If you are guiding a blind or visually impaired individual to a chair, pause, face the person toward the chair and place her arm on the chair back. Tell her whether it has arms or not and whether it is upholstered and soft or firm. The person may use her hands to explore the chair, steady herself with the chair arm and seat herself when comfortable. When acting as a sighted guide, it is important to remember that some variations may be necessary to meet the capabilities of the specific individual being guided. It is a myth that an older blind or visually impaired person cannot use a guide dog for daily travel.
Success depends on an appropriate match between the person and the dog.
The white cane has become synonymous with blindness and visual impairment. Read about the variety of white canes in the Resource section. It is more important however to know how and when each white cane is used. Identification Canes Light, collapsible, compact white cane used by the person to indicate her blindness or visual impairment. Can also be used to assist with depth perception on stairs or curbs.