
| Advice and Information to Aid in Helping VIPs 
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Do not play a guessing game with a blind person. Even when you know each other, say your name | 
| Simple Eye Diagram |
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SOME EYE DISEASESMACULAR DEGENERATIONEffects:Loss of central vision - person may be told they won't go blind. Lack of clear vision, colours poor. Difficulties with reading, writing, recognizing people, seeing food on plate. May be alright getting around, though crossing roads may be confusing. May be problems with bright sunlight. Eccentric viewing - looking to one side of object in order to see. | 
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Things which may help:Good lighting, e.g. anglepoise lamp for close work. Colour contrast - light colour next to dark colour, black felt tip pen.
GLAUCOMA - caused by simple eye pressureEffects:Tunnel vision. May effect peripheral vision. Difficulty seeing things at sides or low down. Mobility may be main problem, especially in bright sunlight or dark. Difficult in adapting when going from light place into dark place or vice versa.Things which may help:Need to scan - move head more - to enable things to be seen especially crossing roads. Sunshield. Good lights at night. Use of cane. Mobility training.
GLAUCOMA - chronicSteady progressive disease. Person may not realize he/she has it until outer vision has deteriorated a lot. Other signs: occasional, blurred vision; eye pain; halos round lights. Glaucoma can be hereditary - relatives should have eye tests.Things which may help:Drops often prevent further deterioration
GLAUCOMA - acuteEffects:Sudden rise in eye pressure. Sharp pain. Immediate medical attention required.
RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA (R.P.)Effects:Degenerative condition. Hereditary. No treatment available. Progression varies. Peripheral vision affected first. Tunnel vision.Things which may help: | 
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Need to scan - move head more - to enable things to be seen especially crossing roads. Sunshield. Good lights at night. Use of cane. Mobility training.
USHER'S SYNDROMEEffects:Deafness, plus retinitis pigmentosa. Often discovered by deaf people in their 20s.
HIGH MYOPIAEffects:Severe short-sightedness which cannot be corrected. Often exists with other eye problems.
| CATARACTEffects.Clouding of lens. Gradual deterioration, blurred sight, poor colour vision. Very troubled by glare. Loss of sight may be severe, but people with cataract rarely registered while waiting for operation. Operation may not be risked if person has other eye problems.Things which may help:Making things large and bold. Avoiding glare. Help after operation depends on whether they have lens implant - contact lenses or cataract spectacles (which distort things). | |
NYSTAGMUSEffects:Inability to hold eyes still when looking at object. Hazy images as difficulty in focusing. Often with other eye diseases.Things which may help:Eyes may move less when looking in certain positions.
DETACHED RETINAEffects:Sharp pain, flashing lights as retina detaches. Urgent medical attention required. If nothing can be done, severe field losses result. May go along with other diseases, especially diabetes or be caused by injury.
 | OPTIC ATROPHYEffects:Degeneration of optic nerve. May be caused by pressure (glaucoma) surgery or by accident. |
ALBINISM Effects:Lack of pigment in eye. May have problems with bright light (photophobia). | 
| abnormally light crescent shape |
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HEMANIOPIAEffects:Loss of part of vision field on same side of each eye. Either one side of field (causing problems with reading) or lower half of field (causing mobility difficulties). May be caused by stroke and stroke victim may not adapt to allowing for missing part of vision.
MOBILITYWhen a person becomes blind, he loses the ability to move about freely without assistance and the extent to which movement is limited is related to the degree of residual vision, if any. Having lost Ills sight, the blind person has lost his confidence and, by accepting the help of a sighted person, he is now losing his independence. Because the blind person may be elderly, confused or disorientated, he may rely very heavily on his guide, even to the extent of being taken to the toilet. This leads to another loss - the loss of dignity. There are many aids to mobility and the one most widely used and misused is the sighted guide.GUIDINGThe tendency is for the guide to push the blind person in front, which means that he comes in contact with kerbs and other obstacles first. It can be a terrifying experience for an elderly blind lady to find her arm seized in a vice-like grip as she is propelled at speed into space and potential danger. Being practically lifted off her feet by one arm, her body is twisted off balance and she is forced to totter on tip-toe. The correct method is:to allow the blind person to take the guide's arm. Me holds your arm just above the elbow with his four fingers on the inside of the arm and the thumb on the outside. The grip should be firm, but not so tight as to cause any discomfort to the guide. (This is known as the 'normal grip' or position.)On occasions, the blind traveller and his guide may find it impossible to walk side by side. This problem can be easily overcome by carrying out the following manoeuvre: | 
| Do not grab, pull or push his/her arm | Do offer your arm so he/she could follow movements | 
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the blind person is, as usual, using the normal grip and the guide, as he draws near to the obstacle, puts his guiding arm behind his back. The blind person does not let go of his guide's arm. This indicates to the blind person that it is a narrow space. The blind person should now be walking in single file directly behind the guide. When the hazard is past, the guide simply brings his arm back to its former position.Always try to remember to tell the person being guided exactly what hazard is being avoided. | SITTING DOWNWhen being assisted into a chair, the blind person is frequently seized by the shoulders and forced backwards. As he is pushed backwards, he begins to lose his balance and feels himself reeling into unknown space. In the correct procedure: |
the blind person and the guide approach the chair. It does not matter from which direction the chair is approached, but the guide should try to have the blind person in a central position to the chair when it is reached. The guide puts his hand on the top of the chair-back and the blind person runs his hand down the guide's arm until it is resting on the back of the chair. While facing the seat, the blind person can now place his two hands on the chair and explore the shape of it. Having gone through this routine, he is now capable of sitting down unaided and without any fuss.STEPS, STAIRS & SLOPESWhen approaching steps, stairs or slopes, advise the blind person whether they go up or down, how many steps and when he has reached the first step. The guide should keep a steady pace and, if there is a hand rail, the blind person should be on the side of the rail in order to be able to hold it.ESCALATORSGenerally, never attempt escalators with a blind person especially if he is elderly or impaired in any way. | 
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KERBSWhen approaching a kerb, stop before stepping up or down it. Remember, many roads have broad rounded kerbs. Ensure that you approach them at their centre so that you are square on.GOING THROUGH DOORSWhen going through a door, make sure that the blind person is on the hinge side. Give him the door handle with his free hand and let him hold the door open while you both go through. If the blind person needs to change sides, he should slide his hand across the guide's back in order to grip the other arm. | |
GETTING INTO A CAR | When seating a blind person in a car, let him hold the handle of the car door and allow him to seat himself in the car after telling him which way the seat is facing. Ensure that his arm is across his body before shutting the car door. |
CROSSING THE ROADShould a member of the public offer to assist a blind person across the road, they should remember that they are offering assistance and not imposing their will on the blind person. If the blind person does not accept the offer of help, there is no reason why the member of the public should feel in any way slighted. They have done the right thing in offering help, but should appreciate that the blind person is free to make his own decision as to the extent of help required in any particular situation. He may be a very capable individual who wishes to maintain his independence. | REMEMBER- never let the blind person lose contact with your body- never push or pull a blind person - you are gait them- always mention when you are going to walk on a different surface, e.g. going from grass to concrete- ensure that the blind person is facing the same way as yourself before you start walking- say when you intend to start walking and when you are stopping- ensure that all your directions are clear and concise- everyone is an individual and needs to be treated as such- you may need to adapt your guiding technique according to the age and disability(ies) of the person you are guiding.
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You may find you are giving a lot of verbal instructions when you first guide a blind person. However, as they become more confident in you and you, in turn, become more confident in your ability to guide, you will find that fewer verbal instructions are needed.CHECKLIST TO HELP VIPs AT WORK – ENSUREAll entrances have easy access and are kept clear of obstructionsInformation is available near the entranceA high standard of lighting it can help visual effectivenessColour combines with lighting to aid vision Important items and areas, as well as hazards, are highlighted by the use of colour contrast Steps and/or changes of level on flat surfaces, as well as in lifts, stand out by use of colour contrast, tactile surfaces, good lighting and directional handrails Pedestrian walkways are kept clear of obstructions and made easier by colour tactilesAll signs can be seen and read by being at eye level, well lit and contrastedLarge print menus and additional table lighting are available in eating placesAudible signals reinforce visual ones where possible All staff are aware of problems of visual disability and are able and ready to assist
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 | AVOIDLight sources that cause glare and/or dazzleGlazed areas, especially doors. Where they exist, use a contrasting band to denote presenceObstructions wherever possible especially in pedestrian area Rough surfaces and sharp edges in pedestrian areas they may cause injuryHalf open doors/windows they are hazardous to visually impaired people Fragile freestanding displays, especially near entrances
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