I’m visually impaired and don’t use a cane but …. I have broken my ankle 2x on a 4 step stair case lol!!! What I do now is hold on to the stair case handrail or wall and do step by step one foot at a time. And most importantly take your time!! Lol trust me broken ankle or neck is no fun! If I’m out in public I just say go around me I’m blind I’m going to be a bit slow.

What is happening is that you don't have depth perception. It doesn't matter how much you try to visualy focus, you are not processing the visual information correctly. A cane will help you find steps and measure their hight.

Take your time, don't rush, and hold on to the hand rail. I tend to use my cane if the steps don't have enough contrast.

If these are stairs in your own home, add some contrasting grip tape to the leading edge or better lighting along the steps. Honestly, if the steps are in your home and you deal with them daily and you're still struggling, it might be more a balance issue than a blindness issue and might be worth mentioning to your GP the next time you're there. I feel like most people can go down familiar steps unassisted, and without looking at them.

Try placing a strip of high-contrast tape on the edge of each step.

I tend to go toe first and tap my toes to find the edge then step down ... Switch feet, toe tap to find the next edge and step down ... When I can't find an edge I know I am at the bottom.

I have carpet treads on my stairs at home. They are little mini rugs for each step in a contrasting color. They give me a texture to feel under my feet, a more visual break up of each step, and they are nicer to look at than tape (imo).

Navigating stairs is what first prompted me to get my cane .. I don't use it at home, but I never leave without it. Taking a bad fall while out is much worse than the looks I can't see people making when I use my cane and then put it away. Do what makes you safe and forget about what other people may think. Good luck!

What are the stairs made of? Wood, stone, carpet? Hardwood can be extra difficulty, because it has an inconsistent pattern that makes finding the edge difficult. Putting a strip of high-contrast tape on the edge helps, although that doesn't work on carpet. Also, you want to be careful of the tape curling up, which can become it's own hazard.

How is the lighting for the stairs? Some people benefit from better lighting as well.

I live in a 4th floor walk up and while I do occasionally miss a step and fall, I usually do okay just counting- my stairs are 8 stairs, a two step landing, 8 stairs, and an 8 step landing x 4. I think almost every time I’ve missed, I’ve been trying to do something else and not counting.

Missing steps and falling is what prompted me to finally begin using the cane all the time.

I was so embarrassed at first, but using a cane and walking confidently actually appears way less weird in public than shuffling and feeling for steps with your feet and being hesitant and afraid.

In my own home I don't use a cane, of course. I feel for the first step with my foot, and make good use of the handrail.

Here’s what I do, not sure if it will work for everyone or anyone else.

This works for only actual regular stairs, don't do it in unfamiliar old houses or Cassels or forts or stage areas. I am speaking from experience, this trick doesn't work for those environments.

What I do is rather than lifting my foot, I slide it forward. It might make some noise, but since modern stairs are small, it's not that big of a deal. As you slide it forward, you reach the edge, and at that point, you know that next step is coming. If you have practice, then you can just lift that foot and put it down on next step, or else just keep it sliding forward, gently, and as soon as the current stair is halfway through the sliding foot, you can just quickly put it forward and down on next step. After a while of doing this, you kind of get an idea about the regular stairs, and at that point, you won't feel any need to slide forward. You can just step down with your judgement, with your eyes closed.

Be careful about putting that sliding foot down on the next step. If not done properly, you can injure your ankle, Which is, really, very, painful and annoying. I haven’t injured my ankle since last 10 years, so I think this trick works for me.

Edit: In public, I do use a white cane, and I do have a bit of usable vision where most of public places stairs are visible to me. The trick I described, I use it in my house, or school, college, whereever I am regularly traveling or moving around and where there's not ample lighting.

You need a regular white cane, any time you are somewhere where there might be steps. It takes one step wrong for a fall that results in a serious injury. A friend learned his lesson and got a cane after stepping down on a curb that turned out to be 6 feet high.

It is not very ergonomical, but I find it much easier to keep balance if I shift weight more to my toes, not tip-toeing, just kind of feeling out the terrain as I walk, like the toes are fingers. On stairs, I can tap the next step down with one set of toes before I place any weight on that foot. Be careful though, I have done this since I learned to walk, so I am used to it, but if it messes up your balance, don’t risk it. Also I should add, I went down stairs on my butt until I was 10 or 11, so I am sure there is a more efficient way to deal with them.

If it’s outside the home use a cane and the handrail if it’s inside the home use the handrail, colored and/or textured grip tape, take your sweet time so you don’t die lol, and if none of that helps enough then you can get an id cane and designate a place to hold it at the top and bottom of the stairs so you don’t have to carry it everywhere but it’s always where you need it

Would it be useful to still use a cane in your house?