How Do Blind People Get Around? Canes, Guide Dogs and Independent Travel

Blind and partially sighted people get around in different ways. Some use a cane, a guide dog, both or neither. Others combine familiar routes, mobility training, technology and public transport.

There is no single way to travel independently. Independence means having the tools and information that work for you, and making your own choices about how to get where you need to go.

Different people, different ways to travel

Sight loss varies, and so do people’s travel preferences. Someone might use vision for part of a route and a cane for another, or feel confident travelling somewhere familiar but want support in a new place. Blindness is a spectrum, not one shared experience.

RNIB reports that more than two million people in the UK are living with sight loss that has a significant impact on daily life, and around 320,000 are registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired. That does not mean everyone travels in the same way or uses a mobility aid.

Some people learn routes by noticing landmarks, changes in paving, kerbs, building edges or other features. Others use a cane, guide dog, GPS or navigation app, or a combination of these. Some use none of them. What works can depend on the person, the journey and the environment.

Canes have different purposes

A cane can provide information about the route, make a person’s sight loss more visible to others, or do both. The different types are designed for different purposes.

Read the descriptions below rather than a picture: canes differ in length, handle, tip and purpose, and a generic illustration can easily mislead.

Symbol cane

A symbol cane is short and is used mainly to let other people know that its user has sight loss. It can prompt pedestrians and road users to take extra care. It is not intended to find obstacles along the route.

Guide cane

A guide cane is roughly waist height and is held diagonally in front of the body. It can help detect obstacles and changes such as steps and kerbs. People may use one differently depending on their needs and training.

Long cane

A long cane typically reaches around chest or chin height. With training, it is used by sweeping or tapping to find hazards and help the user follow a route. It can give useful information about what is on the ground, but it cannot immediately detect every obstacle, especially hazards above ground level such as overhanging branches or some street furniture.

A cane is one tool, not a complete map of everything around someone. And not everyone with sight loss uses one.

A cane with red and white bands indicates that the person is deafblind, or has combined sight and hearing impairment. Some blind and partially sighted people also have hearing loss, and a noisy, echoing or busy place can make it much harder to follow what is happening. Do not assume that someone who cannot see well can hear well, or that sound alone gives them everything they need.

Guide dogs are trained partners

A guide dog and its owner work together. RNIB explains that guide dogs are trained to use features such as kerbs and building lines, and to stop at kerbs so the handler can check whether it is safe to cross. On a familiar route, the dog may recognise the way. On an unfamiliar route, the handler gives directions.

If you see a working guide dog, do not distract, feed, stroke or call to the dog. Speak to the handler, not the dog, and ask before making contact. Guide Dogs’ Open Doors guidance advises businesses to make space for the dog to remain with its owner.

Guide Dogs also explains that under the Equality Act 2010 in England, Scotland and Wales, and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland, it is unlawful in all but the most exceptional circumstances to refuse access to a disabled person accompanied by a guide dog or other assistance dog. It is also unlawful to provide an inferior service or charge extra because of the dog.

Streets and crossings need clear information

The built environment can make a route easier to understand, or harder. Raised blister dots on tactile paving generally indicate a crossing point. Raised lines generally indicate the top of a flight of steps. Different tactile paving patterns have different meanings.

At a signal-controlled crossing, traffic signals, tactile paving, beeping and rotating cones beneath the push-button box can provide information in different ways. These crossings are generally more usable than crossings with no signals, where people may have fewer clear cues about when and where to cross.

That matters for people with combined sight and hearing impairment, too. A crossing that relies on sound alone may not provide useful information to someone who cannot hear it clearly. Busy traffic, construction noise and echoing spaces can make it harder to pick out sounds or follow what is happening. RNIB’s guide to how blind and partially sighted people get around describes how touch, sound and visual indicators can all play a part, though different people use them differently.

Familiarity helps, but it does not make every journey predictable. Many people memorise regular routes, such as the way to work or a local appointment. A new road layout, a changed crossing or a queue blocking the building line can disrupt a route someone knows well. Keeping pavements clear and communicating changes can make a real difference.

Training, technology and public transport

Orientation and mobility training can help people learn techniques for travelling safely and confidently. Depending on the person, this might include using a cane, finding kerbs and crossing points, or learning a route.

Some people use GPS or navigation apps to support a journey. Others rely on familiar landmarks, public transport information, a guide dog, a cane or a mix of methods. Apps can be useful, but they do not remove the need for accessible streets, clear announcements and reliable travel information.

If you are unsure whether someone wants help, ask rather than stepping in. Let them decide what works for them. Our guide to offering help has practical suggestions. And if you notice someone using a mobility aid, remember that attention is not always welcome. Staring doesn’t help; treating someone as an adult and giving them space does.

The small things add up, too. Keep pavements clear of bins, bikes and boards. Tell someone when a layout has changed. Give directions in words rather than gestures. None of that requires knowing anything about a person’s diagnosis.

Make room for different journeys

Independent travel does not mean travelling without tools, training or support. It means having the choice to use what works, without other people deciding what a person can do based on assumptions.

If you’d like to hear more about different experiences of sight loss, Real Voices is a place to read short contributions in people’s own words.