Travel
tips for the visually impaired or blind
Whether you are
travelling within your own country or travelling overseas, the
key to a successful trip is to plan ahead and communicate!
Plan ahead
Read about your destination before your trip so
you know what to expect and what sights you'll want to visit. Make
reservations whenever possible. Call airports and airlines ahead
of time to find out about services, including seating
arrangements, special meals and shuttle services. When you
are booking tickets, tell people that you are visually impaired so
that they can endeavour to accommodate your needs. Most airlines
will give you VIP assistance (to the plane and to collect your
luggage) if you request it. You may be loaded onto the plane
earlier, taken off the plane last, and hurried through the
priority lanes. Boarding your transport early, means that you can
avoid the hassle of crowds and obstacles later on. When travelling
with others you may choose not to seek this assistance. Don't be
afraid to ask for help when filling in international departure and
arrival cards, and for finding out about what is on the menu (if a
meal or refreshments are part of your trip).
Carry addresses, directions and your itinerary with
you
Have directions written down before leaving.
Even if you can't read them you can ask for help by showing them
to someone else if you get lost. It's also helpful to have a copy
of the exact address of where you are going. A driver may not know
where a specific hotel is, so make sure you carry the address and
contact number with you. Carrying your itinerary will also allow
you to know what is coming up as well as allow others to see where
you should be at a certain time. Your itinerary may be printed out
in large print, put onto a voice recorder or even saved onto your
mobile phone as a text or voice file. Bear in mind that having it
printed out might be faster to access for a sighted person who is
reading it out to you.
Keep your essentials with you
at all times
Carry your money, keys, tickets or passport (if
overseas) in a safe pocket. If you happen to misplace your purse
or wallet or someone takes it, you can still reach your
destination.
Get to know any relevant timetables
Find out where you need to get on and off your
particular mode of transport, what time you have to be there by,
and where any available seating is (whether this is the seating at
the bus shelter, or the spare seats available on the bus
etcetera). You can confirm that you are in the right place to
catch whichever mode of transport it is that you are going on.
This may be by asking the bus driver or another person at the
stop. It pays to check as sometimes timetables may alter, and
other services may go via that same terminal. Inform the driver,
attendant or any other person about where you want to get off so
they know when to let you know that your stop is coming up. Some
newer buses now have audible cues for stops. (This may also be
available on trains as well). You can always ask a sighted person
to read the train/plane/ferry/bus departure and arrival times to
you if an audible cue is not available. Most sighted people will
happily oblige. Try to sit near the front (on a bus) or near a
door (if on a train) if possible. This way, when you are arriving
at your stop you will be able to alight quickly.
Luggage
Don't forget to take any luggage you have with
you! Mark your luggage with something bright so that
it will stand out when you go to collect it. (This could be a
ribbon, a piece of silver duct tape or even a big sticker on the
side of your bag). Making your luggage easy to identify
(especially at an airport) can save quite a bit of time as there
may be 50 black bags all looking similar. You may even want to
consider using a device such as a remote luggage locator (where
you keep the remote with you, and the locator is attached to your
bags for easy audible identification). This may also make it
easier for people travelling with you to help you locate your
bag/s. Board early and bring carry-on luggage. Packing only
carry-on luggage saves you time and trouble by eliminating a visit
to the baggage claim terminal afterwards. If you do bring a
suitcase, remember its size, type and colour (and any identifying
markers on it).
Communicate your travel needs to others
Inform the travel agency (or company such as an
airline) you are using, that you are visually impaired. Tell your
companion or those around you about your visual limitations.
Ask questions. If you cannot see a monitor or find a gate at the
airport or bus station, ask a customer service representative or
another traveller to help you. Carry your cane. Your cane can help
to notify others that you are visually impaired. If you don't use
your cane, people will probably not realise that you are visually
impaired and therefore not offer you any assistance.
Accommodation
When booking accommodation, remember to let the
place where you are staying know that you are visually impaired,
and whether or not you are travelling with your guide dog. This
may give staff a better idea of where to locate you (for example
on the ground floor) for ease of navigation. It helps to ask staff
to familiarise you with which room you are in, where it is in
relation to the main entrance, and where other things are located
within the building (for example the location of the conference
room, the restaurant or any public toilets nearby). When initially
being taken to your room, ask the staff to describe the layout of
the room to you. Ask them also to describe any items that are
there for you to use (for example the location of the kettle,
spoons, coffee sachets and milk pottles). Common things you will
need them to identify are where the bed is, where the toilet and
shower is (in relation to the bed), where the TV and remote are
(and which is the power button and up and down channel / volume
switch) or if there is a sliding door opening onto the grass area
for your dog - if you have one with you - etcetera). This will
save any frustration later on. A sighted person may be able to
locate these items quite quickly visually, but a vision impaired
or blind person needs to have these items identified rather than
spend time having to try and locate them themselves. Enquire about
prices as needed and find out about any complimentary items (for
example shampoo, newspaper and coffee etcetera). Not enquiring
about these items may end up costing you upon exiting your
accommodation. (Not all water bottles are complimentary!)
Find out how to adjust heating or air conditioning, who to call to
request anything else that’s important to you, as well as the
phone number for reception. Make sure you find out where your fire
exits are in case they are needed.
International restrictions
and regulations when travelling with a guide dog
Restrictions and regulations relating to the
import and export of guide dogs will vary from country to country.
Contact your local authorities to see what the different
procedures are for the importing and exporting of guide dogs, as
well as the foreign authorities in the country that you are
travelling to. There may be restrictions on where guide dogs can
visit, as well as export and import fees involved. You will need
to research the procedures, regulations and fees involved before
making a serious decision as to whether or not to take your dog.
If you are considering taking your guide dog overseas, check to
see if your guide dog passport is acceptable in the other country.
If not, you may have to get one from the relevant guide dog
centre.
Getting up close to exhibits
etcetera
Don't be afraid to get up close to exhibits
etcetera by going on tours and visiting shops. Some tour groups
allow travellers who are visually impaired to experience an
exhibit by touching objects otherwise off-limits. Some places -
such as museums - may even let you touch the exhibits (if you let
them know ahead of time that you are visually impaired). Gift
shops often sell small scale replicas of monuments that you can
touch. Not all places may allow you to touch their items, however
you need to ask otherwise you may miss out on some great
opportunities!
Travelling on the road
When you are on holidays, you may want to hire a
campervan as long as you have a sighted person to drive it. This
will take all of the hassles out of being at certain destinations
at certain times. (For example train stations or bus
depots). This way, you can also make frequent stops at
places of interest for as long as you like. If you have a laptop
with your adaptive technology on it, you could stop at wireless
hotspots to check emails and so on. Having some type of adaptive
technology with you gives you that bit more freedom, and the
ability to check out things while on the move. Most people
nowadays seem to take their laptops / mobile phones on holiday
with them so that they can keep in touch and let others know where
they are on their travels.
Travelling in a tour group
Travelling in a tour group can be great too.
This takes all of the hassles out of booking different things to
see. It is always wise to let the tour group leader know that you
are visually impaired, when you are making the bookings. This
means they can assist you in different situations if they have
been advised before time. This would be the same for
airlines etcetera. To make your trip more pleasant, letting people
know that you are visually impaired or blind will help you in the
long run. Travelling with a sighted person may make it even easier
for you as they may be able to explain what things look (height,
colour, structure etcetera) like and what is around you (signage
etcetera). When travelling by yourself you might miss out on
detail unless you ask people to describe things to you. The
description will only be as good as the person's knowledge of how
to describe things around them in detail. Don't be afraid to ask
for help or assistance (in all situations if required).
Helpful hints for the airport
security screening process
If you’re visually impaired or blind, take note
of what you may ask the screener to assist you with:
- Explain the security process to you, and
talk you through each step of the way
- Guide you to where they want you to walk
through and ensure you pass through in the right direction
safely (without touching the sides or running into any
obstacles)
- Advise you of the location of the metal
detector
- Check your white cane (and any electrical
assistive technology devices that you have) through through
the x ray machine - if you feel they may be damaged by the
metal detector
The screening process is fairly easy to go
through, and is safe for your equipment.
Helpful hints for the airport
security screening process when travelling with a guide dog
- Inform the screener that the animal
accompanying you is a guide dog, and ensure that you have its
appropriate ID card and any paperwork
- Let the screener know which is the best way
to proceed through the xray machine. (This would usually be
walking with your guide dog behind you)
- If the harness sets off the buzzer, the
staff may want to check out your guide dog
- If you need to go outside for any reason
(such as your dog needing to relieve itself) you need to go
back through this process again. Therefore, it is wise to
toilet your dog before screening them
Additional Travel Tips
- On planes, your cane may need to be stored
in the overhead locker during the flight for safety reasons
- When travelling with a guide dog, your
class of travel may be upgraded to allow for extra leg room
(for example economy upgraded to business class). This means
that your guide dog will travel at your feet or to your side.
Check with your airline before flying
- Identify emergency exits (whether in a
building or on some mode of transport)
Remember, whether you are travelling within your own country or
travelling overseas, the key to a successful trip is to plan and
communicate! Giving others that little bit of extra
information, can help them to best accommodate your needs.
Some useful links for
travellers
Australiaforall is a site that gives user
feedback about accessible accommodation http://www.australiaforall.com/Welcome_1.html
Travel eyes is a accessible travel service for the visual impaired
and the blind. It can be found at https://traveleyes-international.com/