As a Companion, use your own judgement to assess the Envisioner’s needs when it comes to offering assistance. Before making a call, you should already know how the Envisioner would like to be guided. We advise you to first try this at home.

Blind or low-vision individuals require you to guide them using communication in a slightly different way than you would with a sighted person. A few communication tips are listed below:

Language to Use

1. Use clear and concise language.
2. In dangerous situations say 'Stop' instead of 'Look Out'.
3. Try to describe everything in the Envisioner’s surroundings, and warn them of obstacles such as tree branches, roadblocks, cars, and much more. 

Giving Directions

1. Give specific directions, such as ‘The crossing is about five meters to your right’, as opposed to ‘The crossing is over there’.
2. Include details in your description of the Envisioners’ surroundings, such as colors, shapes and landmarks.
3. When specifying which way to look or walk, make sure you are referring to the Envisioner’s left or right, not yours.
4. While guiding the Envisioner on which way to walk, use the numbers on a clock as an indication of the direction you want them to go in. For instance, if you want them to walk straight ahead, say 12 o’clock, or if you want them to take a right, say 3 o’clock. Do discuss with your Companion this beforehand to do it in this way.

Note: Use your own judgement to determine how an Envisioner would prefer to be guided. For instance, some people do not need detailed descriptions of their surroundings, and some people may use an alternative method for directions, for instance 'Southwest' or '90 Degrees'.