Tips and Tricks
Background
I find that, more often than not, people want to offer help when they’re able. I thought I’d offer this space to point out specific ways in which people can better support me with my visual impairment. I’ll plan on updating it if different items come to my mind later.
I can point to the items I’ll list below as ones I know that work for me; however, that doesn’t mean they’ll work for all visually impaired/blind people. Overlap will exist but please be cognizant of the nuances present amongst people in the visually impaired/blind community. Individual preferences deserve space, so it’s always best to just ask what someone’s preferences look like if you’re unsure.
Receiving help is more than welcomed and appreciated. Here are some ways in which help can be offered more intentionally to better support me (and people like me).
Greetings!
When greeting me, I prefer that people say, “Hey Adam, it’s [insert your name]!”
This type of greeting takes a lot of stress off of my shoulders. If someone just says, “Hey,” I’m left with a voice to work with and that’s never been a good formula for my recall. I’ve also been in a situation too many times where I respond “Hey!” back and I spend the rest of the interaction trying to figure out who the person is.
Re-introducing your name gives me more information to work with and can take some awkwardness away. Plus, this tip can be applied to anyone as I’m sure most people benefit from reminders.
So, give it a shot!
Pointing Things Out
When pointing something out, avoid using phrases like “over there.”
Since I can’t usually see what or where someone’s pointing at, “there” could truly mean anything. My hope is that by not saying “over there”, we can save the back and forth of,
Me: “Wait, where?”
Someone: “There! It’s right there.”
Me: “I’m still not seeing it.”
Someone: “What? I’m telling you. It’s right there!”
And so on…
An easy way around this is to provide more details. This takes extra time and effort, sure. However, it’s the courteous thing to do and becomes easier the more you do it. I’ll provide a few examples below.
Trying to point out something up ahead? Use a distance as a specifier. “It’s about forty feet ahead” is much more helpful than just “It’s up ahead.”
Taking this further, maybe you’re trying to point out a branch or some obstacle up ahead. Try “It’s about forty feet ahead and will be on the righthand side” instead of “watch out!” just as it comes up.
Going even further, you might use terms like, “It’s at 2 o’clock,” “It’s eye level,” etc. You can make it your own and use terms you’re familiar with.
The important thing is that more details means there’s more information I can work with. That usually means there’s less confusion and I venture a guess that most people prefer it that way.
Loud Spaces
Loud spaces don’t bother me but I’ve noticed something over the past several years as I’ve sat in loud bars, bumping concert venues, etc. That thing is I think sighted people lip read much more often than they realize.
When I’m in these loud spaces I can experience difficulties understanding people and hearing conversations. I used to chalk this up to my hearing not serving me well, but I think people are reading lips, mannerisms, etc. in order to better understand what’s going on. I can partake a little in things like that, but I typically end up feeling isolated as I’m asking whomever is next to me to help fill in the gaps when I’m unable to clearly understand what’s happening.
There’s not much that can help this besides avoiding loud spaces (which I don’t want to do). I think it can be helpful, though, to be mindful of communication styles and how this presents in different contexts. I’m not asking to be in the know re: everything said, but it doesn’t feel great to feel isolated either.