Tips and tricks that I have
found useful
Lighting
When considering lights for the home, the
difference between being able to see things clearly (such as when
reading a book), or being able to see things in general in the
house (such as navigating within the home), will depend on the
lighting used, colour contrasts and your eyesight. This will also
depend on where your lights are situated.
At present there are 2 main types of energy efficient bulbs you
can buy on the market. These are CFL bulbs (which have the mercury
in them and are known as compact fluorescent lights) and the newer
ones called LED (light emitting diode) bulbs. They will come in
all sorts of shapes, sizes and wattages for your needs. The main
difference between the light they give out depends on which type
of bulb you buy. If the bulbs are warm white, they will give out a
yellowy light, which in most cases will make it harder for someone
to say read a book with. If this same bulb was changed to a bright
daylight bulb, it would be a much whiter light and make the text
on the book easier to read. The lighting achieved will also
depend on the output of the bulb, where it is situated as well as
your eye sight condition.
The best sort of bulbs to get for your house are called cool
daylight (in the CFL bulbs) and cool white (in the LED bulbs).
These type of bulbs will give out a whiter type of light and give
more clarity to what you are seeing. It is more along the lines of
a more natural type of light. For a test to see the difference
between warm white and cool daylight (for CFL) or warm white and
cool white (for LED) you could buy 2 bulbs of the same strength
but in the 2 different types mentioned. Of course this will need
to be compared in rooms of a similar size to be a fair comparison.
You will see the difference between the two straight away, in
terms of clarity in those rooms.
In terms of wattages, you may be able to put a lower wattage bulb
in a smaller area such as a toilet, and use brighter wattage
bulbs in areas such as the kitchen or a reading area. Positioning
of those lights or lamps also plays a part as does using clear
shades (which let more light through) as opposed to shades which
are not as transparent (which block out a lot more of the light).
(For example instead of using a thicker coloured shade, you might
try a clear glass shade instead).
In the Kitchen
Cold water from the tap
When you go to get a cold cup of water from
the tap, put your glass under the tap nozzle, and turn on the
water. With the hand that is holding the cup, put one finger
inside of the cup to the level you want it, then when you feel
it getting wet, turn off the tap. Doing it that way every
time, your cup will not get overfilled. You can instead -
just listen to the level of water. If it sounds like it's
getting towards the top, in most cases it will be almost there.
You can hear the sound of the water change as it rises.
Hot drink
If you are having a hot drink, it is just as
easy to put your cup (or cups) on the left - near the sink edge,
with the handles facing to the left. When you get the jug,
drop it down into the sink, and move it to where the cups are on
the side of the sink. Touch the nozzle of the jug lightly
with your finger (so you don't get burnt), then touch the edge of
the cup (so you can align the jug to the cup) and tip it (into the
cup). Repeat the process if more than one cup. When
going to tip it into the cup, you can either put your finger on
the outside of the cup to the level you want it to go to, or in
some cases people might do the same as they do with cold water on
the inside. Pour it in, and when your finger on the outside
gets hot, you are there. The same can be done for the milk
as well. Alternatively you can microwave your water and add the
sugar and milk to taste.
Some people also use liquid level indicators
They drop them onto the side of the cup with the
prongs on the inside. Once it gets to one level, (usually
for hot water), it may make a beeping sound. When it gets to the
next level, (usually for milk) it may make a longer beeping
sound. These will vary in sounds and may even vibrate as
well.
Talking timer
While
in the kitchen, using talking gadgets (such as a talking timer)
may be handy. If a cake or meal is going to take a while to cook,
you could set the talking part of a countdown timer to make sounds
when the time is up. For example: when 40 minutes is up. It will
usually count down until the alarm goes off.
Talking kitchen
thermometer
Using a talking kitchen thermometer (for finding
out if food is cooked at the right temperature) is great. When
pushed into the cake or meat product you are cooking, within a few
seconds it will give you the temperature of the food. Most foods
will have a certain temperature they have to reach, so you know
when they are cooked properly. For example 80'C + for meat. You
can check to see if a cake is cooked by pressing gently on it, and
if it springs back up then it is cooked. You can also tell by the
smell of the cake or whatever food it is that you are cooking
whether it is ready or not.
Easy to see or talking
kitchen scales
Using either an easy to see kitchen scale (or
talking kitchen scales) can greatly help when measuring out food.
In the case of talking kitchen scales, most will weigh in 5 gram
increments giving you feedback as you go.
Using Talking kitchen
scales to measure liquid
Did you know that you can use your talking
kitchen scales to measure liquid? If you have a plastic water jug,
put it onto the talking kitchen scales. You will need to tare it
(that is bring it back to zero) to take into account the weight of
the container. Next, pour your liquid into the jug to the amount
required (for example 300mls). 300 mls is equal to 300 grams and
so on.
The scales will usually do either 1 gram or 5 gram increments up
to about 5 kilograms.
Tactile timers
Some people have found tactile timers quite
good. These are usually in increments of about two and a half
minutes (although this may vary), and will just be turned around
to the amount of time required. These will come in various sizes
from a smaller unit to a large easy to see timer. Having black
numbers on a white background will make these easier to see as
well.
If you keep your things organised, it makes it a
lot easier to find them
Some of these examples would be: having the pots
say to the left of the cupboard, and your baking trays off to the
right. There may be many variations of organising stuff in
your cupboards. In your pull out drawers, have the most
commonly used stuff at the top like knives and forks.
Underneath them could be your cooking utensils; the next drawer
could be your foils, gladwraps and so on, and the last could be a
junk drawer for different bits and pieces.
Food
Your food should be organised as well, to make
it easier to find. (Eg. all baked beans in one section, spaghetti
next to that, and fruit salad off to the right again). It will
depend on the person as to how they have it done. Some people also
have their food labeled. It could be a large sticker stuck
onto a container, and written on in large text with a thick
permanent marker. They might have a braille label that is stuck
onto a lid, or the side of a container. That same brailled label
could also be on a magnet, so that it sticks to the can (or metal
object) that it is on. Also, being on a magnetic label, it could
be used over and over again. You need to know at least grade 1
braille to read what has been brailled onto a tactile label. Large
print labels are only good if you have some useful vision.
Stoves
For your stove, braille labels on a magnetic
back, bumpons and long oven gloves.
If you have the brailled label above the knob (so you can run your
finger across it), it helps you tell the difference between the
front and back hot plates. (Use logical lettering for the
hotplates Eg. LF for left front, LR for left rear, RR for right
rear, and RF for right front). Bumpons can also be used for
marking the most commonly used cooking functions and temperatures
(Eg. put a bump on at "180'C", or on the "bake" setting etc).
These come in different colours, shapes and sizes and can be used
on a variety of things. They usually have a sticky back, so they
can stick to the surface they're being applied to. When you are
putting meat into the oven or even getting it out, it would be a
good idea to wear oven gloves that go up to your elbows. This way
if you have to reach right into the oven, there should be no
chance of being burnt.
Velcro
Velcro is also great and comes in a variety of
colours. White and black are usually used for different
things (Eg. use white on a white appliance such as a washing
machine or heater, and use black on black appliances such as a
black stereo). Make sure you grab the velcro with the sticky
back; that way it can stick onto different surfaces, and never
seems to come off (providing that you keep that area clean). Its
great as a tactile marker on things like stoves, gas heaters and
so on. The rough velcro is the best to use, and can also be
cut to whatever size you need.
Nail polish (also known as
nail varnish)
For the ladies, nail polish has been used as
well for markers!
Bling (also known as
rhinestones)
Have you heard of phone bling? It can be
bought at a variety of shops - in different colours, shapes and
sizes - to be stuck onto your phones. They are a tactile bump with
a sticky back. I have used these for tactile markers on my stove
as well, and they seem to do the trick. They cost about $2 NZ, and
the packs have quite a few in them. I have tended to stick with
clear ones myself. Other names that "bling" come under are
"rhinestones", "cellphone decor" and "phone jewellery". There may
be many other names for the same thing.
PenFriend Audio Labeller
Not only for the kitchen, but anywhere in your
house! At the moment, the best thing I have come across is the
PenFriend. It is an audio labeller for the blind. It is so
much quicker to find stuff in your cupboard or freezer, once it
has been labelled. It is a matter of just running your
PenFriend over the label you have done. Please click on the
following link for a demonstration of the product and how it is
used. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePE0-U73Ajc
Even if your cupboard is not well organised, once you have
labelled your items with the PenFriend, you can find what you are
looking for very quickly. I will give some tips on another page on
how to get the most out of your PenFriend audio labeller (from my
own experiences). Please click on the following link if you
would like to find out more. http://accessibilitycentral.net/penfriend%20ideas.html
Pots and pans
When cooking in the kitchen with pots and pans,
always make sure your elements are turned off when putting pots
onto the elements. This way you can make sure the pots and
pans are lined up correctly on top of them. Having the handles put
to either 3 o'clock or 4 o'clock on the stove helps you find them
quickly again if needed. If you are left handed, having them face
the 8 o'clock to 9 o'clock direction will help as well. Just make
sure your handles are not over a heated element when doing this,
as they may melt or you may end up burning your hand.
Flexible chopping boards
Using a flexible chopping board helps a lot as
well. These can come in different colours, so they can be
easily found. The best sort to get are the ones where the two
sides can fold inwards on the left and right hand side. This
will make it easier to tip whatever it may be into pots and bowls
etcetera, without the food falling out the side.
Dropping items, and how to locate them again
When dropping items, it can sometimes be
difficult to rely on eyesight to locate the item, so we need to
rely on our other senses such as hearing and touch. Listen for the
general direction that the item went in. Drop to your knees and
move your hand in a sweeping motion towards you until you locate
it. Be methodic in your sweeping (that is scan an area, then
moving a handspan backwards, scan across again until you have
checked the whole area) so that you cover a wider area rather than
go over the same old ground each time. Sweeping the item towards
you will mean that you are bringing it closer rather than pushing
it further away. Doing it in sections will mean that you are not
missing areas. This is a little harder on carpet, but the same
principle applies. This process can be used anywhere, although
outdoors on grass may be quite difficult depending on the size of
the item, yet something dropped on a cement surface may be a
little easier to locate.
Microwaves - flat panel, manual and talking
When buying a new (or second hand) microwave,
look for good colour contrasts. (For example, black text on a
white background). Look also to see that the text and numbers on
the keys are either bold or easy to see). Most microwaves today
are usually flat panel. This unfortunately means that there is no
real way of telling which buttons they are without them being
marked in some sort of way. Some type of marker will be required
to mark commonly used buttons on the microwave. (For example, the
power level button, the ten or one minute button, and most
importantly the start button). What is marked on one of these will
depend on the person you are doing it for.
There are still manual microwaves out there to be bought, making
it a lot easier for the person to use. These microwaves will
generally have two dials. The top one is usually for the different
heating levels, and the bottom one is usually for the time
required. Make sure you get one that you can hear click (or feel)
when changing power levels, as free spinning ones may be harder to
use. Both the different power levels dial and the time dial can be
marked just above the dial itself. (You may choose to mark them
using something such as bling or clear bumpons etcetera).
Different size bling can help you determine between different
power levels. (For example use bigger bling or markers for high,
and make them get smaller as you go down through the levels). The
time dial can be marked at different time intervals. (For example
every 2 minutes). The other option is buying a talking
microwave. Each time you press a key, it will announce what key
has been pressed. These are great to use, and having audible
feedback spoken to you may even help the novice cooker.
Using your other
senses
Hearing
When a person starts losing their eyesight, that
person becomes more aware of their other senses. You will find in
most cases their hearing will improve unless they have some type
of hearing difficulty. Because they are not using their eyes as
much, they start to rely more on their hearing. For example, if
you shut your eyes and walk down your hallway, after a while you
should be able to pick up where doors are in your house especially
when they are open. You will find that you will be able to hear
the difference between the wall being there and when the wall
isn't. It takes time to tune in your hearing. You will need to
practise. You could try standing on a street corner and listen to
see which way the traffic is flowing. After a while you will learn
to recognise traffic sounds, which way the traffic is going and
when it is safe to cross.
Smell
When cooking, where at one time you may have
used your sight to see if meat etcetera was cooked, you will find
you will develop a better sense of smell. For example, when meat
is being cooked and you want it well done you will learn to
differentiate between barely cooked and well cooked.This is the
same for other things you may want to cook like cakes and cookies.
You could also use a talking kitchen thermometer to be on the safe
side. If you are a smoker (and have a diminished sense of smell)
this may not be so.
Taste
You will find that your taste buds will get more
of a working out as well. Unless you label your foods with either
print, braille, or the new toy in town called the pen friend, you
may easily mistake salt for sugar and so on. Something as simple
as putting your finger into the container and tasting the contents
can be the difference between a nice cuppa and one that is not.
After a while (as mentioned above with the sense of smell), you
will be able to pick up on the taste of the different products
that you use.
Touch
You will become more aware by using the sense of
touch if surfaces are clean, rough or smooth, and what they are
made of instead of just looking at them. Something else that is
simple to start picking up on as well, is the different surfaces
you walk on (whether this be in bare feet or with shoes on). After
a while you will be able to tell whether you are walking on grass,
dirt, footpaths and so on.
Bathrooms and other wet
areas
Washing
machines
When looking at a new or
second hand washing machine, most machines now are electronic.
If you are buying the new ones with push buttons, most if not
all, will beep when the buttons are pressed. This is usually
no good if you are visually impaired and trying to find out
what setting you are attempting to put it on. (For example,
hot water with a full load). Again, the Penfriend can be used
here. Regardless of the type of machine you are buying, please
read on for some helpful ideas.
If you would like to use every function of the washing
machine, ask a sighted person to read out the name of the
button, as well as the function enabled each time it is
pressed. (That is, the name of the button for example
water level, and what function each press enables for example
low, medium or high) and record it with the Penfriend. This
will need to be done when you first turn the machine on.
Remember, also record what the machine defaults to as most
machines will have a default setting. Record the information
about each button and each press of it, from left to right on
the washing machine. This will greatly assist you if you want
to use all options. It is then simply a matter of listening to
the setting you want as you hear it read out with your
penfriend, and pushing the relevant buttons. Most new push
button machines now also have a button on them called fuzzy
logic. This means if used it may be a matter of just pushing a
couple of buttons to do a load of washing. (For example 1 to
turn the power on, and 2 to start whatever that default
setting is). These machines are great if you use the same
washing machine cycle all the time. They are usually
preprogrammed as well for certain commonly used cycles.
Generally, when the washing machine is turned off and then
turned back on it will go back to the default settings, where
you can start all over again, depending on what you want to
do.
The other sort are the manual washing machines. These
will usually have dials you can move around to certain
settings. The best sort to get are the ones that click as you
move them to each position. These can also be marked for the
most commonly used settings.
The other things to consider when purchasing a machine are
where you put your powder (or liquid) in, and how easy (or
otherwise) it is to clean the filter. Don't be afraid to ask
lots of questions!
Identifying objects in your bathroom
Tie a bit of string/chain to your plug and
make the loop big enough to fit over your tap (for easier
location next time). This not only makes it easy to locate in
the sink/bath, but also easier to locate the next time you
need to use it - if returned to the same position each time
(that is left over the tap when you are finished). If there
are no soap holders, get yourself a bath mit (where the soap
goes on the inside) and use the pull string to hang it
from. Use non slip mats in baths and showers to prevent
falls. Use contrasting colours so that items are easier to
locate (for example a cream hand towel on a darker
background). When using shampoo and conditioner, identify one
of the items by using a rubber band. (For example shampoo has
a band on it and the conditioner doesn't etcetera). If you
have a medicine cabinet in your bathroom, or take tablets, you
could consider a large print, 7 day tablet box. These nowadays
come with braille dots, large print and some even in highly
visible colours. A PenFriend may be great for labelling your
medicines and their boxes as well. In the shower itself, you
could use a shower caddy. These are great for keeping shampoo
and conditioner or soaps in the same place and at an easy to
get to height. Only keep a couple of items in the caddy at any
one time, and you can organise it in levels to suit yourself
(example hubby's stuff on the first level and your stuff on
the second level). Just mark things so you can easily tell the
difference.
Large digit bathroom
scales
If you are finding it hard to see your
bathroom scales, you may be able to get easy to see large
number display bathroom scales. These are usually the older
type where the scale weigh spins around in the display. Having
black numbers on a white background will help. For LCD
bathroom scales, having large LCD numbers may help as well
depending on your vision.
Talking bathroom
scales
If you don't mind your weight being spoken
out, talking bathroom scales are great too. These will usually
weigh in 100 gram increments. Don't jump off in a hurry if it
said you put on weight. They don't lie.
General tips for around the
house
While looking around the house for different
things that we come across, it showed me just how much people
actually rely on their sight. A lot of things are visual. There
are however ways in which to identify things easily using tactile clues.
Using phones and other related components
The easiest way to use a home phone is to put
your three middle fingers onto the 4, 5, and 6 keys. These are known as your home
keys. The left finger will go onto the number 4. The middle finger
will go onto the number 5 (which usually has a little dot on it)
and the right finger will go onto the number six. This way is a
lot quicker and easier to do, rather than using your sight. To
make a call, move your left finger either up to the number one or
down to the number seven. Where your finger is on the number five,
this can be moved up to the number two or down to the number
eight. The last finger on the right can be moved up to the number
three or down to the number nine. Keeping your fingers on (or
locating the home keys first - which are the four, five and six
buttons) and leaving the other fingers on the home keys (while moving
the fingers up and down to the required numbers) will make
your life easier. Buying a phone with speed dials helps in the
long run as well. Once the number has been programmed in, it is a
matter of hitting that speed dial. Big button phones with speed dials (such as the
Doro 311C) may help people with a little sight.
Storing information
Some people may use a large print address book to keep their phone
numbers in. Others may choose to print phone numbers and other
details out in large print
from their computer. With computers now, people can save the
details in text files and have them read out by a screen reader, or read out off their mobile phone if
their phone has screen reader support (for example an
Iphone). Keeping a voice
recorder next to your phone is good for taking messages
quickly when you can't find a piece of paper to write the message
down on. Keeping a wide marking
pen in black is good for writing down messages in large
print onto a piece of white paper. This can make it easier
to read back later on if you have some useful sight.
Audible devices
Having an answering
machine is great as well. This way, you don't have to run
or move quickly to a phone (where accidents can happen along the
way). If the call is important the person will leave a message,
and if not they won't. On most answering machines you can listen
to the person leaving a message. This will determine whether you
pick up the call straight away or call them back later on. When buying an answering machine,
look for what it can do. This may be printed on the
outside of the box, however more detailed information can usually
be gained from the user manual. Most answering machines will tell
you how many messages there are. They may even give spoken date
and time stamps, along with audible beeps for new messages. Here
as well, check out the answering machine to see how easy it may be
to use once setup. This may vary from machine to machine. Tactile
buttons make it easier to locate different functions on the
answering machine. You can mark
the ones that you use the most (such as the play or
delete button). Another useful item for phones is a talking caller ID. A caller ID
service is required for this at a small cost. The talking
caller ID units may be already built into the phone (for example
on the Uniden SSE25 and Uniden SSE27 models), or they can be
purchased separately from your local Blind Foundation. They may
read out the incoming number and / or name as long as it has not
been blocked. Contact your phone provider for more information on
this service. Sometimes, people may want to braille the numbers
onto their phones to make it easier to use. There are also some
phones which come with braille already on the buttons.
Door handles and light
switches
In most cases, your door handles and light
switches in modern homes are at a standard height. To
locate a door handle, drop your arm down to your side, then bend
it at about a 90 degree angle. In most cases, this will be about
the right height for standard handles. Light switches are
generally about a hand span above this measurement. This may vary
slightly dependent upon your height. In older homes, handles and
switches can be lower or higher.
Clothing
Keeping your
clothes organised into certain areas makes it a lot
easier to find the bit of clothing you are looking for (Eg. jeans
in one section, shorts in another). Some people may put them into
certain categories such as colours, or clothes that match other
clothing. If they have a little sight, they may take it to a well
lit window, and hopefully be able to judge the colour of their
clothing that they are going to wear.
Puff paint put onto a clothing
tag can make it easier to work out what colour you are
wearing. If you know at least the basics of braille, you
could also braille the
colour of the item onto the tag. On a blue top, there could be a
brailled B and E, or a green top could be the letter G and N. If
it is a dark or light colour, you could have the letter D for
dark, or L for light -following the first and last letters of the
colour. (Eg. Light blue would be BE L, and dark green would be GN
D).There may be plenty of variations that you could use. People
will come up with their own way of labelling and may use whole
words, abbreviations, numbers that are colour coded or even
shapes. Tags are also
available pre-printed in braille. Use whichever means of labelling
you find easier to remember.
To tell which way your clothing goes on is quite easy,
once you get used to it. In most cases on jackets, shirts
etc, the tags will
usually be at the back.
Buttons and zips on
jackets and pants etc, will usually be at the front. This will usually be the same
for jeans. As with any piece of clothing, there might be
exceptions.
To tell which way your clothing is, check your seams. If your clothing is on the right
way, usually the seams will be on the inside of your
garment. If the seams are on the outside, and the tag is on
the outside as well, it is generally inside out. Again, some
clothing has small labels on the outside deliberately.
Shoes and footwear
Storage
With shoes and footwear, you could leave them in
the shoebox when you get them, and you could label the box either
in braille or a permanent marker. You could also put them into a
shoe rack, or some type of cubbyhole, to keep them paired
up. If they have shoe laces, tying them together helps as
well. If there are no shoelaces, try a bit of elastic around
the shoes to keep them together. Just make it so it's tight
around the shoes, but still easy enough to get them out. It works
quite well. Another more recent suggestion is to use spring loaded
pegs to hold them together, as these are easy to put on and take
off.
Telling the difference between your left and right
shoe
Grab a pair of matching shoes. Pick up one and
run your left hand down the left side of the shoe and sole. If it
is straight it is your left. If not, it is your right. The other
way is to put both shoes together, and if they are flat against
each other, you have them around the wrong way. There should
always be a small gap between the two of them. I have also heard
of someone using a PenFriend audio labeller to identify shoes that
are hard to tell apart - especially if you have two pairs the same
but in different colours.
Sock tuckers
Sock tuckers (which have been made to keep socks
in a pair) are great. They may come in a variety of names
(Eg. sock tuckers, sock pairers, duo socks, and sock sorters
etc). Their job is to keep your socks together as a pair.
Once taken off and slipped through the hole, the sock tuckers keep
the socks together - through the wash, on the line or in the
dryer.
These are usually made from plastic in various designs, and will
have two holes in them to put your socks through.
I have seen versions where there is only one hole in them.
To put a plug into a power point
Locate the power point. Make sure the power is
off. Then, scan down (or across) the powerpoint with your fingers
to locate the three holes for the plug to go into. If using a 2
pronged plug, with your pointer finger on your left hand, locate
the left hole of the top two holes on the power point. With your
other hand, put your right pointer on the right prong of the plug,
then move it closer, and line it up with the other finger (from
your left hand), then just plug it in. For a 3 pronged plug,
repeat the process to locate the holes. This time, put your left
pointer finger on the bottom hole, and the right middle finger on
the bottom prong on the plug. Move it towards the other finger on
the powerpoint until it touches / lines up, and plug it in.
Navigating a new house
Whether learning new features in your own home
(eg. when a deck is put on), or learning the layout of a friend's
home that you are visiting (or staying at), you will need to get
someone to show you the layout so that you can picture it in your
head. If you are visiting for a short while you may only need to
locate certain rooms (eg. the toilet and the bathroom). You could
however get the person to guide you through the whole house and
show you where the different rooms are if you are staying
overnight.
Large print, good colour contrast, lighting and
magnification for reading
If you are starting to lose your sight, using a
large print cook book may
help you. The same can be said for easy to see calenders. These are usually in
large print and have good colour contrasts. In some cases, a magnifier may be able to help
you read different things such as power bills, telephone books and
so on. In most cases, two times
magnification on a magnifier will greatly help.
These can be bought at stamp shops and other various places. The
more you lose your vision, the more your magnification will need
to increase. Some of these magnifiers will also have built in LED's to shine a light
onto what you are looking at. The bigger the viewing area the more
you will see. If you are registered as a blind member and still
wish to read, you may also be able to hire a CCTV (personal video
magnifier) which will both magnify the item and use lighting to
enable you to see what you are reading. If you happen to live in
(or are visiting) the Taranaki area, any member of the public is allowed to go into the public libraries in
Eltham, Stratford, Inglewood and Waitara and use the video magnifier for free.
Please ask a staff member for assistance if using this for the
first time!
Things that sighted people can do to assist
If you notice your family member is losing their
sight and finding it harder to work out where things are, be nice
to them and don't move the furniture around on them (and not tell
them) - as they may just walk straight into that bit of furniture.
Be careful not to leave items on the ground that they can trip
over. Lastly, don't move items from where they were put by the
visually impaired or blind person. This may take them a
while to find what they are looking for if moved. For more ideas
on how to best assist a blind or visually impaired person, please
see my "ways you can help us" page by clicking on the following
link. http://accessibilitycentral.net/ways%20you%20can%20help%20us.html
Locating keys
The most commonly lost items in the house are
your keys. You put them down somewhere and at times you forget
where they are. You could always use a key holder, where your keys
can be kept when not in use. Just remember to put them back there
(say after you come back from shopping or wherever it may
be). It will be easier to find the keys next time. Another
option is to get a key finder. Don't get one that you whistle to,
you will regret buying it. There are units out there which can
hold from one to five finders on them. The base unit will stay on
the key holder and the other receiver units will go onto your
keys. It is a matter of pressing one of the buttons on the main
unit to get them to locate your keys. This will usually make
a beeping sound so that you are then able to locate them.
Identifying keys
Once you have located your keys, you
may also want to identify a specific key (such as your main door
key). To do this,you can purchase a key identifier for less than
$1 from your local Mitre 10 store. It goes around the head of the
key that you want to make stand out from the rest. They are
available in a variety of bright colours, although older people
may need assistance to initially put them on the key. Alternatively,
you may wish to mark your key with a sticker, or puff paint
etcetera. So you may wish to have one dot for the front
door key and two dots for your garden shed key etcetera.
Safely locating the hole on a nozzle for spraying
Sometimes
when people go to use a spray of some kind (whether it be a
perfume bottle or a can of fly spray), they do not automatically
know which way the spray will come out. The easiest way to
identify this is to locate the top of the nozzle, then run your
finger around the side of the nozzle until you locate the hole.
Once you have located the hole where the spray comes out, point it
in the direction you want. I have seen people just press the
nozzle and the spray has gone in a totally different direction to
where they wanted it. It only takes a second to locate it, and it
may avoid unnecessary mishaps.
Marking your dryer
If you are one of those who take the easy way
out and take your clothes from the washing machine straight to the
dryer, having the dryer marked is great. For the hottest setting
you could mark it with bumpons or something similar. A big bumpon
could be for hot, a medium sized one for warm and either a small
one for cold or have none. Marking your timer in 30 minute
segments, will give you an idea of how long you are putting the
dryer on for.
Identifying a staircase
inside a house
In some cases where people have a 2 storey house
(with a staircase with a lot of steps), a lockable gate has been
used on the top level at the upper entrance to the staircase. This
alerts the person when he has reached the top of the staircase and
also alerts him (and stops him from falling down them) when
descending. If you have little children, it makes sense to have
one there as well. You may also mark the bottom of the stairs by
using a rubber mat.
Colour contrast
In some cases using high contrast colours will
help (for example, on a computer white text on a black background
or black text on a white background). Another example is a plate
on a table. Don't put a white plate on a white table cloth as it
will not be seen. Perhaps you could use a white plate with a
burgundy background instead.
Tips for using technology (such as
computers and so on)
Magnification
software
Magnification software is available to enlarge
what you see on the computer screen. Some operating systems (such
as Windows 7) have magnification built in. You can also download a
free or low cost magnification programme for your computer.
OCR Software
OCR software is available with most printer
scanners. It stands for optical character recognition. In plain
English, when you scan a document, then OCR it (using the software
provided with the scanner), it recognises characters in that
document and translates them into a text file.This text file can
then be saved as a document for later retrieval. If using a screen
reader, you can scan (for example a letter you received in the
mail) then OCR it. Once scanned, OCR'd and saved, the screen
reader should be able to read it back to you. You can choose to
save it as a text file or perhaps even a PDF (if available).
Having information read out to you
In some cases, you may have saved information
onto your computer, so that you can have it read back out to you
later on. Once your computer has booted up, you can use your
screen reader to read out that information. This may be phone
numbers, addresses and so on. If you do not have a screen reader,
you are welcome to download the free NVDA screen reader in order
to be able to do this. It is available from: http://www.nvda-project.org
Most people now, are starting to use netbooks or laptops for this,
because of the portability they provide compared to a desktop
computer which cannot provide the same portability. In other
cases, with the new digital talking book machines, they may have
an SD card slot (or other ways) to access that same
information. You could type up a recipe in a word processing
programme, save it as a doc file, then (once the SD card has been
inserted into your computer's card reader) move the file onto it.
Later on, you could put your SD card into the SD card slot on your
digital talking book machine, and have your text to speech voice
on it read the recipe back out to you. Check with your
player to see what formats are supported (such as in doc files,
audio files and so on).
Voice recorders
Also known as notetakers, voice recorders can be
used both inside and outside the home. Keeping one near a phone
means that you can record information and details quickly - if a
pen and paper are not handy. It is also useful for leaving a
message for other people in your home or putting your shopping
list onto and taking with you to the shop.
Word processors
When using a word processor, use a font that is
clear and easy to read like Arial. Also, set your font to a larger
font size like 16 or 18. This will make it easier to read when you
print it out later on.
Colour contrast
Using good
colour contrasts can make a difference as well. For
example, using white text on a black background or vice
versa. On your computer, this can be done through the
accessibility part of Windows, as well as under the Control
panel...display settings...appearance section. Here, you can also
enlarge the size of the icons, menus and
so on. Some other technologies (such as other types of
phones and electronic devices), may also offer large print, colour contrast, magnification and or speech options. One example is
the I-phone.
Paying bills
Paying bills is something we all have to do when
we get older. Most of our bills are paper based bills. We could
use either a video magnifier,
or in other cases the bills could be scanned in by a scanner (with OCR software),
and once converted to text, a screen reader could read out what
has been written. The easiest way I have found now, is to get my
bills sent to me via email.
This is usually in a pdf format and can be read out by most screen
readers. You can also use your screen reader to check bank
balances and other information as well. Having your bills come out
automatically - or by direct
debit - is good too. The banks can help you set up these
services if you desire. This can also cut down on trips to the
post office etcetera for you to pay them (if set up this way). If
you have internet banking,
you can always check online to see if all of your bills have gone
out. For those who prefer not to use technology or who simply like
the over the counter service, just let the person serving you know
that you may need assistance to pay your bills.
Magnification
Sighted
assistance (when you do not have magnification available)
In places where you will be required to fill out
some type of form, don't be afraid to ask the person to read out
the form to you, so you know what needs to be filled in. Usually
if asked, the person requiring you to fill in the form will fill
it in for you with your answers. If you don't understand exactly
what they are saying, say in a legal office, ask them to put it
into plain English so you can understand things better.
When a form has to be signed don't be afraid again to ask them to
put your pointer finger on the spot where they want you to sign.
Make sure you don't have the form on an angle (as it may be when
you sign it), as you may sign up or down the form on an angle
(instead of it being as close as it can be to the line where the
signature is required). If you use your pointer finger as a marker
you can sign to the right of it as straight as you possibly can.
Envelope guides and signature guides can also be used so that you
can write in a straight line on the envelope or form.
Another thing you may ask a sighted person is to read you a price
tag (if you have forgotten your portable magnifier and the text is
too small to see clearly). Most shop assistants are more than
happy to inform you of pricing on their range of products. In
places such as some food shops, personal shoppers are even
available for those who cannot see to shop on their own.
Handheld
magnifiers
To help you read things more clearly (such as
bills, clothing tags and so on) a portable magnifier may assist
you. These come in different shapes, sizes and magnifications and
now quite a few of them are coming out with LED lights built into
them. These can be picked up quite cheaply from different
locations (such as stamp dealers, variety shops - that sell just
about anything and everything and your local Blind Foundation). In
most cases, these types of magnifiers will be adequate to do
common tasks. If a person needs a lot higher magnification, there
may be other options available.
Portable
electronic handheld magnifiers
If you need a magnifier that can go portable,
with different colour combinations and magnifications built into
it, the cost for these type of units will increase. They will let
you have different colour combinations such as black text on a
white background, white text on a black background, yellow text on
a black background and so on; (along with different magnification
levels) all in one hand held device. The batteries will vary from
unit to unit as to how long they last. These again come in
different sizes.
Desktop
magnifiers (such as CCTV's)
For home use, a desktop magnifier may be
suitable for an individuals magnification needs. These bigger
units will allow a person to read a book with even higher
magnification than a hand held magnifier may give them. They will
also allow different colour combinations - depending on the unit
the person has obtained. For example, the Aladdin Classic - which
does only a couple of colour combinations - (such as black text on
a white background, or the opposite - white text on a black
background) compared to the Aladdin Genie Pro, (which will have a
whole selection of different colour modes - for example yellow
text on a black background, white text on a blue background and so
on).
These are more expensive than the electronic hand held units and
not as portable as the smaller units. They do take up a little bit
of room, so you will need to find a small table to put them
on. Desktop magnifiers can be moved but are reasonably heavy
compared to lighter weight magnifiers. However, an advantage is
that they can be moved to another room if needed and they also
allow for greater magnification for reading books, receipts and so
on. Using a colour magnifier you can also enlarge coloured
photographs with ease to see smaller details.
Software
magnifiers
Software magnifiers can be found on a variety of
devices. These may include a smart phone (such as the Apple I
phone), touch devices (such as I Pads, tablets/slates and so on)
or may come as a separate download for your device.
Some operating systems (such as Windows) will have a magnification
programme built into them. For example, a full screen magnifier is
available in Windows 7 and 8 and also on Apple devices. These
magnifiers are usually found under the accessibility sections of
those operating systems. If you don't choose to use the magnifiers
that come with these operating systems, you can obtain other
magnification programmes from other sources off the internet or
through your provider of the software to that device. For example
I tunes, Google play store and so on.
There are a variety of magnification programmes available
depending on the device you wish to put it onto. There are also
professional adaptive technology companies that sell software
independently for various devices.
Outside the house
Social/support groups
If you have just lost your sight (or are in
the process of losing your sight), the best thing to do before
you lose most of your vision is to join a social/support group.
This way, you will meet other people who might be in the same
boat as yourself. When we are new to blindness we often think
that we are the only people who are in that boat with visual
impairment or blindness. This is not the case. There are usually
a variety of different groups you can join. Your local Blind
Foundation should be able to point you in the right direction to
join one of these groups. This could be a blind sports group
(such as blind cricket) or simply a meet and eat group. This way
you can meet other people who are visually impaired or blind and
swap stories, tips and tricks and so on. This may also be good
if you have a sighted partner for them to learn how to help
someone in that situation as well (in whatever way they can).
Joining a group is also great for sighted partners to be able to
meet other partners and share ideas and stories etcetera. In
most cases when first diagnosed, the sighted partner doesn't
know what you are going through, what you can see or not see,
and how they can help you in every day life. Some of the Blind
Foundations will have simulation glasses that your sighted
partner or friend may be able to look through to get a better
idea of what your visually impaired partner or friend may see.
While looking through these simulation glasses they might even
(if allowed) pass you some items to look at. Trying on the
simulation glasses and learning what it feels like to have
things passed to you under those conditions, may give someone a
basic insight into what may or may not be able to be seen and
the best ways to offer assistance. (For example, it may give you
a better idea about eyesight related equipment (for example
talking clocks), or a better idea about alerting the person when
you are approaching them, and describing what it is you are
giving them).
Locating your dog
Whether you have a guide dog or a pet dog,
the best way to keep track of them at home or in the yard is to
put a bell on their collar. This way you can hear wherever they
may go around your property. If you have both a guide dog and a
pet dog of similar size and breed, to tell the difference either
have 2 different types of collars, or one bell on one and two on
the other. Also while out on walks with your guide dog or pet
dog, buying a collapsible foldable bowl is very useful. This
way, you have a food bowl for use at any time, not to mention a
water bowl when you find a tap while on your journey. When it is
not being used you can keep plastic bags inside of it for those
unexpected surprises that may happen from time to time. These
items can be brought from the 2 and 5 dollar shops, pets shops
and so on.
Learning a new route
When you are learning a new route or a new
shop to go to, having a sighted person go with you is of great
help. Once you have been there a couple of times (especially to
a new shop), taking some bribery with you doesn't hurt. This can
be in the form of dog biscuits to help your new guide dog find
the shop and remember it a lot quicker. Over time, you can drop
back the dog biscuits and put praise and pats in its place.
Signing documents
When you have to sign your signature on a
form, you could either use a signature guide to do this (so your
name is signed in a straight line) or you could ask someone like
a bank teller to place your finger on the spot where they would
like you to sign. (For example, if you are right handed, ask the
bank teller to place your left pointer finger on the spot to be
signed, then using the other hand use it to sign the document).
Locating a door handle on a vehicle
Getting in and out of a car can be quite easy if
you know how. The easiest way to find out where a door
handle is on a car, is if you are sitting (for example in the
front passengers seat), before you go to find the handle, find out
where the windscreen of the car is. Run your finger across it from
left to right, then once it hits the metal frame, move it directly
down, till the windows stops, and down a little bit more, it
should line up with your door handle every time. (This
should work for the front and rear most times). The same can be
done for the bottom of the window, just run your finger along the
bottom of it till it stops, and in most cases the handle lines up
underneath. If you want the rear door just repeat the
process. We all may have different ways of finding it on a
car. If it is an unfamiliar car that you do not normally travel
in, you could simply ask where the handle is.
Getting in and out of the vehicle
When you go to hop
into the car, (for example a door on the left hand side
of the car), open the door, leaving your left hand on the top of
the door (to keep it open and minimise any possible injury from
wind gusts), and put your right hand on the door frame. Make sure
that your thumb is on the underside of the door frame and your
fingers are on the roof. Slide in your right foot and then move
onto the seat. Carefully (while still holding the roof) slide your
right hand onto the underside of the roof and keep it above your
head as you enter so that it protects you from banging your head
on the way in. When you go to sit on the seat and slide in, your
right hand will protect you. It also lets you judge how much room
you have to get into the car. Once your right foot is in and you
are comfortably on the seat, move your left foot inside also.
Then, once everything is clear of the door, just grab the handle
and shut the door. Put your seat belt on as usual. In most cases,
to get out of a car, where
your arm rest is on the car door - the handle is usually near the
front of it, and up a little. You will usually find the handle
every time. If not, just scan
with your fingers or run your fingers across the door
(usually above the arm rest) to find it.
Steps
For steps
outside, we painted a white line about 5cm thick, which
ran the width of the step. It was also painted on the top lip
(just as the step drops down), directly below where you painted
the first part. This way, if you were coming up the steps
you could see where they were, and the same thing for going down.
This is useful if you have a little sight.
Garden
When out in
the garden, regardless of whether you have a vege garden
or flower garden, having a raised
garden can be quite good. It lets you know how big
your garden is, and where it ends. Some people may paint the frame white, making
it easier to find. Garden stakes
can be painted white as well, to show the placement of plants.
The same idea can also be used when planting a vege garden. Place
one stake on each end, and a piece of string from one end to the
other. This shows you where to plant, as well as where you've
planted your veges when you need to find them again. If planted
under the line of string, they will be easier to locate. It's a
good idea to label your rows of
veges as well, whether it be done in braille, puff paint,
or large print. That way, it makes it easier to find what
you are looking for quickly. A label tied to a piece of twine,
then tied to the stake, helps to keep your veges organised. Some
large print plant labels may be able to be purchased from your
local plant shop.
Clothesline
When it comes
to a clothesline, make sure you have it resting (at least
20cm) above head height so that the visually impaired person does
not walk into it.
Hanging washing out
When hanging out the washing, always hang your
tops by the seams on the shoulders. This way you will not end up
with peg marks in funny spots.
Getting washing in
When getting your washing back in, the easiest
way to make sure you have gotten all of your clothes, is to stand
in the one spot and work from the inside of the clothes line to
the outside (or, you could do it in reverse). With one hand or two
run your fingers along the wire as you spin the clothes line. You
can do this quite quickly if two hands are used, to do the same
thing - one for each line as you turn it. This way, you know you
have gotten all of your clothes and not left any there.
Branches
If there are low hanging branches, cut them
above head height so that they can not be walked into.
Finding a door handle and keyhole
Assuming a door is closed, to find out which
side the handle is on, run your hands down the right and left side
(on the inside) of the door frame, with your thumb and nearest
finger spread apart, so as to cover the largest area possible.
This should allow you to locate the door handle. If it is a door
with a keyhole, move your left (or right) hand to where the handle
is, scan for the hole with your thumb or finger, and with your
thumb or finger - line it up with the keyhole. With your
other hand, once you have found the right key, line it up with
your thumb or finger (which is now over the keyhole), then just
push it in. Doing it this way is quick and easy, once you
get used to it. Of course, if the key doesn't turn, you may have
the wrong key; so labelling your house key makes it easier to find
as well.
Staying overnight in a different location
When staying in a hotel (or any other different
location), it is important to find out where all the amenities
are. If travelling on your own, you could ask the staff to show
you the layout of the room and how to get back to the main meal
area. Don't be scared to ask the staff as they are more than happy
to help. It may also save on frustration later on.
Joining a blind / VIP social group
At the same time, (or maybe a later date) you
may want to join a visually impaired or blind social group. Your
local Blind Foundation should be able to put you in touch with one
of these groups. This way, you can speak to other people who might be having the same
problems as you at home. Just having someone to talk to in the
same position can help out a lot. You may even be able to learn some tips and tricks
here for around the home (to make your life easier) while losing
your sight. This is especially helpful if you are new to sight
loss. It also allows you to make
new friends. Being a volunteer
may also show you some of the things which you may come across in
everyday life (whether this may be as a driver, or helping someone
to shop for their food once a week and so on).
Returning outdoor
equipment to its original location
If you live with a blind or vision impaired
person, it is imperative that you return any outdoor equipment
that you use to its original location. This may include items such
a garden tools or outdoor bench seats. This allows the person to
locate items quickly as well as prevents possible accidents from
not knowing where items have been moved to. For general
information on how you can best assist blind and vision impaired
people please visit http://accessibilitycentral.net/ways%20you%20can%20help%20us.html
Identifying and marking your wheelie bin
One of the most common problems a visually
impaired or blind person might have is figuring out which wheelie
bin is theirs. A home situation is not too bad, but living in a
flat complex might be more difficult when there are multiple
wheelie bins. One way of identifying your wheelie bin, is to use
electrical tape. Wrap it around one side of the handle - just wide
enough so that you can feel the difference between the left and
right sides of the handle. This may have to be done a few times so
that you can feel the difference in thickness. Using a brightly
coloured tape may help you locate it quicker (for example using a
yellow or white tape). Another idea as well, is to put a number on
the side of the wheelie bin. Just make it big enough to identify
it from the rest of them. Electrical tape is also waterproof and
should last a few years. To stop your bin from going walkabout,
put the bin out on the day of the collection and bring it back in
as soon as the bin truck has been. Putting your bin out the night
before may leave it prone to going walkies, as well as being
subject to wind which may see it blown all over the place. Leaving
a bin outside for a couple of days also advertises that perhaps
no-one is home and may potentially pose a security risk.
Outdoor navigation using
fence standards and rope
Another idea for navigation outside your house
on a big property (like a farmlet) is to use electric fence
standards in conjunction with rope. The electric fence standards
are placed into the ground in the positions needed to make the
route you want the blind person to go. For example, from the house
to the vegie garden, chook pen and so on. More electric fence
standards and rope can be added at any time to make new routes to
other things on the property as well. It is just a matter of the
visually impaired/blind person following the rope to wherever he
wants to go.
Eyecare
Fitover and wrap around sunglasses
The most common complaint (being visually impaired) is to do with
glare. Each case is different and peoples symptoms may vary. In
some cases a person's eyes may feel like they are getting burnt,
for some their eyes start feeling sore, and so on. It affects each
of us differently. Depending on whether you wear glasses or not,
will affect the type of sunglasses you can wear. If you don't wear
glasses, wrap around sunglasses might do the job for you. If you
do however wear glasses, then fitovers may be more suitable.
Make sure when you try glasses on (whether they are wrap around or
fitovers), that the glare is blocked out from the front and the
sides. Some of the sunglasses even have protection from the top as
well.
Fitovers should be used when a person wears a pair of glasses.
They usually come in a variety of sizes. They will allow you to
keep on wearing your glasses underneath, while you are wearing the
fitover sunglasses. Make sure your glasses fit nicely into the
fitover sunglasses, and are not tight near the ears when wearing
them. These will have protection for your eyes from the top, the
front and the sides as well.
Both wrap around and fitover glasses usually come with different
colour lenses (for example amber lenses, yellow lenses, green
lenses and so on). Various colours will help various eyesight
conditions. Noir make glasses that offer both UV (ultra violet)
and IR (InfraRed) protection. They are available in small, medium
and large through your local Blind Foundation. http://blindfoundation.org.nz/products/sunglasses-with-both-uv-and-infrared-protection
You may also find suitable glasses in other local shops selling
sunglasses in a variety of styles and colours.