Hold the Door: More than a Lesson on Manners

MAB resident Occupation & Mobility Instructor, Brad Blair, shares more than a lesson on manners. Here is his message to us:

Hello everyone, I wanted to drop a friendly tip about something that can happen when folks eagerly try to assist someone like me – a person who is blind.

When you see a person who is blind walking towards a door that opens outwards – toward them, please resist the urge to open the door for them. While this is kind and thoughtful, my suggestion is this:

• Open the door only if that person is at least an arm’s length or further from the swinging door
• Greet them by letting them know you are there
• Let us find the door knob ourselves.

We can’t see you coming, we can’t see the door opening, and we can’t react to a door swinging outward towards our body, our face, or our guide dog! So, if we’re already close up to the door, wait until we enter the building to say hello as we come in. Feel free to drop us a note about any blindness questions you have. Thanks again and keep up the kindness!

Sincerely,

Brad