You can help someone who is blind or someone with low vision to get around safely by knowing how to be a sighted guide. A sighted guide is someone who knows how to lead a person who is blind safely and confidently.

1. If the person looks lost, go up to them, tell them who you are and ask if they would like you to guide them somewhere. If the answer is yes, ask where they want to go -don't just take them where you think they should go.
2. Stand next to the person and touch the back of your hand on to the back of his/her hand. This will signal that they can take your arm.
3. The person who is blind will hold your arm just above the elbow, with four fingers on the inside of your arm and the thumb resting on the outside. Keep your arm relaxed. The person will be about one step behind you as you start to walk.
4. Narrow Places. If you come to a narrow place like a doorway which is only wide enough for one person, move your arm backwards to the centre of your back. The person who is blind will then straighten his/her arm and move behind you. When you are through the narrow space put your arm by your side again.
5. Opening Doors. If you come to a door he/she must be on the hinge side of the door. Tell the person that you are approaching a door and how it opens, whether it opens away from you or toward you. Open the door and ask him/her to hold the door while you both go through. She/he then shuts the door behind you.
6. Stairs. Tell him/her when you are approaching stairs or steps and whether they are going up or down. Always stop as you reach them. If they are not nearest the handrail on the stairs, swap sides so that they can hold this. When you walk up or down stairs you should be one step ahead and walking in a rhythm. Stop when you reach the end of the stairs. This will tell the person that you have reached the top or bottom.
7. Getting Into a Chair. Place your hand on the back of the chair so that his/her arm can slide down to touch it. Say which way the chair is facing. If there are arms on the chair, or if it is particularly high or low, make sure you let the person you are guiding know. From there on most people can manage themselves.
8. If you have to guide someone who is blind for the first time and are not sure about what you are doing, tell them. They may be able to make you feel more comfortable and they will not expect you to know how to do everything.

For more details, see the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind's sighted guide pamphlet.

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