250 chapter 30
Helping the blind child find her way without holding on
Outside the home, often a blind child will let you lead her by the hand, but may be
afraid to take steps or try to find her way alone.
To help her begin to walk alone, first lead her over the area where you want her to
walk. Show her and let her feel the different landmarks (posts, trees, bushes, houses)
along the way.
A good way to guide a child by
the hand is to let her hold one
finger and walk a step behind you.
Now walk over the same path,
but this time walk backward in
front of her, and talk to her while
you are walking.
When she feels comfortable with
your walking in front of her, start
walking behind her. Have her tell
you the landmarks.
Little by little make yourself less and less needed. Speak less and let her go farther
away from you.
Finally let her go the whole way alone. Start by having her walk short distances.
Then gradually go farther, with more turns and other things to remember.
When she has progressed this far, the child will have the joy of knowing she can solve
some problems alone. She will be ready to learn new things, meet other difficulties, and
explore new areas.
Sometimes the
child will fall. Have
her practice this
by falling on soft
ground. Teach her
to put out her hands
and bend her knees
as she falls. She will
be less likely to hurt
herself.
The child needs to learn to ‘see’
with her feet, and to be prepared for
unexpected things in her way. Play
games with her. Tell her you have put
some things in her path. See if she
can get past them without slipping or
falling.
Help the child to recognize how the
sound of her footsteps (or her stick)
changes when she is near a house or
wall, and when there is open space.
With practice, she can learn to tell the
distance from things by the sounds.
Disabled village Children