EDUCATION
With visually impaired people being relatively few and far between, many members of the sighted community do not know that communicating with a blind person is much the same as communicating to anyone else. One of the most difficult aspects of being blind, is how disabled people are treated by their sighted peers. Below are several suggestions as to how you can make communicating with, or talking with a blind person easier.- Always talk directly to the person. Blind people are capable of speaking for themselves.
- Speak as you normally would to anyone. There’s no need to raise your voice.
- Many feel they should make physical contact with a blind person to let them know they are there. This can be viewed as an invasion of personal space.
- If you’d like to assist a blind person (for example, in a busy shopping center), ask first.
- Offer your elbow. Keep arm bent at a 90 degree angle. They’ll tell you which side they prefer.
- Walk at a comfortable pace for both of you
- Move your arm behind you when you must walk single file.
- When showing a blind person a chair, place his or her hand on the back of the chair. They’ll do the rest. When dining out, offer to read the menu, including the prices. Describe the location of the food by using clock numbers as reference points (fish at 12 o’clock, potatoes at 3 o’clock, and so on). Ask if they need assistance with their food.
- Guide a blind person to a vehicle and move your elbow until his or her hand is touching the door handle.
- Even blind people using canes or guide dogs sometimes like to be guided by a sighted person, particularly through crowded areas or intricate walking patterns.
- Do not grab blind people and move them around like inanimate objects.
- Blind children should hold your wrist as you guide.
- If you are much shorter than the person you are guiding, they may be more comfortable touching your shoulder as you walk.
- Announce to follower if steps are very steep or awkward in some way.
- Remain light about the experience and talk to the blind person, asking if you are doing everything they need. It will loosen you up to enjoy the walk and the company.
- Avoid grabbing the blind person’s cane or petting his or her guide dog.
- Eliminate the use of the words "over there" and "over here". Preface the directional words "left" and "right" with the word "your"...
- If you come to a door, mention how it opens (in or out, left or right). Indicate the direction of stairs (up or down), and if they are wide or narrow. As you can see, a lot of this is well-applied common sense.
- Don't be afraid to use the words "see", "watch", "look" or "I want to show you something". These are used in speech and their omission would be evident, making conversation unnatural and uncomfortable.
- Feel free to talk about visual entertainment, such as sports, television, and movies. Blind people have the same interests as sighted people.