How Do Blind People Get Around? Tools, Techniques, and Technology
By David Murphy | September 8, 2025
Getting from one point to another is something most people take for granted. But for individuals with visual impairment or complete blindness, everyday mobility requires a careful balance of skill and trust in their surroundings. They rely on a combination of tools, training, and environmental cues to navigate safely through busy areas, such as office buildings, sidewalks, and public facilities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 2.2 billion people worldwide experience some form of vision impairment, and at least 1 billion of these cases could have been prevented or remain untreated.
This growing public health concern underscores the importance of accessible design, inclusive technology, and greater public awareness. As a business owner, contractor, or building manager, you can help make life easier for people who are blind or visually impaired by implementing clear, accessible designs that support safe and independent movement.
By understanding the tools people rely on, you can see how thoughtful design creates real-world impact. When businesses commit to spaces that work for everyone, independence becomes more possible for all.
4 Traditional Tools That Help Blind People Navigate
Many blind and visually impaired individuals depend on traditional tools that offer consistent, reliable support. These mobility aids are often the first step toward safe and confident navigation, especially in environments without advanced tech.
1. White canes
The white cane is one of the most recognizable tools in the blind community. It offers a tactile extension of the user's senses, detecting curbs, floor transitions, and obstacles through physical feedback to the hand and wrist.
Modern white canes may incorporate haptic feedback features, such as vibration alerts, to assist users in identifying terrain changes or obstacles.
For businesses, signs should be installed at a height of 48-60 inches from the floor and include Grade 2 Braille, raised characters, and high-contrast, non-glare materials. These features are essential elements of an inclusive, compliant space.
2. Guide dogs
Guide dogs are specially trained to assist individuals who are blind in avoiding obstacles, following directional cues, and navigating busy environments. Unlike white canes, they can make real-time decisions to lead their handler safely.
To qualify, users must complete training with a certified organization and establish a relationship with their guide dog. While these animals are not for everyone, they offer unmatched mobility and confidence for those who use them.
Since not everyone uses white canes, ensure your facilities are guide-dog friendly. Keep walkways clear, avoid floor clutter, and never distract service animals. Signs should indicate accessible entrances and assistance areas to support guide dog users.
3. Orientation and Mobility Training (O&M)
O&M training empowers individuals to travel independently using sound, touch, and environmental awareness. It also teaches the use of tools like canes and GPS apps.
Offered through rehab centers and specialized instructors, O&M training helps people move safely indoors and outdoors. You can support these navigation strategies by maintaining consistent layouts, minimizing visual clutter, and ensuring that signage is intuitive and ADA-compliant.
4. Sighted guides
Sighted guides assist blind individuals by allowing them to hold onto the guide’s arm while navigating unfamiliar or high-traffic areas, such as airports or large office buildings.
While not every visitor will require a guide, many benefit from facilities that offer trained staff, designated assistance areas, and clear signage directing them to their destination.
As a business owner, you can help create a more welcoming experience by marking assistance areas clearly with tactile, Braille-equipped signage for a smooth experience. These may seem like minor details, but they're essential for visitors who rely on guides to get through your space.
5 Modern Technologies Transforming Mobility
Today’s tech expands how people who are blind navigate, with innovations that supplement traditional tools and build confidence in complex environments. Here are some modern assistive devices that can help you achieve ADA compliance.
1. GPS navigation apps with audio directions
Apps like Soundscape or Lazarillo offer spatial audio and voice prompts to help users identify landmarks and navigate outdoors. GPS helps outdoors, but doesn’t replace clear, ADA-compliant signage indoors. To truly support blind and visually impaired visitors, place easy-to-read signs and clearly mark your entrances.
2. Wearables and smart glasses that detect obstacles
Devices like Envision Glasses or Sunu Band utilize cameras and sensors to provide real-time audio or vibration feedback, enabling users to identify people, signs, and objects. This technology can make it easier for them to move through your building's spaces—but only if you support wearables with logical layouts and readable signage to ensure users can orient themselves indoors.
3. Voice assistants for hands-free assistance
Voice-enabled tools like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa enable blind users to request help or retrieve information hands-free, making them particularly useful in offices, elevators, or lobbies. Adding signs that clearly indicate voice-activated features or provide simple tactile instructions helps ensure these tools are actually utilized.
4. Transit apps with real-time accessibility data
Apps like Moovit or Transit provide live updates for buses, trains, and shared transportation, often featuring options that highlight wheelchair-accessible routes or offer voice-guided directions for visually impaired users.
5. Bluetooth beacons and indoor navigation tools
Technologies like NaviLens and Aira send real-time location data to smartphones, guiding users through restrooms, hospitals, airports, or malls. For businesses, utilize these tools in conjunction with ADA-compliant signage to provide redundancy and clarity in emergencies or complex environments.
4 Ways to Make Your Facility Accessibility-Friendly
Inclusive design helps people move with confidence, independence, and dignity. The features below are practical, thoughtful ways to make your space more inclusive and supportive for those who experience the world without sight.
1. Install ADA-compliant Braille signage
For someone who can't rely on vision, a well-placed tactile sign can mean the difference between confusion and confidence. ADA signs must include:
- Grade 2 Braille
- Raised characters
- High-contrast, non-glare materials
- Mounted 48-60 inches from the floor
Compliance enables visitors with visual impairments to locate and read signs by touch, as well as identify rooms, exits, and services without requiring assistance. Clear signage supports both independent travelers and those using O&M training.
2. Add Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSI)
TWSI are textured strips on floors that help users detect changes in direction, elevation, or hazards. These physical prompts enhance mobility and orientation, particularly in large or complex indoor environments.
For someone using a white cane, these textures serve as a subtle signal of what's ahead, allowing them to move with more certainty and fewer surprises. Adding them to your entrances, stairwells, ramps, escalators, or elevator banks is a simple, effective way to make your facility more navigable and safe.
3. Keep walkways wide and clutter-free
People with visual impairments often use "shorelining” (walking along walls or edges). When walkways are cluttered with displays, furniture, or unexpected obstacles, visual or physical clutter can interrupt their navigation path.
Maintain open, intuitive pathways and consistent furniture arrangements to provide people with a safe and easy space to roam.
4. Partner with Erie Custom Signs
Compliance is only the beginning. Erie Custom Signs creates custom ADA signs that reflect empathy and functionality. We offer:
- Grade 2 Braille and raised tactile characters
- Quick turnaround and custom design tools
- 100% ADA Compliance
- Durable material options
- Customer-first support to guide you through the process
From consultation to production, we help ensure your signs stay compliant while making people feel seen and fostering a sense of independence.
Where Inclusion Meets Intention
For blind and visually impaired individuals, independence is shaped by the design of the world around them. When your business invests in inclusive, accessible design, you’re meeting ADA requirements and showing respect for every person who walks through your doors.
From tactile signage to clutter-free hallways, every design decision sends a powerful message: you belong here. At Erie Custom Signs, we help turn those intentions into action. Our fully ADA-compliant signage solutions are designed to meet code and exceed expectations.
Ready to take the next step toward a more inclusive space? Start customizing your ADA signage here.