Ординатура / Офтальмология / Английские материалы / The Eye Book A Complete Guide to Eye Disorders and Health_Cassel, Billig, Randall_2001

Tips for Dealing with People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Some of our patients say they feel awkward when meeting a blind or severely visually impaired person. Suddenly, they say, every conversational gambit becomes a potential foot in the mouth. Our first bit of advice? Relax. Don’t worry if you mention the ballgame you (oops) watched last night, or the movie you just saw. Talking about everyday things isn’t going to make you seem insensitive. Just be yourself.

Having said that, however, there certainly are some things you can do to make things easier for both of you:

•When you start up a conversation, even if you’ve met before, introduce yourself by name. It can be hard to recognize voices, especially in a crowd.

•Make eye contact, just as you would when talking to a sighted person. It’s obvious, from the way your voice sounds, when you’re looking around the room instead of at the person you’re talking to.

•For heaven’s sake, don’t speak louder than normal. This happens more often than you might think; some people have a tendency to shout at blind people, as if a certain decibel level were all that’s needed to penetrate the vision problem. Remember, it’s their vision that’s

impaired, not their hearing. Chances are, their ears work just fine.

•Because your hand gestures won’t be seen, be more descriptive in your conversation; take time to draw a verbal picture.

•If you’re ending a conversation, say something to that effect.

•Always announce yourself when you are entering or leaving a room. Your acquaintance won’t be able to see you come in or walk away.

•When walking with a visually impaired person, offer your arm for assistance. Never pull or steer; this can lead to accidents. When you’re approaching a chair to help the person sit down, gently take his or her hand and touch it to the seat, arms, and back of the chair for orientation. At a meal, describe the table and the location of the plate, glass, and utensils. Some people appreciate it if someone tells them where the food is located on the plate as it relates to a clock face (for example, “The chicken is at six o’clock”).

•Just rearranged your living room? Speak up; your visually challenged friend will need to make a new mental picture of the room he or she will be navigating.

•Finally, be honest. If you feel awkward in a new situation and are not sure how to act or be of help—a crowded train or street corner, for in- stance—just say so. Chances are, you’ll both be glad you did.

482 / OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

or better) may be eligible; they must also have a visual field of 150 degrees horizontally, if they have functioning vision in two eyes, or of 100 degrees if they can see out of only one eye. (Check with the Motor Vehicle Administration for the specific requirements in your state.) It may take some training and time to master driving with bioptics, but many people find the continued independence well worth the effort.

Electronic magnifiers: Closed-circuit television has been adapted for use by people with low vision. This system scans reading material and projects an enlarged image onto a television screen, allowing for enhanced magnification, brightness, and contrast. These systems are costly to buy, but they can be leased. They have proved invaluable for some of our patients.

Help from Low-Vision Centers

There’s no “right” way of using low-vision devices. Some of them, frankly, may drive you crazy or seem more trouble than they’re worth. But in all of the categories mentioned above, there are several models to choose from—so don’t rule something out until you’ve exhausted all the options.

To this end, low-vision centers—and there are many of them throughout the country—can be invaluable. They can also help you learn other “tricks of the trade” to help make everyday activities—such as cooking, identifying money, and writing checks—more doable and less frustrating.

COPING WITH LOW VISION / 483

Most of these centers are staffed by an interdisciplinary team that might include an ophthalmologist, optometrist, nonphysician low-vision specialist, and experts in rehabilitation who can show you how to perform your daily tasks and use the low-vision devices prescribed by your eye doctor. For example, a rehabilitation teacher can make a house call to show you, on your home turf, the specifics involved in setting up a “low-vi- sion-friendly” kitchen, medicine cabinet, and home. This visit may also result in helpful recommendations for eliminating glare, improving the lighting, and generally making life easier.

Some Handy Tips to Get You Started

There’s no big secret as to what the problem is: you can’t see very well. Now, let’s start working on the solution: how you can maximize the vision you have and make your home a “low-vision-friendly” place. Here are some tips, based on the experiences of many people who are in the same boat, that may help. Remember: highcontrast means it’s easier to see!

In the Kitchen

•Use an easy-to-see marker, or brightly colored tape, to highlight the dials of your oven, washing machine, and thermostat. A rehabilitation teacher can also mark your dials tactilely, so that you can feel the settings rather than be forced to rely on vision.

484 / OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

•For meals, use a white plate on a black placemat, or vice versa.

•When the meal consists of light-colored foods, use a solid black plate. (Mashed potatoes, for example, stand out just fine on a black plate but magically disappear on a white plate.)

•For black coffee, use a white cup.

•When pouring any drink, line up the spout of the pitcher so that it makes contact with the rim of the cup or glass. Then, so you don’t spill, place an index finger just inside the rim. Stop pouring when you feel the liquid. (This may take some getting used to if you like your coffee piping hot!)

•It’s easier to feel the skin of the vegetables you’re about to peel when they’re wet.

•Force yourself to keep your cabinets and pantry organized. It’s infinitely easier to find items that are always kept in the same place.

•Label your spices with a thick permanent marker. For example, write the name, or an easy abbreviation, such as “cinn,” in very large letters on an index card. Punch a hole in the card and run a rubber band through it, then attach it to the cinnamon bottle. Another way to make spices easier to tell apart is to put different spices in different-sized containers.

Lighting

•Too much glare from the windows? Try diffusing the light with sheer ivory curtains.

COPING WITH LOW VISION / 485

•Too dark? Buy higher-powered bulbs. There’s a world of difference between 60 and 150 watts. Lamps with dimmers, which allow you to adjust the level of light, are effective; also, a torchiere lamp (one that provides indirect lighting by shining the light up onto the ceiling) is a great way of providing more light to a large room. (These are available at most office-supply and department stores.)

•For reading, think direct beams of light. Aim a gooseneck lamp right at what you’re reading. (An incandescent 75-watt bulb may work best for this.)

•Need more light? Keep several large flashlights around the house to help when the room lighting is just not enough.

Miscellaneous Tips

•Why make doing business harder with regular checks? Large-print checks are available at most banks; they’re usually yellow and black, with raised lines that act as guides. (Your bank can also order large-print checks for you through the Deluxe Checking Company at 1- 800-451-1455.)

•Throw out your pencils. Instead, use bold black markers to jot down phone numbers or make your grocery list. Write on yellow paper for maximum contrast.

•For correspondence, use bold-lined paper. Also, pagewriting guides and check, envelope, and signature templates are available at most low-vision centers.

•Call for help. Some local phone companies provide

486 / OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

free directory assistance and dialing to visually impaired persons. Many long-distance carriers also offer free long-distance dialing assistance for people who are visually impaired.

•Walk with care. Place a nonskid, brightly colored strip of tape on the edge of each step to help you negotiate stairs.

•Don’t use direct lamps just for reading; aim a gooseneck lamp wherever you need extra light. For example, put one on your kitchen counter, to help you fix meals.

•Take advantage of free services. Every state has at least one Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped that provides books on tape, large-print books, and magazines on disk—all for free. They can also help you find many everyday items such as wrist watches, table clocks, and telephone dials that also are made in large print. And for you bridge players, there are even largeprint playing cards. Talking computers, clocks, watches, and timers are also available. So are machines that can scan a page and read it to you!

For More Help

For starters, consider trying one of these agencies, or ask your doctor to recommend helpful resources in your area:

COPING WITH LOW VISION / 487

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300

New York, NY 10001 (800) 232-5463

This is a nonprofit organization with five regional centers, which publishes the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. It also offers many educational programs and acts as a national clearinghouse for information and referrals.

Association for Macular Diseases 210 East 64th Street

New York, NY 10021 (212) 605-3719

This group provides information and educational services, sponsors support groups, offers counseling, and publishes a newsletter.

Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)

4600 Duke Street, #430 P.O. Box 22397 Alexandria, VA 22304 (703) 823-9690

This association promotes education and work for blind and visually impaired persons and offers training programs through colleges and universities.

488 / OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Foundation Fighting Blindness Executive Plaza I, Suite 800

11350 McCormick Road

Hunt Valley, MD 21030 (410) 785-1414

This is a consumer organization providing public education and awareness for people with retinal degenerative disease. It conducts workshops and research and publishes a newsletter called Fighting Blindness.

National Association for the Visually Handicapped 22 West 21st Street

New York, NY 10010 (212) 889-3141

Helps people with low vision. Supplies low-vision aids (lamps, mirrors, magnifiers). Publishes a quarterly newsletter.

National Center for Vision and Aging The Lighthouse

111 East 59th Street

New York, NY 10022 (800) 334-5497

Acts as a national network and referral resource.

COPING WITH LOW VISION / 489

National Federation of the Blind 1800 Johnston Street Baltimore, MD 21230

(410) 659-9314

Strives to improve social and economic conditions of people who are blind. Provides education and scholarships.

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Library of Congress 1291 Taylor Street N.W. Washington, DC 20542 (800) 424-8567

A source of large-print and Braille materials; talking books such as Reader’s Digest and Newsweek Magazine; and educational aids, tools, and supplies.

The following organizations supply a variety of products for people who are visually impaired. You can contact them to ask about their catalogs, mail-order services, and equipment:

American Printing House for the Blind 1839 Frankfort Avenue

Louisville, KY 40206 (800) 223-1839