Living With Blindness or Low Vision

Written by Bridget Toal and Jackie Waters

This article is intended to prepare the family with the understanding and tools they need to adapt to living with a person that is blind or has low vision. It was written by a blind person in collaboration with a person living with a family member with low vision.

Perspective of a blind person

I am completely blind. I do not even have light perception. I lost my sight at age 30 years old. This puts me in a different group from those blind from birth or low vision. The low vision does not like to be grouped in with the blind and they will use the last percent of sight if at all possible and I do not blame them. I have to stress for both conditions of low vision and blindness consistency is key. Do not frown upon OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) it is helpful!

When setting up house for a low vision or blind person or visiting it is best to be aware of what goes where. If you pick something up, make an effort to put it back as close as you can to where you found it. Keep clutter, shoes and other items off the floor, steps or the main walkway of the home. If you are bringing items into the home, ask where to put the items or let them get the item from you and let them put it away to make it easier for them to find later.

For a blind person, I find that there are three different living situations.

• Living alone

• Living with an adult with habits of their own

• Living with children that are growing up with a blind parent.

Living Alone

As mentioned I lost my sight as an adult. So, when I lost my sight, I changed my house a bit. I got rid of candles. Not every blind person does but I did. I also packed up my smaller nick knacks. Most do not need to do this but I felt better then to risk knocking them off the tables. I started keeping things in more exact places and reducing clutter. I had a drop spot so if I did not have a place for something, I put it there until I found a place. When I had visitors, I had them put things (coats, shoes, packages) in the same places. Just so nothing would be an item to trip over. I used some labeling systems but made up most on my own. Rubber bands; safety pins and beads make up good systems.

Living with an adult with habits of their own

I think moving in with another adult is the most difficult, as most newly married people can agree. The things to consider are not that different. It takes the same compromise but for the blind person it includes safety. For kids, seniors or the handicapped you would make sure outside paths are free and clear, the main walkways through the house are not full of clutter and that steps are well lit and clean. The same is true for the blind.

The difference is the little things. A remote lost in the cushions might as well be in Mars. The same jug for milk or OJ could be bad when it comes to the morning coffee. Toothpaste and Ben Gay is not a mix up you want to be part of. There are simple solutions. Try to keep the placement consistent. Keep the milk to the right of the OJ. Put toothpaste on a different shelf. Place a rubber band around the conditioner and not the shampoo.

Living with children that are growing up with a blind parent

I personally believe the easiest situation is living in a home with children growing up adapting to the needs and habits of a blind person. They grow up getting use to certain ways that help. They have the habit of pushing in chairs; closing doors; putting things back where they belong…yes, kids! They use more adjectives then “here, there, behind you”.

But as always with kid’s constant reminders are needed. My kids have their own space, one I do not enter for safety and mental sanity. They clean it up and organize it on their own and I do not step foot in the room. In the house the main part of the floor is clear and if there are toys out they are to the side. If things are on the step, they are off to the right side. If something is changed I am told.

Some things to do as a blind person living in a home with another adult and my kids…

• Keep drinks in the same spot and shelf in the fridge.

• Mark the different milk/juice with rubber bands.

• For Dry goods, use an index card and a rubber band with either puff paint for one or two letters for those who can read Braille or a specific sticker/pen gadget for the blind called The Pen Friend (a voice labeling system).

• Keep specific shampoo and shower items in one area and mark them with rubber bands to know one from the other.

• Divide up the closet and mark clothes with safety pins; beads; braille tags and cut labels (not happy about the tag less shirts).

• Fold white socks but roll black socks.

• With two children. First born everything goes on the right; second born everything goes to the left.

• All remotes go to one side of a certain table.

• Snack foods are put in the same spot…most of the time.

• For cooking make up files on the computer; type in the name; cooking directions and other information. Then just label the item and refer to the computer. Use a voice response system on the computer.

• Keep a medicine file on the computer.

There is a whole line of gadgets that can help for daily life.

• Smart phones - have given the low vision and blind a great deal of independence with all of the apps that are available.

• Talking clocks

• Phone caller identifier

• Intercom, inside/outside

• Talking thermostat

• Color, light identifier

• Money identifier – also available as an App on a smartphone

• Talking kitchen equipment (thermometers, level indicators, boil alert, etc.)

• Talking human scale…not always a favorite

• Book reader/note taker – available as a smartphone app

Perspective of a person living with a family member with low vision

If you are tasked with preparing your home for a person with a visual impairment, you may not know where to begin. Of course, your overall objective is to ensure the comfort of the person, but you also want them to feel confident and achieve independence. One of the best ways to approach modifying your home to accommodate a visually-impaired person is to work with safety in mind first. As you work to make sure your loved one is safe, your modifications naturally will ensure their comfort and independence.

Home Organization Tips

Organization is key to preparing your home for a person with a visual impairment. From decluttering to storing medication and cleaning supplies safely to making sure they can find their way around your kitchen, organization is a must.

When you organize your living space, make sure that items are placed in sensible locations. Group similar items together and store items that are used at the same time with one another i.e. place dish detergent near sponges and kitchen towels. This method of organization also will ensure that you keep all cleaning supplies in one location and that they are away from food items to avoid the chances of confusing them for food items.

It’s also helpful to organize food and cooking tools in a safe and sensible way. An organized kitchen increases safety for everyone in the home. Place heavy pots, pans, and slow cookers in low areas so people do not have to reach above their heads to take them down and use them. Make one spot for storing knives, graters, and other sharp kitchen tools. Use covers or sheaths for these items and purchase broad-bladed knives to ensure better control. When cooking, place dirty knives behind the faucet instead of in the sink with other kitchen utensils.

Clearly label foods and shelves with large lettering and contrasting labels and marker colors or braille labels. Store items in the same place every time to minimize confusion. When putting away groceries, it is helpful to label them first and to place multiples of items in rows from front to back on shelves or in the pantry; this organization strategy helps a person with a visual impairment to count items and know how many are on hand when making the next shopping list. If you have items of similar shapes and sizes, you may want to use brightly colored adhesive stickers, raised dots, or a rubber band system to label them and avoid a mix-up. For example, label cans of corn with bright yellow stickers and cans of beans with bright green stickers, or put one rubber band on a half-gallon carton of milk and two rubber bands on a half-gallon carton of orange juice.

Home Lighting Tips

Light contrast - Low vision people do better with a sharp contrast in color but depending on their eye condition black print on a yellow back ground or a yellow letter on a black background is best. Low lighting or pin point lighting works better for them. They will learn this with their eye condition.

Lighting increases safety for people with low vision by decreasing the risk of falls and injuries. Make sure rooms are well lit with natural lighting but install sheer curtains to block glare from outside. Keep windows clean and free from clutter to allow in as much light as possible, and trim outside vegetation that blocks light from entering the home. Use night lights in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, and walkways to make it easier for people to navigate throughout the home. Install a light above the bathtub or shower to illuminate this often dark part of the bathroom. Use task lighting with the proper light bulbs to make it easier to complete everyday activities. Make sure that you have lights at the top and bottom of stairways; some people add small lights to stair faces and underneath stair railings to add even more light to stairs in their homes.

As for outdoor lighting, make sure that you have installed lights to illuminate sidewalks, driveways, and stairways. If you opt for solar lights, make sure they shine brightly enough at night. Trim bushes or other plants and vegetation that may block sidewalk lights. Install lights with motion sensors around your home so problems will not occur if someone forgets to turn on a light before leaving for the evening. Make sure that you are not adding glare inside your home with your outdoor lighting. Also be sure to bury wires to eliminate tripping hazards.

Traveling

Since you can’t always stay at home it’s important to know about traveling and in this case traveling by airplane. Flying with Disabilities is a Fully Accessible Guide to Flying with Physical Disabilities, which provides wheelchair specific, airport accessibility information for disabled travelers. The guide provides accessibility information for the top 15 U.S. airports and the types of services provided for disabled travelers, such as; Accessible Restrooms, Service Animal Relief Areas, Handicap Parking and Wheelchair Service. The guide was published in conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to allow easy interpretation for readers with disabilities.

If you have to keep anything in mind it is consistency, order and safety.

For additional assistance call your local Blind Association, American Foundation for the Blind or your local Lions Club.