Traveling With Low Vision

When you have a visual impairment, travel can seem challenging or even overwhelming. But with advance planning and these expert tips, you can comfortably — and safely — get to where you want to go.

The key? “Plan ahead,” says Carol A. Moog, senior mobility instructor at Lighthouse Guild: “Get as much information as you can before you leave your house. Go on websites to get train or bus directions, plan out your route and always leave more time than you think you’ll need.” 

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The Basics

Bring documentation of your vision loss. Optometrist Ranjoo Prasad, the director of the Penn Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania Scheie Eye Institute in Philadelphia, gives her traveling patients a letter stating their diagnosis. It may not be obvious that you’re visually impaired, she says, so a letter from an eye-care provider can make clear that you’re entitled to assistance.

Share your itinerary. Make sure somebody — a loved one back home or a friend you’ll be visiting — knows what your plans are, says Prasad. (You can consider using the Life360 app, which allows others to follow your every step.)

Consult with an expert. If it’s your first time traveling with a vision impairment, consider meeting with an orientation mobility specialist, a professional who teaches people with low vision how to travel safely, confidently and independently. You can find one through your state’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation or State Commission for the Blind (search online to find your state's).

Be flexible. Do your best to accept that things don’t always go as planned, says Moog: “That’s a natural part of traveling, no matter your situation.”

Call ahead. All airports should have a meet-and-assist program to help travelers with anything from check-in to boarding and baggage claim, says Miguel Reyes, certified orientation and mobility specialist at Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh. By law you need to give airports at least 48 hours’ notice for them to be able to guarantee the services you need. “I encourage people to call and start their conversation by saying, ‘Hi, I’m visually impaired.’” Reyes says it will fast-track your call to the appropriate resources to get you what you need. 

Blind and low-vision travelers can also get help navigating airports using Aira assistive technology. Aira, a smartphone and smart-glasses-connected technology company, connects blind and low-vision people to trained agents who can help with navigation. It's available for free at many airports across the country; you just need to download the Aira smartphone app and sign up as a guest. At other airports, you can still access Aira but you need to subscribe to the service. 

Bring a magnifier or travel telescope. Your eye-care provider can help you get a magnifying device that you can keep in your carry-on bag.

Tag your bags. Put some kind of obvious marker on your luggage — like colored duct tape around the handle — to make it more noticeable to airport staff (or you) at baggage claim.

Speak up. Make sure you’re not seated in an emergency exit row. Ask for help when you need it, and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. “Meet-and-assist workers may want to put you in a wheelchair, but if you’re not okay with that, you’re entitled to speak up,” Reyes says.