This past Saturday my friend Bev and I participated in a hike with the blind. I had expected to hold the hand of a sightless person and guide him or her along the trail. Boy, was I wrong!
When I arrived at Newport Bay Back, approximately 25 sighted persons from the OC hiking meetup group, a half dozen blind people, and Bev were already assembled. The leader was Brian Bushway, a gregarious, 30s-ish bear of a guy who freely made light of his blindness. He was a true joy. He and the other "mobility coaches" led the sighted on a three-mile hike, over sometimes steep and rough terrain. They were all faster hikers than me.
Halfway through the hike, some of the sighted persons donned blindfolds and canes to see how they would fare without vision. Some did surprisingly well; others were completely lost. I'm sure this disparity had to do with the person's observation skills. Each blindfolded person had a blind guide who kept the sighted from getting into any trouble with their footing.
