If you travel at all, you will eventually have to use stairs. If you can’t see very well and you don’t know the simple techniques for climbing them, you can look hesitant and awkward. Below is an explanation of what you need to know as a blind person in order to travel stairs quickly and easily.

 

Figure 1Image for How Do Blind People Climb Stairs?

 

A word about using a cane.

One of the blindness tools everyone must at least have a fundamental knowledge of is the white cane. I have spoken about the advantages of using one if you can’t see and I won’t repeat myself now. Just saying, if you want to travel in comfort and safety, a white cane makes independence a whole lot easier.

 

How do blind people climb stairs?

When climbing stairs, the white cane is almost an indispensable tool. When the cane tip encounters the bottom step of a staircase, you lift the cane to the next step and step up with your foot to the next level. Take your cane again and lift it and place it on the next higher step. Again, step up with your feet. Repeat till your cane finds that there are no more higher steps.

Figure 2Photo of John holding his cane to the camera prior to climbing the stairs.

 

How do blind people descend stairs?

The process is kind-of in reverse. Except, you are going down. When approaching the down stairs, your cane will fall off the floor level to the next level down stairs. Step down with your feet while moving your cane tip forward till it leaves the current level of steps and encounters the next level down of steps.

 

Repeat this process till your cane tip can no longer go to the next level down. You have safely arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

 

Being able to travel independently is one of the more important skills a blind person can master. It gives them the ability to shop, visit friends, and go to work. On their way to doing all these things, a competent blind traveler will become a confident one able to overcome any obstacle that might stand in their way.

 

I am now scheduling speaking engagements for the second half of 2017. In addition to my blogs, books, and instructional videos, I speak at universities and conferences and to companies about productivity and superior performance. Basically, the core components of ‘Seeing Options’.

 

If you know someone that I should connect with (it could be your boss or an event planner) someone who is looking for a public speaker for an upcoming event or conference, have them email me at John@JohnBaileySpeaker.com. You can also learn a whole lot more on my speaking page https://JohnBaileySpeaker.com.