How to be a Sighted Guide

• Wait for the person to ask you for assistance; never grab a person who is blind or physically turn him or her in a different direction unless the person’s immediate safety is in danger.
• Allow the person to take hold of your arm above the elbow and follow a half-step behind, obtaining travel cues by your movement.
• Let your arm hang naturally and walk at a normal pace.
• Give verbal cues when necessary to alert the person to steps, curbs, doorways or narrow spaces.  When going up or down stairs, you might tell the person if there is a railing to their right or left.
• When you’ve reached your destination, give the person a few cues to get oriented to the new surroundings, such as, “We’re in the conference room.  The table is directly in front of us.”
• Do not pet or distract a guide dog when it is in a harness.
  
  How You Can Help
  
  
• If you’re not sure if or how you can help, just ask.  If a person declines your offer of help, respect his or her wishes.
• Don’t simply do a task for a person who is blind or visually impaired; whenever possible, show or tell the person how to do it his- or herself.
• To many people who are blind or visually impaired, organizational skills are crucial; always leave things where you found them.
• Don’t move furniture in a person’s workspace or in common areas without alerting a person who is blind or visually impaired to the change.
• Offer seating by orienting the person to the chair’s position. You may place his or her hand on the back or arm of the chair or simply say, “There is a chair directly to your right,” and let the person locate it independently.