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Here are a few more things I've learned over the last eight years since I lost my sight:
I know a lot of people are impressed with my abilities today, but it's been a long road. I think I could be doing better. If you're losing your sight and you know it, ask your ophthalmologist or regular doctor how you can get training. You can also call the national Information and Referral service at 2-1-1. If they don't have the right number, perhaps they'll be a first step toward getting the right one.
No one really taught me how to fold paper money so I could identify it without help. I use a system I devised. If it's different from someone else's, so what? It works for me. Money isn't the only thing I've had to figure out for myself these past eight years. For example, I brush and dress my hair and butter my toast by a combination of visual memory and touch.
Another example is the tactile marks on appliances and such. Since I learned certain tactile symbols, I tend to echo them when I have a helper mark other items. Perhaps my techniques parallel those already established in the blind community, perhaps not. I've never asked. If one option doesn't work, try another until you find what works for you.
I use mostly standard tools, sometimes with minor adaptations to make them more accessible to the blind. For example, I asked hubby today to mark his inaccessible cell phone so I'd at least know where to press to turn it off or answer a call.
I've been a Jeopardy addict for years. I still watch six nights a week if I can get it, and that includes Saturday reruns. The fast pace and difficult questions really get my brain moving! If Who Wants to be a Millionaire is your thing, go for it! You can also do any other game that sparks your fancy. Do anything to keep your mental faculties sharp, or sharpen them if they haven't been exercised much lately.
I hope these little peeks into "the blind side of life" are enjoyable and enlightening. I welcome all feedback and never mind questions!
Source: Personal experience, learning how to "be" blind in a sighted world.
By Lelia Jo Cordell from Springfield, OH
Here are just a few things I've learned over the last eight years since I lost my sight:
I can't outline every tool available for the blind today. However, I promised I'd write about the tools that make my life easier. I try not to adapt more than necessary, but I do need some things accessible. I wrap a bread tie around the handle of the gallon jug of tea or fruit drink.
The English language with its wealth of idiomatic expressions makes the following deductions concerning the characteristics of the blind and their daily activities possible. Proof that we blind folk know how to laugh at ourselves!
I've noticed more than one of my TF family is experiencing vision loss. This article is for you.
On the weekend of the November 5-7, 2010, I was invited to my first National Federation of the Blind of Ohio convention. While there, I learned that there is so much that people who are blind can do and not to underestimate them.
This is a page about questions you always wanted to ask a blind person. Many of us are too shy to ask questions about a person's disability, even if we have a true interest or concern.
