Sighted Guide Technique

1. Making Contact: Introduce yourself to the blind person and ask him if he would like some assistance. Offer him your arm by verbally saying so and by brushing your forearm against his.
   
   

2. Grip: The blind person grips your arm just above the elbow, with four fingers on the inside of your elbow, and the thumb on the outside. If his grip is too tight, let him know.
   
   

3. Grip Modifications:
   
   Child's Grip: When you are assisting a blind adult, he grips your arm at the elbow. This is often too high for a child to reach. Therefore, have the blind child either grip your arm at the wrist rather than at the elbow or hold your hand. This will make it more comfortable for both of you. The finger position remains the same as above in this modification. 
   
   Elderly or Support Grip: Elderly people, and people with balance problems, often find that the regular grip does not provide them with enough support and information. Therefore, instead of holding your arm at the elbow, an elderly person may go arm-in-arm (link arms) with you. This will decrease the amount of space between the two of you and it will give him added support. In order to accommodate his unsteadiness and your proximity to each other, you may have to slow your pace.
   
   

4. Stance: Hold your arm relaxed at your side. The blind person's arm is relaxed, with his elbow bent and held close to his side. He stands at your side about one half step behind you. He holds your left arm with his right hand (or your right arm with his left hand).
   
   Always let the blind person take your arm. Never push or shove him ahead of you. Set a comfortable pace for both of you. If the blind person tightens his grip or pulls back on your arm, slow down. He may be nervous, or your pace may be too brisk.
   
   IF the blind person is using a cane, offer him the arm which is closest to his free hand. If he is using a guide dog, offer him your left arm (because only his right hand is free). This will allow him to place his dog in a heeling (non-guiding) position.
   
   If you are guiding a blind person, it is not necessary to have a running conversation. Give him the essential information, for example: That you are both at a curb; that you are crossing a street; that you are about to descend a flight of stairs; that you are at a door; etc. Be specific in your directions because too much information can be confusing.
   
   

5. Narrow Passage Technique: When coming to a narrow passage, tell the blind person, and move your guiding arm (the one he is holding) back.
   
   After you have gone through the narrow passage, tell the blind person, and return your arm to your side. The blind person will return to his normal position.
   
   

6. Going Through Doorways:
   
   A. When approaching a door, tell the blind person which way the door is opening; towards/away from him and on his left/right.
   
   B. Have him hold the door open while you both go through it.
   
   If the doorway is narrow, use the narrow passage technique (described above) in addition to the technique described for doors.
   
   If you are uncertain about what to do, tell the blind person. He may be able to make some suggestions.
   
   

7. Stairs (and Curbs):
   
   A. When approaching stairs, tell the blind person, and let him know whether they are going up or down. Make sure you approach the stairs directly (not at an angle). Have the blind person stand on the handrail side of the stairs, so that he can use the handrail.
   
   B. Pause slightly at the top of the stairs, let him locate the handrail, and start down the stairs, always keeping yourself one step ahead of him.
   
   C. When you reach a landing, stop so that he can catch up with you.
   
   When you ascend the stairs use the same technique, e.g., let the blind person use the handrail with his free hand, and keep yourself one step ahead of him. Pause slightly whenever you reach a landing, and tell him why you are pausing so that he will know what to do.
   
   In ascending or descending stairs, it is generally advisable to keep to the right side of the stairs in order to avoid collisions with other people.
   
   In handling curbs, use the same technique, e.g., approach the curb directly, pause before and after stepping up (or down), and always keep yourself one step ahead of the blind person.
   
   

8. Taking a Seat:
   
   A. When you are approaching a chair, tell the blind person. Come directly to the front of the chair.
   
   B. Place your hand on the back of the chair and let the blind person follow your arm down to the back.
   
   

9. Entering and exiting a car: To enter a car, place the blind person's hand on the door handle, and let him open the door by himself. Do not open the door for him. If he is entering on the passenger's side of the car, he can place his left hand on the roof in order to protect himself from bumping his head as he seats himself. He can then close the door. It is generally easier to have the blind person seat himself and then have him swing his leg into the car.
   
   In exiting the car, the blind person uses the above procedure in reverse. This time he may want to use his right hand to clear the car roof.
   
   If the blind person has a cane, he should seat himself first, then bring his cane into the car. He should rest the cane on the shoulder which is closest to the door. When exiting from a car, he should bring his cane out first and then get out himself.
   

10. Giving Directions: If you are giving directions to a blind person, it is important that they be easy to understand. Using terms like "over there" or "here" is not very helpful to the blind person. Try to relate directions to his body. For example: "the drug store is two doors ahead of you and on your right"; or, "the grocery store is one block behind you and to your left". Using terms such as right, left, front and back, is very helpful and can give the blind person a better idea of where things are located.
    
    

11. Room Familiarization:  In familiarizing a blind person to a room, you should tell him what kind of room it is (bedroom, kitchen, living room, etc.), and what its general shape is (square, rectangle, etc.). This helps to give him an idea of what to expect when traveling within the room. It is very important to let him know where the door is located, that is, in the middle of a wall, at the corner, etc. This establishes its relative position in the room. The door should always be used as a reference point so that the blind person can build relationships with the objects in the room and determine their position relative to the door. For example, "as you stand in the doorway, facing into the room, the couch is along the wall on your right".
    
    Orientation to a room should not be too detailed. It should be a function of the rooms use. For example, if you are orienting the blind person to his bedroom, he will use it every night and therefore needs a fair amount of detail. If you are orienting him to an office which he will use only once, you may only want to emphasize a route from the door to the nearest chair. This may be all he needs to know.
    
    Emphasize the important aspects of a room. For example, in a bedroom you should point out the location of the bed, an easy chair and a dresser. If it is a room with multiple beds, you should point out the relationship between the different beds; for example, "there are three beds, all of them side by side; yours is the one in the middle".
    
    Be simple in your descriptions. If you give the blind person too much information at one time he may become confused. Therefore, only introduce one item at a time and let the blind person determine where the item is before you move on to something else. Let him explore the room at his own pace. This may mean that he only walks from the door to the couch, for example, or from his bed to a chair.
    
    If the blind person needs further, more detailed information, you should contact a qualified orientation and mobility instructor.