Sighted Guide Techniques
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Currently, there are about 122,000 people with visual impairment in Hong Kong. You may run into many of them on the street, in the shopping malls or in the MTR. Does it ever strike you that you can lend a hand to them? The following introduces sighted guide techniques which can show you how to guide the visually impaired to walk safely.
The sighted guide techniques are of systematic and secure nature, through which a guide can lead the visually impaired to walk safely in an easy and effective way.
1. First introduce yourself when you approach a person with visual impairment and learn about his/her needs. Then gently touch the hands or arms of that person with the back of your hand, indicating that you are going to guide him or her.
2. He or she will hold the crook of your upper arm and stand half a pace behind you.
3. He or she will follow your steps when you begin to walk. Pay attention to your pace. You may ask him or her about your speed so as to make adjustments.
4. Please follow the traffic rules when crossing the street with the visually impaired.
5. When you come to a narrow road which is just good enough to pass for one man, you can put your arm behind you and he or she will move backward and follow behind you closely.
6. In the case of going upstairs/downstairs, please stop for a while before the stairs and inform him/her first. Keep your distance in this process. And stop for a minute when you finish all the stairs and tell the person with visual impairment that he/she can move forward now.
7. Before you enter a room, please inform the visually impaired of the location of the door which is open to the left or right and whether the door should be pushed open or pulled outwards to ensure safety.
8. If possible, please put the hands of those visually impaired on the handrail in taking a bus or going upstairs /downstairs.
In showing the directions, please use the method of positioning by means of clock direction. You can refer to this section for details.
