The thumb press guide technique for people with visual impairment
You are welcome to the thumb press guide which is a technique for aiding people with visual impairment. This technique is used as an informative tool to alert people with visual impairment of impediments such as gutters, hills, slopes and any obstacle which is to be crossed or moved over or under.
Unlike the sighted guide technique where an individual with visual impairment holds his guide’s upper part of the elbow, the thumb press guide is suitable when both of you hold hands while walking.
To indicate any impediment that requires the stretch or a lift of the leg or hands, the guide presses the thumb of the person with visual impairment.
For clarity and certainty, the guide will have to discuss with the visual impaired person the number of times the thumb should be pressed to signal the different forms of impediments they are likely to come across.
For instance, visual impaired directive: please press my thumb only once if there is a gutter, twice if we are to descend stairs, thrice if we are passing beneath a higher object and I need to duck.
Kindly note that this technique is purely personal and must be carefully planned with the person you intend helping to ensure reduction of failures.
Join us again next month on the GESI Corner.
Related projects
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Tips for aiding people with visual impairment
Over the past couple of months, we have been learning the tips on aiding people with visual impairment in the area of three (3) ‘A’s (Approach, Ask and Assist). This week we are rounding up on that session and as such would like us to have a recap of our previous sessions. We have learnt that:
- When talking or addressing people with visual impairment, address them by their names so they know you are speaking to them.
- When you enter a room where there is a visually impaired person there, always let the person know that you have entered the room (they can sense when someone is around).
- Do not walk away from a person who is blind or have low vision without indicating that you are doing so (you know it is embarrassing and frustrating to talk to thin air).
- Let the person who is blind or have low vision take your arm when you are walking with them.
- Say "STOP" rather than "LOOK OUT" In dangerous situations.
- Remember, in a conference room, working environment, school rooms or any inclusive place, do not relocate objects such as furniture without telling the person who is blind or has low vision as they memorize the position of these stuff for easy movement.
- As you describe the surroundings and obstacles in a person with visual impairment pathway (remember to look up as well as down). Be aware or of the presence of over-hangs, such as kitchen cupboards, jutting side mirrors of cars, or trees.
- When serving the person with visual impairment, do not fill glasses or cups to the brim.
- Always use ordinary language when directing or describing and be specific. Do not point, or say "over there" (remember they are visually impaired!). Direct people who are blind or have low vision to their left or right and not yours.
- Do not Use words like "look" and "see"; they are part of everyone's vocabulary. Otherwise both you and the person who is blind or have low vision will feel awkward.
- Do not leave doors ajar. Close them or open them fully.
- In a meeting or any form of gathering, be aware that the person who is blind or has low vision will be disadvantaged by not seeing what is going on. Therefore talk about what is happening.
- During communication, ask people who are blind or have low vision what they want or need directly. Do not direct questions through their companion (they can hear).
- If people who are blind or have low vision extend their hands to shake, accept their shake.
- Do not ask a person with visual impairment to drop his guiding tool and rely on you due to your presence and readiness to assist him or her.
This is where we draw the curtains on aiding people with visual impairment tit bits.
Join us again next month on the GESI Corner where we starting our new series on Communicating Tools.
The GESI Corner Series
Communication Tools for People with Visual Impairment
With the advancement of technology has come the need to support and provide people with visual impairment (students, professionals) the capacity to take advantage of this ongoing technological boom!
Introducing the BrailleNote Apex manufactured by HumanWare Company.
The HumanWare comapny has been around since the year 2000 and has been helping the visually impaired with tools and gadgets to aid in their communication since then. Their latest product on the market is the BrailleNote Apex BT 32 Braille Notetaker!
The first video attached talks about the hardware of the BrailleNote Apex to help the visually impaired and organizations wanting to buy these devices know how it works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOGCIyI-k4Y&feature=em-share_video_user
http://store.humanware.com/hus/braillenote-apex-bt-32-braille-notetaker.html
The advantage of this device is that the braille dotes help to read and write as when disconnected from a computer it can take notes and when it’s connected can serve as braille reader.
It has a user replaceable battery and a recorder to help you record quickly without necessary having to open a document.
It can be connected to the internet, monitor, pen drives etc.
The second video gives a practical demo of how the braille apex is and can be used.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkNK8D-t5q4&feature=em-share_video_user
This is just one of the many devices that can aid the visually impaired to communicate in this technological world. So, the next time that you are caught wondering what gift to get a visually impaired, think no further as a BrailleNote Apex BT 32 Braille Notetaker would be very much appreciated.
Until next month on the GESI Corner keep the conversation going wherever you are
The GESI Corner Series
Tips for aiding people with visual impairment - Cont'd
Hello everyone! I believe we have been putting into practice all that we have been learning the past couple of months on aiding people with visual impairment? Good job! We learnt last month the processes involved in Assisting a visually impaired person with emphasis on the need to describe the environment to them to make it easy to navigate around.
Today we would be concentrating on How to walk with the visually impaired. After going through the three ‘A’s (Approach, Ask and Assist), this is what you need to do to walk with him/her.
First of all, ask the person which side you should stand on to enable them hold on to your arm. S/he would take your arm; thumb out above your elbow. S/he would grab your left elbow with the right hand and vice versa depending on which side makes the visually impaired comfortable. Let the visually impaired take your arm by telling him/her to do so.
Do not go pulling and pushing the person! Do not grab or hold their hands if you want to walk with them!!!
You the person guiding should hold your arm naturally in a straight, relaxed position at your side. Position yourself so the shoulder of your guiding arm is aligned directly in front of the shoulder of their grip arm. Their arm will be relaxed, with their elbow bent at about 90 degrees and held close to their body. Try not to stand too close together or too far apart. Too close feels uncomfortable and may make you trip over each other, and too far apart takes up too much space.
See picture for demonstration
Second activity to note is that, always walk half step ahead of the person you are guiding to avoid bumps. The person you are guiding should be at your side about half a step behind you. See picture below for demonstration of how the blind boy walks the woman.
Walk at a normal pace, so the visually impaired person can follow along comfortably. In spaces where it becomes necessary to walk side-by-side e.g. in narrow pathways, doorways and in crowds – you will need to walk almost directly in front of the person you are guiding.
When approaching a narrow space, cross your guiding arm behind you, so that your arm is now positioned diagonally behind your back. This will indicate to the other person that you are entering a narrower space.
The person you are guiding will then fully extend their gripping arm and step directly behind you. (You may need to give the individual under your guidance a verbal cue if they don’t move behind you on their own.) You are now walking in mono file, one arm’s length between you, to prevent the other person from stepping on your heels.
When there is enough space to resume the normal guiding stance, return your arm to its original position. The person you are guiding will understand that they are to return to the standard position, half a pace behind you.
Last but definitely not the least, always remember to describe the environment to the person you are assisting. E.g. open space ahead or gutter.
Well folks this is all for today’s tit bit on aiding people with visual impairment.
Join us again next month on the GESI Corner.