Visually Impaired
Only 10% of the individuals considered legally blind in this country have complete loss of sight; the other 90% people who are “visually impaired”, and have varying amounts of residual vision.
Freedom of mobility is probably the greatest concern for individuals who are visually impaired, but you must never go up to them and grab an arm to guide them without first asking if they would like to be so guided.
When guiding a person
- Stand next to and a little ahead of the person.
- Bend you arm at the elbow, and allow them to place their hand of your forearm
- Walk normally, but perhaps more slowly
- Give verbal cues along the way to orient them to their surroundings
- Give advance warning of potential obstacles
When Working With A Person Who Is Visually Impaired, Remember
- For them touching is seeing
- Always identify yourself and let them know you are talking to them
- Inform them you are leaving before you walk away
- Avoid using gestures and other useless visual communication
- Speak in a normal voice
- Converse as you would normally, and don’t be embarrassed if you use words like “see” and “look”
- Sometimes it is helpful to give directional assistance by using the clock face method
"The ball is at 1:00 o’clock, etc". - Touching is not the only way a person who is visually impaired can learn. If you provide a detailed verbal description of an object or of what you are doing, they can visualize it in their mind’s eye. Include a description of everything….texture, weight, scent, size, volume and even color. Try to keep the description concrete and related to things with which they are familiar. Some people have trouble with spatial relationships. Instead of describing the size of something in feet and inches, say, “It is the size of your middle finger” or “If two people as tall as you stood on your shoulders, that’s how tall it is.”
