk slightly behind and to the right of the person.

11. Pause at a curb, doorway, stairs, etc. to indicate the approach to something which differs from unimpeded walking. Mention the nature of the obstacle and always approach it directly rather than on an angle.

12. Acknowledge a blind person's questions verbally, since he cannot see a head shake or gesture.

13. Never take advantage of a blind associate by communicating with a third person by motions or signs. It is rude and in poor taste.

14. Remember to shake hands when meeting or leaving a blind person. To him, it is as expressive as a smile.

15. Don't let a blind person's hand dangle in the air. If obviously it is his purpose to shake hands, grasp his hand and greet him.

16. Don't offend a blind person by addressing him or her through a third party, such as asking a husband or wife if their spouse likes cream in their coffee. Speak directly to the blind person.

17. Don't shout to a blind person as if he were deaf. Converse with him in a normal tone of voice.

18. Don't avoid using the words "see," "blind," or other words of similar import. Use your normal vocabulary in a natural, easy manner.

19. Don't exclaim "wonderful" or "marvelous" simply because a blind person can do usual things such as telling time or identifying coins by touch.

20. When assisting a blind person into a bus, either enter the bus first and let the blind person follow; or put the blind person in contact with the rail inside the door and allow him to enter the bus without further assistance.

21. Identify yourself with a casual greeting when entering a room occupied by a blind person.

22. Indicate departure from a room which is occupied by a blind person so that he will not find himself talking to an empty room.

23. When introducing persons to a blind individual, make certain that names are pronounced distinctly. Nothing is so aggravating as not knowing to whom one is talking.

24. When introducing another person to a blind person, give the blind individual some indication of the location so that he will know in what direction to turn his head and extend his hand.

25. In conversation, address the blind person by name if he is the one expected to reply. Otherwise he may not know the remark is being directed to him.

26. When eating, tell the blind person what it on the dish or plate.

27. Do not pass things across the front of the blind person. Expect him or her to share in passing the food or other items.

28. Assisting a blind diner can be facilitated by using a clock system to tell him where things are. For example: potatoes at 6 o'clock, salt and pepper shakers above 12 o'clock. If the individual does not seem to understand, ask him how you can best help him.

29. If you refill his coffee cup, be sure to tell him. Otherwise he may get a very uncomfortable burn from coffee which was cool the last time he took a sip.

30. When helping seat a blind person at a table, guide him to the chair and place his hand on the chair-back. Then let him seat himself.

31. Allow the individual to do everything he is capable of doing for himself.

32. If the person has a dog-guide, it will lie quietly under the table until it is time to leave. Don't feed or pet the dog.

33. Remember that when the dog-guide is in harness it is working and it would be inappropriate for you to pet or talk to the dog unless the blind person drops his hand from the harness and permits you to pet or speak to the dog.

34. The blind person has received extensive training in handling and giving commands to the dog, and the dog has been trained to serve its master. Commands given to the dog-guide by a person other than its master can be confusing and dangerous. Talk to the person not the dog.

35. Refer to the dogs a "dog-guides". It is the generic term for dogs trained at any number of special schools.

36. Some individuals who are legally blind may not use a cane or a dog-guide and have some usable vision for traveling, reading or recognizing people. They may, however, need your assistance to read a sign, cross a street, or read a menu in dim light.

37. Be aware that many people with limited vision can have their vision adversely affected by glare.

38. When writing something to a person with low vision, do so in large print using a dark heavy marker if possible, so he can read it more easily.

39. When assisting a blind person in signing his name, place a pen in his hand then guide it to the line. You may use a signature guide or the edge of a piece of heavy paper t show him the direction of the line. Do not be concerned if the signature is not exactly on the line.

40. Relax. Remember that assisting blind people is rewarding as well as challenging at times. Do your best, use care, and don't be afraid of making mistakes. By all means, don't forget your sense of humor. Most of those you offer assistance to will want to share that with you.