A human guide is a person who provides safe and efficient travel assistance to someone who is visually impaired or blind when additional support is desired. Advantages include the fact that is easy to teach someone to guide and it allows an individual to navigate unfamiliar or crowded environments with support. Disadvantages are that an individual can become dependent on others, it can discourage independence if it's overused, and not all individuals are trained to guide.


Human Guide Techniques



a. Basic Guiding Procedure

  • Guide touches the follower's elbow, forearm, or hand with back of their hand.

  • Follower grasps the guide's arm using a firm grasp in the form of a C shape like when holding a soda can without providing excessive pressure just above the elbow with their fingers on the inside of the guide's arm near the guide's body with their thumb on the outside nearest the follower's body.

      • Child follower grasps the guide's wrist

      • Tall follower rests hand on guide's shoulder

Note: Walk at a pace that is comfortable for both individuals. The guide should not be dragging the follower and the follower should not be pushing the guide.

b. Narrow Passageways

  • Guide continues facing forward and moves arm diagonally across their back

    • Follower straightens out their arm and moves directly behind the guide in a single file line

c. Transferring Sides

  • Guide asks follower to change sides and brings arm behind them.

    • Follower grasps the guide's arm with free hand above other hand and releases original grasp sliding hand across the guide's back to the free arm. Follower brings second hand across the guide's other arm and assumes normal grasp position.

d. Reversing Directions

  • Guide asks follower to about face and turns in to face the follower offering their other arm completing the turn only once the follower as grasped the other arm.

    • Follower faces the guide and makes contact with the guide's other arm before releasing original grasp and assuming the normal grasp on the new arm.

e. Entering/Exiting Doors

  • Guide informs follower if door needs pushed or pulled and what side the hinges are on

    • Begins opening the door

    • Lets follower hold door if indicated

  • Follower

    • If hinges are on follower side, follower should maintain their grasp while supporting the door for themself

    • If hinges are on the guide's side, the follow should place their free hand above their original grasp as if they are to change sides; Brace door with newly freed hand; Pass through door and assume original grasp


f. Ascending/Descending Stairs

  • Guide stops just before the stairs and tells the follow if their going up or down

      • Allow the follower to use the handrail if possible

      • Moves arm forward bringing the follower to the edge of the stairs; Follower is beside the guide

      • Step onto the first step ahead of the follower

      • Stop at end of stairs and inform follower

    • Follower brings toes to edge of stairs and starts a full step after the guide

Note: Guide and follower will eventually become comfortable with a brief pause rather than a full stop. Use simple statements such as stairs down or stairs up.

g. Teaching Suggestions/Observations

  • There are differences among people who are blind or visually impaired. Many do have remaining useful vision. Some have adjusted well to their visual handicap. Just ask how to be most helpful.

    • The guide needs basic instruction as well to ensure they are helping rather than hindering or placing the follower in harm's way.

    • Embed instruction into daily routines to provide short, frequent, low stress exposure.

h. Concepts Needed for Human Guide techniques

  • Body Concepts

    • Major Body Parts

    • Smaller Body Parts

    • Less Defined Body Parts

    • Functions of Body Parts

    • Movement of Body Parts

  • Spatial Concepts

    • Laterality (Left to Right)

  • Directionality (Left to Right of others; Positional Concepts; Cardinal Directions)Environmental Concepts

    • Nature Concepts (Sounds as clues, sun as a clue, etc.)

    • Indoor Concepts (shapes of rooms, layouts of furniture or appliances, etc.)

    • Outdoor Concepts (Blocks, street fixtures, traffic patterns, traffic control systems, etc.)

  • Time and Distance Concepts

    • Hours; Minutes; Seconds

    • English units: Feet; Yards; Miles

    • Metric units: Meters; Kilometers

    • Informal Measurements: Length of a city block; Number of steps

  • Concepts to minimize risk

    • Safety commands such as stop, no, and wait

    • Environmental dangers such as cars or drop offs

    • Society dangers such as stranger danger

    • Body language that indicates you are not a victim