Ok, so I get it. Some of you sighted people are tired of seeing these dumb lists that tell you what not to do. You feel like it's either common sense stuff or we're just being over sensitive and unappreciative of your help. While some blind people can be a bit dramatic about certain things, I'm going to level with you here. These are things that you should absolutely avoid doing when giving directions or helping someone whose blind find their way. Not only will you be completely unhelpful if you do these things, but you will be the topic of discussion at the next blind convention.
1. Don't assume we need help.
Don't just walkk up to us, judge that we are lost, and start pulling us along. Always ask if we need help. If we do, we will let you know and tell you the best way to assist us. If not, don't take offense. We do appreciate that you are willing to help; we just don't need it right now.
2. Don't point and say "it's over there."
You know, this should be one of those common sense things, but sadly, it's not. Obviously, if we were able to see where "over there" was, we wouldn't have needed to ask you for help in the first place. Be specific. Give turn by turn directions and describe possible landmarks that we might encounter to help us stay on track.
3. Don't say "stay straight" when you mean "to the left, to the right, turn around three times..."
When people tell you to go straight, they often don't truly mean straight. Sometimes there's a slight curve or angle that has to be traveled. Please, communicate this clearly to us. If you tell us to go straight, we will take your directions to heart and end up in some kind of ditch or something.
4. Don't rely on colors or sizes of buildings to give directions
It's easy to say "it's the red building two doors down," or "it's that guitar-shaped building across the street." Now I won't lie, some of us may have enough vision to see what you're talking about, but don't assume that. Ask what kind of things we can see before you launch into a visual description.
5. Don't offer to help if you can't or don't want to.
We realize you may be busy, that's ok. We realize you have your own lives and situations, and that you don't always have the time to drop what you're doing and help point us in the right direction (whether that be by description or physically walking us there). However, please don't do something half way. Don't begin giving us directions and say "and hopefully by then you'll find someone to assist you." Don't walk us halfway and then leave us with the same message. That's just ignorance at its finest. If you have the time and willingness to help, please do because we truly appreciate it, but if you don't, be upfront and honest about it. This will make all of our lives way easier
There are probably a lot more "donts" that I could list, but these are some of the major ones. The biggest takeaways are to be attentive, respectful, and when in doubt, don't be afraid to ask questions.
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