The below might seem simple to you and me, but sometimes people forget their common courtesy. As Tom O’Neill recently continued the celebrations of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind turning 50, here are some top tips when meeting people who are blind/visually impaired:

1. I’m an ordinary person, just blind. You don’t need to raise your voice or address me as if I were “hard of hearing” or a child. Don’t ask my companion what I want …. Ask me.
2. I may use a long white cane or a guide dog to walk independently; or I may ask to take your arm. Let me decide!
3. Please don’t grab my arm; let me take yours. I’ll keep a half-step behind to anticipate curbs and steps up and down.
4. I want to know who’s in the room with me. Speak when you enter. Introduce me to the others. Include children and tell me if there’s a cat or dog.
5. The door to a room or cabinet or to a car left partially open is a hazard to me.
6. At mealtimes I will not have trouble with ordinary table skills
7. Don’t avoid words like “see.” I use them, too. Always glad to see you.
8. I don’t want pity. But don’t talk about the “wonderful compensations” of blindness. My sense of smell, touch, or hearing did not improve when I became blind. I rely on them more and, therefore, may get more information through those senses than you do, that’s all.
9. If I’m your houseguest, show me the bathroom, wardrobe, dressing table, window, the light switch, too. I like to know if the lights are on or off.
10. I’ll discuss blindness with you if you’re curious, but it’s an old story to me. I have as many other interests as you do. Don’t think of me as just a blind person, but instead as a person who happens to be blind.
    You can contact Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs by phone/text 0876489479, email: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.