General Questions
Who are Vitalise Holidays Sighted Guides?
How many people will be on the holiday?
Group awareness and inclusion
Visually Impaired People Questions
What training do the sighted guides receive?
Will I have the same guide throughout the holiday?
Is a guide available 24 hours a day?
What if I don't hit it off with my sighted guide straight away?
Will a guide be able to assist me with getting to or from the holiday?
Sighted Guiding Questions
Do I get any time of my own on holiday?
Don’t visually impaired people have a guide dog to guide them?
Will I need to assist the visually impaired holidaymakers with travel?
Will I be with a visually impaired person 24 hours a day?
What kind of training is offered?
Is sighted guiding just an exercise in getting from A to B?
Sighted guiding sounds very demanding?
Common sense tells me that guiding is simply an exercise of control, isn't it?
What should I expect from becoming a sighted guide?
What if this is a one off and I don’t plan to attend another holiday?
General Answers
Who are Vitalise Holidays Sighted Guides?
They are members of the public who have generously given their time to accompany visually impaired people (VI) on holiday. Vitalise Holidays aim to match sighted guides with VIs to take organised holidays in the UK and overseas. The ratio of guides to VIs is usually one to one, and each holiday is co-ordinated by a Vitalise Holidays Representative.
to top
How many people will be on the holiday?
The majority of our holidays consist of relatively small groups of up to 14 people. For some long haul holidays or sun holidays we often get much more interest and are able to take larger groups. Even so, numbers are unlikely to exceed 30 people except on rare occasions.
Group awareness and inclusion
Vitalise strives to provide an environment of equality and inclusion on holidays; all participants are expected to show consideration and respect to other members of the group at all times, regardless of differences in personality, opinions or lifestyle.
Many people who travel with Vitalise Holidays do so because of the safe and welcoming atmosphere they expect to find on a specialised group holiday. It is important that all members of the group support this dynamic and assist the Representative in making others feel welcomed and included.
If you feel that you or someone else is being marginalised by other members of the group, please speak to the Representative who will take the necessary steps to make sure their needs are being met and that they enjoy their holiday experience.
to top
Visually Impaired People Answers
What training do the sighted guides receive?
All sighted guides are given information on guiding techniques and we also have a short video available which demonstrates the basic guiding techniques. In addition, if the holiday is in the Activity category, guides will have been given advice on the best methods of guiding for that particular event.
to top
Will I have the same guide throughout the holiday?
The Vitalise Holidays Representative usually allocates guiding duties to the sighted members of the group on a half day basis to give everyone a chance to get to know each other. If sighted guides are on the holiday with friends then, where possible, we try to pair them in such a way that they can spend some time together.
to top
Is a guide available 24 hours a day?
Sighted guides are normally expected to be available for guiding from breakfast through to bedtime. You may find that you wish to stay up later than your guide, or vice versa. If you are hoping for a late night please discuss it with your Vitalise Holidays Representative beforehand to see if guides are willing to stay up late too.
Sighted guides usually share rooms with visually impaired people, although personal preferences are taken into account wherever possible.
to top
What if I don't hit it off with my sighted guide straight away?
Inevitably there will be times when personalities clash or you may be having problems with the way your guide is guiding. If so, don't feel embarrassed about having a quiet word with your guide or Vitalise Holidays Representative about this so that any problem can be quickly resolved. Please don't keep things to yourself; a bit of friendly advice may avoid an accident, not only for you, but for another visually impaired person.
It is not often that problems arise with sighted guides, but do remember that it may be the first time that some guides have met a visually impaired person and they may initially find the experience a little daunting. An understanding and sympathetic approach from you will help give the guide confidence in their ability. It is worth considering that if sighted guides enjoy the experience, they are likely to return on future holidays with Vitalise Holidays and, of course, without these valued volunteers Vitalise Holidays would be severely restricted in the number and variety of holidays it could offer to you.
to top
Will a guide be able to assist me with getting to or from the holiday?
It is your responsibility to make travel arrangements from your home to the meeting point. Once there you will be met by your Holiday Representative and a guide will be available to assist you for the rest of the holiday.
If you would like to make arrangements to travel with someone who is travelling from your area, this may be possible, and a list of participants and the region where they live is provided with the Travel Pack for most holidays, issued about a month before a holiday departs.
It is not always possible for a sighted guide to assist you to your homeward travel departure point, therefore please arrange assistance before the start of the holiday if you think you might require it. On your return from the holiday, please allow plenty of time to connect with other transport and to make your onward journey home. Further information is given in the Travel Pack.
to top
Sighted Guiding Answers
Do I get any time of my own on holiday?
Vitalise Holidays are group holidays, which is part of what makes them such a great and sociable experience. You will usually be guiding on all the holiday activities from breakfast up to, and including, any evening entertainment.
Many of our holidays include leisure time with no set activities or excursions planned and you will also be required to guide during this time.
If you do need some time of your own for any particular reason then please speak to your Holiday Representative, who will be able to advise you.
to top
Don’t visually impaired people have a guide dog to guide them?
Not all visually impaired people have a guide dog. Some holidays, such as overseas holidays or certain activities, are not suitable for guide dogs. On other occasions the dog might be taking a holiday as well (guide dogs are working dogs). Also, sighted guides can offer a service that even the most highly trained dog cannot provide, such as a personal conversation or description of the environment.
to top
Will I need to assist the visually impaired holidaymakers with travel?
In many cases the group will meet at the holiday accommodation or the local railway station so each holidaymaker will make their own individual travel arrangements.
However, if your holiday involves air travel, you will be asked to guide from arrival at the airport check-in desk. This will involve assisting a visually impaired person from the check-in desk, through to the departure gate, and on to the aeroplane.
Officially, the holiday ends in the arrival lounge, but offers of assistance to visually impaired members to link up with their onward travel home will be gratefully received.
to top
Will I be with a visually impaired person 24 hours a day?
Possibly, but it will be to varying degrees through any given day. Your Holiday Representative will draw up a guiding rota for each day of the holiday so that you will usually be guiding a different visually impaired holidaymaker every half day, and for breakfast and evening activities you will often be paired up with your visually impaired roommate. There will obviously be times when you need to be fully focused and your concentration is at its maximum e.g. on a climbing activity. But there will be many other periods when you can simply ‘tick over’.
to top
What kind of training is offered?
No formal training is needed to become a sighted guide. We will send you out guidance notes before your holiday setting out basic guiding techniques and key information.
If you feel you need a little extra support or information before embarking on a holiday we are happy to chat through any concerns you may have. Our aim is for you to feel comfortable about raising concerns and for us to offer solutions and options to deal with these. Most concerns will have been experienced before, and common solutions have been successfully applied. The best solutions have often come from guides themselves.
We aim to equip you with the ability to adapt your core skills to varying situations as they arise. Never feel shy of asking others in the group for advice, not just your Vitalise Holidays Representative but other guides and visually impaired people too.
We also offer all our sighted guides the opportunity to take part in introductory holidays, organised at least once per year. These exist to provide you with an opportunity to practice old and new skills in guiding and they are a great opportunity to meet other guides and exchange experiences and concerns.
On occasion we may also be able to provide sighted guide training days subject to availability and demand.
to top
Is sighted guiding just an exercise in getting from A to B?
Good sighted guiding does get a visually impaired person from A to B safely and comfortably – but if you concentrate on this alone you will more than likely become a robot. We aim to enable every sighted guide to become accustomed to guiding in their own style, and appreciate that all of us are individuals who have preferences and like to have a choice in how we travel about. When done well guiding is extremely enjoyable for both the guide and the visually impaired person.
to top
Sighted guiding sounds very demanding?
We think guiding is the most rewarding part of contact with visually impaired people. You soon build up trust but it's true that it can be demanding. It demands that you concentrate on all the potential hazards in front and overhead. It demands that you are cautious and observant. However our experience has shown that new guides very quickly become proficient and comfortable with their new skills.
to top
Common sense tells me that guiding is simply an exercise of control, isn't it?
Common sense is one of our greatest assets. However there are occasions when common sense is not the best option. Take, for example, guiding a person to a seat. You cannot assume that because someone is totally blind that they must be ‘controlled’ into a seat. The reverse is true, visually impaired people are quite capable of sitting themselves down. You only need give them clear information e.g. that they are at the back of the chair, that the seat is clear, that the chair has arms. This applies to many situations you might find yourself in while guiding – narrow spaces, steps (up or down) and doors (push or pull).
to top
What should I expect from becoming a sighted guide?
A typical day will begin with assisting someone for breakfast. There will be holiday activities and meals during the day and, potentially, long, social evenings. This is one of the reasons why guides take turns to guide different visually impaired people. It gives both parties the opportunity to meet all the people on the holiday. It can also help to avoid personality clashes, and reduce the demand of individuals who require increased support.
to top
What if this is a one off and I don’t plan to attend another holiday?
Think positively. The time that you have generously given could make the difference between a visually impaired person having a once-in-a-lifetime holiday or no holiday at all. Above all else, you should enjoy your time with us. You should be prepared to feel good for doing some good, not guilty because you don’t think you will repeat the experience.
All we ask of you is that if, for whatever reason, you decide never to take part in one of our holidays again, you tell us why. We need to know, so that if there is a problem we can address we are given the opportunity to do so.
to top