About this guide

Section 1 of 41

This guide teaches you how to set up, operate, and care for your Glide. It is written to be read on your own, in order, over as many sittings as you need. Nothing here has to be learned in one day.

The guide is organized into four parts. First, unboxing and a hands-on tour of the device, so you can find every part and button by touch. Second, a reference list of what each button does, which you can come back to at any time. Third, six levels of practice that build on each other, beginning indoors on a clear path and ending with public transportation. Fourth, troubleshooting, care and maintenance, and accessories.

We suggest you work through the levels in order. Each one assumes the skills in the level before it, and the early levels are deliberately repetitive, because the point is to build muscle memory rather than to cover ground.

This guide teaches you how to operate Glide. It does not teach orientation and mobility skills. In particular, deciding when it is safe to cross a street is your responsibility; Glide will not make that decision for you. If you have not crossed streets independently before, or you are unsure of a particular skill mentioned in this guide, work with an orientation and mobility specialist before you attempt that skill using Glide. Level 5 explains how to reach us for help with finding O&M training.

The guide uses real heading levels throughout, so you can move through it heading by heading with your screen reader or use the contents list below to jump straight to a section.