The primary traveling aids for a blind person are a white cane or a trained guide dog, supported by orientation and mobility (O&M) training that teaches how to use them safely. Many people add a smartphone, electronic aids and a few everyday items. This guide explains each one, what it does and what it does not do.
What Are the Primary Traveling Aids for a Blind Person?
The two traditional aids are the white cane and the guide dog. A white cane detects obstacles, steps and drop-offs and signals to other people that the user is blind or has low vision. A guide dog leads its handler in a straight line, stops at curbs and steps, and steers around obstacles. The handler still decides the route and when to cross. Some people use both at different times, and many travellers use neither a dog nor a long cane, depending on their vision, environment and preference.
Sunglasses, public transport and a phone can all make travel easier, but they are supporting items rather than primary aids. The rest of this guide covers the main aids first and then the supporting items.
White Cane
A white cane is the most widely used mobility aid. Guide Dogs UK describes four main types: the long cane, the guide cane, the symbol cane and the support cane (Guide Dogs UK). They do different jobs, so the right choice depends on what the person needs.
- Long cane: swept ahead of the user to find obstacles, curbs, steps and changes in surface. It is the cane most people mean by “white cane” and is the one taught in O&M training.
- Guide cane: a shorter cane held out in front, used to check for steps and obstacles.
- Symbol cane: a light cane mainly carried to show other people that the user has a vision impairment.
- Support cane: a cane that also gives physical support for people who need help with balance as well as with vision.
Canes are white because the colour is meant to be visible to other people, so a black cane is not the standard. In the UK, a red band on a cane shows that the user has hearing loss as well as sight loss (Guide Dogs UK). Cane tips also vary. Rolling tips stay in contact with the ground, pencil and ceramic tips are tapped, and multi-terrain tips such as the Huju or Dakota disk are designed for gravel, sand and grass.
Some people use smart canes, which add navigation and feedback features and connect to a phone. Guide Dogs UK notes that they are usually heavier and more expensive than a standard long cane.
Guide Dog
A guide dog is trained to guide a person around obstacles and to stop at changes in elevation such as curbs and stairs. According to Guide Dogs for the Blind, guide dogs lead in a straight line between points, stop for overhead obstacles such as tree limbs and steer around obstacles in the path (Guide Dogs for the Blind FAQ).
The dog does not read traffic signals or work out a route to a new place. The handler handles navigation and listens to traffic to decide when it is safe to give the “forward” command. This is why drivers are asked not to honk at or distract a guide dog team. Guide Dogs for the Blind also notes that puppies go to volunteer raisers at about eight weeks old and return to a training campus for formal training at 15 to 17 months. Many people choose a cane instead of a dog because a dog is a daily responsibility, and not every venue or country treats guide dogs the same way, so it is worth checking access rules before travelling.
Orientation and Mobility Training
Orientation and mobility training teaches people to know where they are and to move safely through the environment, typically with a long white cane. It is taught by certified O&M specialists, who also recommend the correct cane length for a person’s height and pace. Leader Dog lists skills such as basic cane techniques, using human guide techniques, finding curbs and drop-offs, going through doors, and analysing and crossing streets (Leader Dog).
Training is what turns a cane or a guide dog into a safe way to travel. Anyone new to a cane, or moving to a new area or a busier environment, should ask a local blindness organisation about an O&M instructor. For road crossings in particular, see how a blind person crosses the road.
Smartphone and Electronic Aids
A smartphone with a screen reader is now one of the most useful travel tools. Navigation apps give turn-by-turn directions, transit apps help with stops and routes, and camera apps read signs or describe a scene. A phone adds information, but it does not replace a cane or a dog for detecting obstacles at your feet. For specific apps, see our guide to navigation and travel apps and our roundup of apps for blind and visually impaired people.
Other electronic aids include smart canes and dedicated GPS devices. Choose one with voice-guided directions and keep a backup, such as a phone with accessible maps, in case the battery or signal fails. A power bank is worth carrying for the same reason.
Everyday Items That Make Travel Easier
These are not primary aids, but they make a journey smoother:
- Sunglasses and a cap: useful for people with low vision who are sensitive to glare or bright sun.
- Earphones or earbuds: helpful for directions, but many travellers keep one ear uncovered so they can still hear traffic and announcements.
- A handheld digital magnifier: for people with low vision to check timetables, menus and bus numbers. See our guide to reading devices for the blind.
- A shoulder bag or cross-body bag: keeps both hands free for a cane or a dog’s harness.
- Organised money and cards: keeping notes and cards in a consistent order, plus mobile payments where available, makes payments easier. See how blind people identify money for folding methods, apps and readers.
- Identification and medication: carry ID, any disability ID that gives access to services, and any regular medication with a list of doses.
- Water, snacks and secure, comfortable shoes: basic comfort and safety items that matter on long days.
Asking for help is also part of travelling well. Most people are happy to give directions or a guide, and you can accept or decline it as you prefer. For a first-person account, read how I travel solo as a blind person.
How Do You Use a White Cane? The Basic Touch Technique
The most common technique is the two-point touch. You hold the cane lightly, with your index finger along the flat side of the handle, and keep your hand in the upper half of the handle so the cane does not jab your stomach if it hits something. You swing the cane from the wrist in a side-to-side arc, tapping the ground on each side of your path, and you time it so the cane lands on the side opposite your leading foot. In two-point touch the tip stays a few centimetres off the ground at the centre of the swing. Guide Dogs UK describes this technique in detail (Guide Dogs UK: touch technique with your long cane). A different method, constant contact, keeps the tip on the ground as it rolls from side to side.
I use a white cane myself, and my advice to anyone new to one is to get orientation and mobility training before anything else. Reading about technique is not the same as having an instructor watch you walk and correct it.
How Do You Choose a White Cane?
Cane length is usually set between the user’s sternum and chin, and the right length depends on height, walking speed, personal preference and how the cane will be used (Leader Dog: choosing a white cane). A taller or faster walker often prefers a longer cane, while someone who walks slowly or has less strength may do better with a shorter, lighter one. Rigid canes are a single solid piece and transmit the most information from the ground, but they are awkward to carry. Folding canes come in four, five or six segments and fold down when you need to put them away. Telescopic canes are the most portable but tend to collapse on uneven ground. An O&M instructor can fit a cane to you, which is the safest way to choose.
Smart Canes and Wearables: What I Use Alongside My Cane
Along with my white cane and phone navigation apps, I use a WeWALK smart cane, a Sunu Band and Ray-Ban Meta glasses. None of them replaces the cane or O&M training. They add information the cane cannot give.
The WeWALK smart cane adds overhead obstacle detection to an ordinary cane, with haptic and audible alerts, so you still get the ground-level feedback of a standard cane. It connects to your phone over Bluetooth for turn-by-turn directions and live public transport updates through Moovit, and the current model has a voice assistant. It needs a charge, which takes about 2.5 hours for six to eight hours of use, and RNIB’s listing says it should not be used without prior white cane training. RNIB lists the WeWALK Smart Cane 2 AI at £1,018.80 including VAT, though blind and partially sighted buyers may not have to pay VAT (RNIB shop listing).
The Sunu Band is a wristband that uses sonar. It sends out ultrasound and vibrates more strongly the closer an object is. Early reviews describe it detecting gaps such as doorways and tracking people as they approach or move away. It also pairs with an app to adjust sensitivity, and it can work without the phone (Wareable review, 2017). That review is several years old and the band’s battery life was only about four hours then, so check current availability and specifications before you buy.
For camera glasses that can describe what is in front of you, see my guide to Meta Ray-Ban glasses for blind users. For the apps that sit on the phone, see navigation and travel apps for the blind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the primary traveling aids for a blind person?
A white cane or a trained guide dog, supported by orientation and mobility training. A smartphone, electronic aids and everyday items such as a bag, ID and a magnifier add to these.
What is the difference between a long cane and a symbol cane?
A long cane is swept ahead to detect obstacles, steps and surface changes. A symbol cane is lighter and is carried mainly to show other people that the user has a vision impairment.
Are canes for blind people always white?
White is the standard because it is visible to others. In the UK a red band on a cane shows that the user also has hearing loss.
Can a guide dog read traffic lights?
No. A guide dog cannot read traffic signals or plan a route. The handler decides when to cross by listening to traffic and gives the command to go forward.
What is orientation and mobility training?
Training taught by certified specialists that shows people how to know where they are and travel safely, typically with a long white cane, including finding curbs and crossing streets.
What equipment do blind people use for travel?
A white cane or guide dog, a smartphone with a screen reader and navigation apps, and for some people a smart cane, a GPS device, a magnifier or sunglasses.
Conclusion
A white cane or a guide dog, backed by good O&M training, covers the core of independent travel. Phones, electronic aids and practical items fill in the gaps. The best combination depends on the person, the route and the environment, so it is worth trying more than one.
