Being a visually impaired person's guide : a practical training session

on 16th and 17th July 2005 par Steve Giddings

I hope it will be a very practically based course. My intention is to make the group aware of the eye conditions that the participants in the camp have and the effects that the environment has on them. I hope that I can get the weekend group to understand the information that the blind students need and how to inform them so that the participants at the camp can maximise their enjoyment of the event.

The weekend training will also focus on the psychological and sociological effects of the condition so they can avoid the camp participants becoming agitated, angry, frustrated or fearful. If the weekend training can give some form of understanding by experiencing blindfold or simulation activities, this will enable the whole group to enjoy the event more.

The types of activity during the weekend would be:

• Eye conditions and the effect of the environment
• 3 forms of guiding including standard, mountain and athletics
• Simulated activity around orientation and its difficulties
• Room familiarisation exercises
• Landmark identification for different eye conditions
• General understanding on use of mobility aid and basic pre cane skill techniques
• Stress and the unfamiliar environment
• Realistic expectations and the importance of communication

There will be a great deal of discussion as the weekend groups will be expected to form small sub groups to experience being under blindfold and other eye conditions.

I will bring simulation spectacles and some handouts but I do not want the weekend to be full of papers as most of the event will be experiential and practical.

Steve Giddings

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