When I first started high school, one of the first things I noticed was how spread out all of my classes were. In middle school, my classes were all within one specific hallway, and I could get from one class to another in two minutes or less. High school hallways were an entirely different story though, as I often had classes in different sections of the school or on multiple different floors, and it took me longer to figure out where my classes were and learn routes to get there. Here are my tips for navigating high school hallways with low vision based on my own experiences. It’s worth noting that I didn’t use a blindness cane while I was a student in high school, though I’ve also included links to posts about how I use blindness canes to navigate hallways now that I’m no longer in school.
Look at the walls and use visual landmarks
The first high school I attended had beautiful, colorful murals that covered the walls of many of the hallways, and I would use these colors/patterns to help me figure out how to get to class; for example, turn left at the purple hills and follow the orange swirls to math class. My second high school was not nearly as colorful, but I was still able to use posters, different colored lockers, and other landmarks to figure out where I was going.
Related links
- How I Learned To Navigate My Internship Building With Low Vision
- Building Identification: College O&M
- How To Create Accessible Classroom Posters For Students With Visual Impairments
Using school lockers with low vision
School lockers were optional at both of the high schools I attended, as most students would carry their backpacks from class to class. I still had a locker though so that I could store items, and asked for it to be in a location that was close to my classes and on a lower level, since I had trouble reaching the higher shelves in the upper lockers. At my first high school, my locker was located near the school entrance/exit, while the locker at my second high school was directly across from the library, which was an easy location for me to find. Students can also add tactile dots or colored tape to their locker to make it easier to identify.
Related links
- School Lockers and Low Vision
- My Talk At A Future Date: What I Wish I Learned About AT Before Starting College
- Choosing A Backpack With Low Vision
Take note of obstacles, or ask to remove them
One of my friends told me that they remember when I would knock over the trash can in the middle of the hallway at least once a week during high school, and we would both laugh about it. My white cane/blindness cane is great at alerting me to obstacles (perhaps better than the friend who watched me knock over the trash can all the time), but I also used visual landmarks and other cues to remember where specific obstacles were located.
One of my friends had a similar issue to me with running into a trash can constantly, but instead of getting annoyed or embarrassed over it like I did, they talked to their case manager and principal about moving the trash can to a location where it was less likely to get knocked over. Another friend had their Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) walk through their school before the start of the semester, and the TVI provided recommendations to the school for how to remove obstacles.
Related links
- Learning to Self-Advocate
- How I Respond To Questions/Comments About My Eyes
- Having An Undiagnosed Chronic Illness In High School
- Ten Lessons My TVI Taught Me
Use tactile guides
Two of my friends had tactile maps of different parts of their high school so that they could interpret the maps through touch and orient themselves to various locations. There are services that will create tactile maps on embossed paper, and I have linked a post below that covers how TVIs and O&M specialists can create tactile graphics with everyday objects.
Another option is to add tactile guides to the hallways themselves in the form of step nosing on stairs, textures for different hallway areas, and adding tactile dots or stickers to classroom signs or doors to make classrooms easier to identify for students with vision loss.
Related links
- How To Create Tactile Images With Everyday Objects
- Accessible Maps and Wayfinding Tools For Low Vision
- Smartphone Apps For Orientation and Mobility
- Tactile Pavement and Accessible Walkways For Visually Impaired
- Finding College Classrooms: College O&M
- Reporting Accessibility Issues: College O&M
Have a teacher walk with you
Did I have teachers walk with me to every single one of my classes? No, I preferred to have friends walk with me whenever possible. But in high school, I often had trouble walking to unfamiliar parts of the school by myself, and I would sometimes ask my teachers if they could show me where something is.
My band director was awesome about helping me find my classes and we would often talk as we walked, so I never felt awkward walking around with them compared to walking with a paraprofessional who students associated with special education services. Of course, it shouldn’t matter who is walking with a student to class, but for students who are more self-conscious about their disability, having a familiar teacher is a lot better.
Related links
- I Don’t Need An IEP!
- Dear High School Teacher
- Supporting Patients With Low Vision In Medical Environments
- Disability Accommodations For Graduation
Figure out where hall monitors are
Another option for students who need assistance with getting directions or getting to class is to talk to the hall monitors, who are usually teachers who stand in the hallway during class changes. I’ve found that they are more aware of shortcuts and quick ways to get from one side of the building to the other.
Get a tour before school starts
Most schools offer an open house for new or existing students before the start of the semester so that they can become more familiar with the different hallways and locations of different classrooms. If this is not available, students with vision loss can talk to their case manager, TVI, or Orientation and Mobility instructor (COMS) to arrange a time to walk through the school before all of the other students arrive. In addition to finding all of the classrooms on the schedule, I recommend also practicing finding the cafeteria, library, student common area, and other popular areas.
For schools with multiple stories, students with disabilities can request the use of faculty elevators if they have difficulty navigating stairs. When I participated in a mentorship program at another school, I received permission to use faculty elevators when possible to avoid crowds around stairs.
Related links
- School Cafeterias and Low Vision
- Places Every Visually Impaired Student Should Visit On College Tours
- Ten Lessons My TVI Taught Me
- Ten Skills I Learned During My High School Mentorship
Use a human guide
I frequently used my friends as human guides so that they could help me find classes or get to areas in my school— again, this is before I used a blindness cane (white cane), and I struggled with navigating crowds and noisy environments by myself.
At my second high school, one of my best friends J would walk me to all of my classes because our classes were close together, and they were able to get permission from their teachers to show up a minute or two late for class since they were helping me to get around. I would hold onto J’s arm, hand, or their backpack and we would walk through the halls that way, or we would just try to walk closely together. I didn’t refer to J as a human guide, but they knew I had trouble seeing and that the hallways can get crowded very quickly.
If a student needs help finding a human guide of their own, I recommend reaching out to their case manager or guidance counselor who may know students that are willing to help. I met J through marching band, and would also use my other band friends as human guides if J wasn’t around— everyone in my band class knew I had large print music and trouble seeing, and since band is a popular activity it was easy to find other band students in my classes.
Related links
- How To Be An Effective Human Guide For People With Vision Loss
- How My Guidance Counselor Helped Me As A Low Vision Student
- Five Things Your IEP Case Manager Won’t Tell You
- Marching Band and Low Vision
- Concert Band and Low Vision
- Learning Clarinet With Low Vision
Other tips for navigating high school hallways with low vision
- J didn’t just help me with navigating school hallways, we also went to prom together— learn more about navigating formal school dances in Tips For Going To Prom With Chronic Illness
- While I figured out strategies for navigating hallways within a few weeks, I really struggled with figuring out how to get around the cafeteria. Learn more in School Cafeterias and Low Vision
- Students can talk to teachers about late class/tardy penalties and having extra time to get to classes. I was allowed to leave my classes a minute early and arrive up to two minutes late without penalty
- One of the more awkward memories of my first high school is the time I wore TOMS shoes that didn’t have a lot of traction and slipped and fell on the ground. It’s important to have shoes with good traction, and I have a list of options I wear to school now in My Favorite Shoes For Chiari Malformation
Published July 5, 2018. Updated January 2025