Download Sighted Guide

Sighted Guide
By Michelle Parker
Basic Sighted Guide
• Purpose: To enable
the student to utilize a
sighted guide safely
and efficiently.
Basic Method
• With the back of his
hand the guide
contacts the student’s
arm.
• The student moves
his hand up the
guide’s arm into
position just above
the elbow.
Rationale
• The purpose behind
this method is to
maintain constant
contact with the
guide’s arm which
avoids unnecessary
grouping and helps to
locate the proper
position above the
guide’s elbow.
Observations
• Contact may also be established by the guide supplying
a verbal clue in the context of the conversation. Ex. “Sue
it’s Mrs. Parker do you want some help?”.
• The position can be modified when there is extreme
difference in height between student and guide.
Positioning
• The student’s thumb is
positioned just above the
elbow on the lateral side
of the guide’s arm with
the remaining four fingers
on the medial side, with a
grip that is secure.
• The arm of the student
should form and angle of
90% approximately with
the forearm pointing
forward.
Positioning
• In order to afford optimal
informational feedback
the thumb and fingers
must be in proper
position. A secure grip is
also important.
• The positional
relationship between the
student and the guide
allows the student
reaction time. The
student should be about
½ step behind guide.
Resources
• Hill, Everett and Ponder, Purvis, O&M
Techniques- a Guide for the Practitioner,
American Federation for the Blind New
York, New York, 1976.
• Glover, Donna, Instruction in Basic O&M
Techniques, 2008.