MOBILITY ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE VISION IMPAIRED AND FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND

Transcription

1 MOBILITY ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE VISION IMPAIRED AND FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND Thank you to staff at the Guide Dog Association, who have provided information and have given permission for information from their web site to be published for the Education Kit. Different types of mobility for people who have vision impairments or people who are blind. The four main types are: Walking with a walking stick that has a white section wrapped around the stick. Walking with a white cane. Using a sighted guide. Using a guide dog. Walking with a walking stick that has a white section wrapped around it: This shows other people that the person who uses the stick has a vision impairment. Walking with a white Cane: A walking cane can be used by a person with a vision impairment to detect obstacles along the path on which the person is walking. The obstacles are felt through the cane via the sense of touch. The cane vibrates when it touches objects and this can be felt by the cane user. Obstacles can be as large as something like a signpost or as small as a crack that has lifted on the pavement. People require training from mobility instructors at the Guide Dog Association prior to using a cane independently. The main techniques to using a cane: 1) The Diagonal Technique whereby the cane is held diagonally in-front of the person. 2) The Touch Technique where the cane is swept from side to side as the person walks. 3) Constant Contact Technique where the cane is constantly in contact with the ground as it sweeps from side to side. 4) The Shoreline technique where the cane is used to follow a line such as a wall or the edge of the footpath. 79

2 To assist someone who uses a white cane: If you think the person needs assistance, the best way to approach them is: Touch the back of their hand with the back of your hand. This is not an intrusive way of making contact. Introduce yourself eg. Hello my name is Kathryn, would you like some help. If they do not want help, do not insist on helping them. DO NOT GRAB THEIR ARM. DO NOT GRAB THEIR CANE. If assistance is accepted - Let the person take your arm. It is most important to let the person walk ½ to 1 pace behind you, because that way they can feel when you are moving up or down before they have to move in the same direction. GUIDING TECHNIQUES: The following sighted guiding techniques are from the Guide Dog Association website. 80

3 SIGHTED GUIDING TECHNIQUES GENERAL INFORMATION: Guiding techniques are designed to enable the person to move through the environment with safety and efficiency. A good guide will continually monitor the anxiety level of the person, think 6 paces ahead looking for potential hazards, and always think two people wide. The Guide Dog Association of NSW and ACT provides free training to clients and friends in sighted guide techniques. INITIAL CONTACT: The guide touches the back of the person s hand as a signal for them to take the guides arm. POSITION: The guide holds their arm relaxed and held close to their side. The person stands at the guide s side, and half to one pace behind. GRIP: The person grips the guide s arm just above the elbow, firm enough to maintain contact without causing discomfort. 81

4 SIGHTED GUIDING TECHNIQUES CHANGING SIDES: The need to change sides is given verbally. Greatest safety is maintained by stopping before changing. The person places their free hand on the back of the guide then releases the original grip. The person then trails across the back until reaching the guide s arm on the new side. On reaching the new side, check to ensure the person has taken the correct grip and position before continuing. STAIRS AND KERBS: The guide always approaches the kerb or stairs squarely, never at an angle, and stops at the edge. If using stairs, the guide should indicate if they are going up or down. To make use of the handrail change sides if necessary. The person may wish to find the edge of the stairs with their toe. The guide steps down (or up) one step and both proceed in rhythm. The guide indicates that they have reached the end by stopping (and verbal indication if necessary.) 82

5 SIGHTED GUIDING TECHNIQUES NARROW SPACES: The guide initiates the process by moving the arm being held across the small of the back. The person responds by straightening their (grip) arm and stepping behind the guide so that they are in single file. After passing through the narrow space, guide and person resume the basic position. DOORS: The person should be on the same side as the hinges. The guide indicates they are approaching a door, and whether it opens towards or away from them. When the guide pauses to take hold of the door handle, the person places their free hand behind the guides back. The person is now ready to move their free hand out to make contact with, and take control of, the door. When they are through the door the person closes it. 83

6 USING A GUIDE DOG: A guide dog and its handler always work as a team. The handler decides where to go, when to cross the road, which bus to catch and which shop to enter. The guide dog is trained to respond to the commands of the person with a vision impairment. It checks for hazards along the path they are travelling, for example narrow spaces, holes in the ground, moving objects, overhanging branches. The guide dog has two roles. When it is in a harness, it is a working dog and when it is out of its harness it is a pet. WHEN THE DOG IS WORKING: DON T PAT THE DOG. DON T WHISTLE, because it will focus its attention on the person who is whistling rather than the owner. If a dog turns its head toward the person who is whistling, it will falsely indicate to the owner that they need to turn. DON T FEED THE DOG. DON T LET OTHER DOGS DISTRACT THE GUIDE DOG, keep other dogs away from the guide dog, preferably have them on a lead. GUIDE DOG ASSOCIATION LOCATIONS: The Guide Dog Association is able to provide advice and training. The office locations and contacts are as follows: Head Office: 5 NorthCliff Street Milsons Point PO Box 107 Milsons Point NSW Ph: (02)

7 Regional Offices: ACT: Suite 4, Mungga Iri House 18 Napier Close Deakin ACT 2600 Ph: (02) NSW: Spinks Road Glossida NSW 2756 Ph: (02) /1 Duke Street (Coffs Commercial Building) Coffs Harbour NSW 2300 Ph: (02) Suite 15, 2 nd Floor 133 King Street Newcastle NSW 2300 Ph: (02) HACC Centre 286 Lords Place Orange NSW 2800 Ph: (02) Suite Hawkesbury Road Westmead NSW 2145 Ph: (02) REFERENCES: The Guide Dog Association. 2002, Common Myths About Guide Dogs. Available online: The Guide Dog Association. 2002, Long Cane Techniques. Available online: The Guide Dog Association. 2002, Being a Guide. Available online: 85