How NOT to Help Blind People: Lessons From My Amtrak Adventures

Key Podcast Moments

• Traveling from Philadelphia to New York City for Laugh for Sight and encountering assumptions about traveling independently.
• Being grabbed unexpectedly while boarding a train and explaining why that can create safety concerns.
• Navigating Moynihan Train Hall using my Meta glasses, environmental sounds, and familiar travel techniques.
• Having an employee insist my daughter accompany me downstairs rather than allowing me to travel independently.
• Traveling with my friend Chip to the NFB of Pennsylvania State Convention and dealing with overly controlling assistance.
• Experiencing respectful, effective assistance from an employee who provided verbal directions without grabbing us.
• Preparing for the Rothman 8K on my 62nd birthday while dealing with painful feet.

When Helping a Blind Person Becomes a Problem

I’ve traveled by train countless times, and I enjoy the independence that comes with getting where I need to go on my own. But during recent trips to New York City and Harrisburg, I encountered several situations that reminded me how little some people understand about blindness. It started at Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, where a woman helping me locate my train asked whether I was traveling alone. It seems like an innocent question, but it reflects a larger assumption that blind people need someone accompanying them whenever they leave home. My friend Chip experienced something similar at an airport in Austin. He lives alone, cooks his own meals, and manages his daily life. Why shouldn’t he travel alone?

Please Stop Grabbing Me!

One of my biggest frustrations is when someone grabs my arm without warning. While boarding a train in Philadelphia, a conductor warned me about the gap between the platform and the train. That’s perfectly reasonable. What wasn’t reasonable was someone reaching out and grabbing me near my shoulder as I approached. When you can’t see someone coming, an unexpected touch can be startling. I might pull away, lose my orientation, or react in a way that creates more danger than the original situation. If someone thinks I need assistance, there’s a simple solution: ask. And if I say I don’t need help, please believe me. I know my abilities, and I know how I prefer to travel.

Talk to Me, Not the Person Standing Beside Me

On my return trip from New York, I encountered another frustrating situation. My daughter Jane had accompanied me to the station and was preparing to head home. An employee insisted that she couldn’t leave because she needed to help me downstairs to the platform. He wasn’t even speaking directly to me. He was telling Jane what she needed to do for me. I’ve experienced this kind of interaction many times, and it gets old. Blindness affects my ability to see, not my ability to understand instructions, make decisions, or travel independently. Similar issues came up during my trip to Harrisburg, where an employee wanted blind passengers to grab one another and walk in single file. We weren’t asking to be managed. We just needed to know where to go.

What Respectful Assistance Actually Looks Like

Fortunately, not everyone gets it wrong. At the end of my return trip from Harrisburg, an employee offered to guide Chip and me to an elevator. She explained where we were going, told us when to turn, and allowed us to follow her directions without grabbing us or taking control. It worked perfectly. That’s all I’m asking for. Treat blind travelers as capable adults, communicate clearly, and respect our decisions. Some of us prefer stairs. Others may want an elevator, a boarding bridge, or a human guide. Those are individual choices, not decisions someone else should make for us. I’m happy to accept help when I need it, but I also expect people to respect me when I don’t. After all, blindness doesn’t dictate ability.

Top 4 Takeaways

1. Always Ask Before Offering Physical Assistance

An unexpected grab can startle someone who doesn’t see you approaching. Rather than taking control of a person’s arm, introduce yourself and ask whether assistance would be helpful. If the answer is yes, ask how that person would prefer to be assisted.

2. Blind People Can Travel Independently

Traveling alone doesn’t automatically make someone vulnerable or incapable. Blind travelers use white canes, guide dogs, technology, environmental sounds, and learned mobility skills to navigate public spaces. Our travel arrangements should reflect our abilities and preferences.

3. Respect Personal Choices and Boundaries

A blind traveler might prefer stairs instead of an escalator or decide that a boarding bridge is unnecessary. Those choices deserve respect. Accessibility is about providing options and equal access, not requiring everyone with a disability to use the same accommodations.

4. Good Assistance Begins With Communication

One of the best experiences of my recent travels involved an employee who simply gave clear verbal directions. She told us where to turn, guided us toward the elevator, and allowed us to maintain control of our movement. Effective assistance doesn’t have to be complicated. It simply requires communication, consideration, and respect.

Additional Resources

• Rothman 8K Fundraiser: Support my participation in Philadelphia Marathon Weekend and the National Federation of the Blind at https://www.david8k.com. Enter David Goldstein in the “In honor of” field.
• National Federation of the Blind: Learn about the organization’s work promoting independence, equality, and opportunity for blind people.
• Coming in Episode 304: I’ll share more about Laugh for Sight in New York City and the 2026 NFB of Pennsylvania State Convention in Hershey.