Myth:
When one loses their sight, all the other senses are heightened.

Fact:
In reality, when one loses one sense, he or she will learn to use the remaining senses more efficiently. The person learns to obtain information through them that would have been obtained through the lost sense.

Myth:
Sitting too close to the TV or reading in poor lighting will damage vision.

Fact:
Both may cause eyes to tire, but it will not harm them.

Myth:
Most people who are blind wear sunglasses.

Fact:
Most do not wear sunglasses. The people who wear sunglasses do so to protect their eyes from bright lights, sunlight, glare off of objects, etc.

Myth:
A person who is blind only sees blackness or darkness.

Fact:
Only a small percentage of Legally Blind people see nothing at all. Sometimes, they see shades of gray or similar colors. However, people who are totally blind do not have the ability to see light, or darkness.

Myth:
Doctors can transplant eyes.

Fact:
Doctors can only transplant the cornea. The retina and optic nerve are part of the brain. When doctors figure out how to transplant the brain, they will be able to transplant the eye.

Myth:
It is not harmful to look at the sun if you squint or use dark glasses.

Fact:
The sun's ultra-violet light will still get to your eyes, damaging the cornea, lens and retina. Never look directly at a solar eclipse. The direct
light from the sun can blind a person in less then a minute.

Myth:
You can cure a black eye by putting a raw steak on it.

Fact:
This does nothing except expose your eye to any organisms living on the raw meat. Get immediate medical attention, a black eye can be a sign of serious eye injury.

Myth:
Doctors can only remove cataracts after they “ripen.”

Fact:
Cataracts, unlike fruit, do not "ripen." It is up to you and your doctor to decide when to remove a cataract. Most people have them removed when the decrease in vision starts bothering them.

Myth:
In order to travel independently, a blind person needs a guide dog.

Fact:
To travel independently most people who are Legally Blind do not even need to use a White Cane and very few use guide dogs. Of the approximately 1,300,000 Americans who are Legally Blind, 109,000 of them use white canes and 7,000 use guide dogs.

Myth:
All people who are blind read Braille.

Fact:
Only 10% of people who are Legally Blind read Braille. Developing the sense of touch it takes to read Braille is difficult for older people who make up 66% of the blind population. Ninety percent of people who are Legally Blind have some usable vision and most of them can read print or magnified print.

 

10 COURTESY SUGGESTIONS FOR INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED

 

• If you have questions for an individual who is visually impaired and they are with a companion, address your questions directly to that individual and not the companion.
• When communicating, be mindful of the volume in which you are speaking. It is common for people to elevate their voices when conversing with others who are not exactly like they are.
• When walking with a person who is visually impaired, do not grab or pull them. It is more helpful to offer them your arm.
• When entering a room, announce your arrival and if appropriate introduce others who are in the room.
• When dining, it may be beneficial to offer to read the menu including prices. When the meal arrives, you can describe the location of the food using the face of a clock as a template, i.e. “The potatoes are at 4:00 and the meat is at 8:00.”
• Do not avoid using words like look or see. Most people who are blind or visually impaired use these words.
• When giving directions, be specific. Use words like left or right or north or south. Pointing to a specific location or saying it’s over there is usually not helpful.
• It is important to verbalize your actions to avoid accidents, i.e.” I am taking your outgoing mail or I am reaching across the table.”
• When exchanging money, be specific about each bill you hand them so that they can identify it later.
• Use people first language when communicating, i.e. “She is a person who is blind. Avoid saying, “She is a blind woman or he is a blind man.”

SIGHTED GUIDE TECHNIQUES

• Guided travel is almost always helpful, if not necessary, at some time in the life of a person who is blind or visually impaired especially in unfamiliar areas, large groups, crowds, or gatherings.
• If you are acting as a sighted guide, practicing with a partner and a blindfold may give you a better understanding of what is important.
• When approaching a person who is blind, ask if assistance is needed. Never grab or pull a person who is blind.
• Relax your arm down to your side. The person will firmly hold your arm above the elbow (thumb on the inside of the arm and fingers on the outside) and follow you a half step behind. This allows the person to anticipate changes such as steps, ramps, doors or narrow passageways.
• Good communication about the area allows the person to understand their surroundings. Use the following guidelines for specific situations:
  • Steps & Ramps - Slow down and stop (or hesitate if in a crowded situation) before going up or down. Always try to approach steps and ramps squarely. Verbally, let the person know where the handrail is located, i.e. “The handrail is to the right.”
  • Doors - Announce the orientation of the door. For example, “Door opening toward you on the left.” Open the door and proceed to walk through. The person being guided will “catch” the door and walk through as well. If it is a non-self-closing door, stop while the person being guided closes the door, then proceed.
  • Narrow Passageways - Move your guiding arm behind your back – toward your opposite hip pocket. If the person is holding onto your right arm, then move your arm toward your left hip pocket area. The person will follow by stepping directly behind you and extend their arm so as not as likely to step on your heels.
  • Taking a seat - Approach the chair squarely, and tell the person if they are facing the seat or back of the chair. Guide their hand to the backrest.
  • Entering a car - Direct the person’s hand to the door handle and let him or her do the rest. If the car door happens to be open, then guide the person’s hand to the top corner of the open door.
  • Irregular terrain - Describe the terrain to the person as best you can and slow your pace.
  • If the person who is blind has their cane extended or guide dog in a harness, they are not using you as a sighted guide and you should walk consistently and give them ample space.
  • If you are in a situation where you are not sure what to do, ask the person what you can do to help.

GIVING DIRECTIONS

When giving directions for how to get from one place to another, people who are not visually impaired tend to use gestures at least as much as they use verbal cues. That isn't helpful to a person who is blind or has a visual impairment. Often even verbal directions are not precise enough - for example, "It's right over there" or "It’s just around the next corner." Where is "there"? Where is "the next corner"?

Here are basic points to remember when giving directions to anyone who is visually impaired:

• Always refer to a specific direction—right or left as it applies to the person you're advising. What is on your right is on the left of the person facing you.
• Indicate the approximate distance and direction to a requested location.
• Give the approximate number of streets to be crossed to reach the destination. Even if your estimate is off by a block or two, it will give the person a sense of when to stop and ask someone else for further directions if needed.
• If possible, provide information about landmarks along the way.

A large office building, a train station, or a shopping mall are also places where you may be called on to give directions, and the same considerations apply. Here is an example:

"The escalator is directly in front of you about 10 feet away. You’ll hear it as you approach. When you reach the next floor, make a sharp u-turn to the right. Walk along the wall to your left past 4 doors. The office you want is the fifth door.”

Keep in mind that both sounds and scents can be "landmarks." In a food hall, for example, the unmistakable smell of popcorn could be a useful landmark for someone headed in that direction. With all the coffee houses on streets in villages, towns, and cities, the scent of freshly brewed coffee may also be a helpful guidepost.

Thinking about how to give tactful, practical directions to someone who is visually impaired can heighten your own sensitivity to the world around you.

© 2005 American Foundation for the Blind. All rights reserved.

QUICK FACTS ON BLINDNESS AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

• There are over 10 million people who are blind and visually impaired living in the United States ; 1.3 million of them are considered “legally blind.”
• Legal blindness does not necessarily mean total blindness. In fact, 80% of people who are legally blind have some remaining vision.
• Over half of the people who are blind or visually impaired are over the age of 65.
• Approximately 10% of people who are blind read Braille; the rest either read enlarged print or rely on audio options to access printed material.
• Visual impairments may vary in type and severity; some examples include:
  • people who may be able to read print but not able to see people coming toward them because of “tunnel vision” or loss of visual field
  • those who have “night-blindness” or difficulty seeing in certain lighting
  • people who have lost their central vision and must view things using their peripheral or “eccentric” vision
  • those who only have “light perception,” which means that they are unable to see shapes, colors and details, but can detect changes in lighting

QUICK FACTS ON DEAF-BLIND

• It is estimated that there are as many as 40,000 individuals who are deaf-blind in the United States.
• People who are deaf-blind have excelled in a variety of fields, including customer service, accounting, food service, information technology, data entry and administration.
• Some people who are deaf-blind may have some hearing or vision; some may use sign language while others may have enough hearing to carry on conversations in quiet areas.
• A person who is deaf-blind might use a variety of communication methods, such as print-on-palm, finger spelling, American Sign Language (ASL), Braille or writing with a bold, black pen.

QUICK FACTS ON TRAVELING

About 35% of people who are blind or visually impaired use a white cane to get around and 2% use a guide dog. Most others have had orientation and mobility training that teaches them how to use their remaining vision and/or other senses to travel safely and independently.

White Canes
Using a long white cane when walking allows someone who is blind to locate objects in his or her environment, such as steps, curbs, doorways, people, chairs and tables. The cane is long enough to be about two steps ahead of the person’s feet when walking in order to find things with the cane before actually getting to them.

Guide Dogs
Some people who are blind travel with a guide dog that is specially trained to move around things, locate doorways, and stop at curbs and stairs. The person who is using the dog is always in charge and must tell the dog what to do. Never pet or distract a guide dog when it’s working. They are not pets and must go through rigorous training so that they behave appropriately; this includes not barking or getting distracted by other dogs, food or environmental disruptions.

Assistive Technology for Low Vision
Examples of assistive technology that a person who is visually impaired might use in the workplace include screen magnification software, low vision aids such as magnifying glasses and telescopes, and video magnifiers.

Assistive Technology for No Vision
Individuals who have less sight might use screen reading software and refreshable Braille displays when using the computer, portable note-takers, Braille typewriters, optical character recognition systems and scanners.

HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH SOMEONE WHO IS BLIND

• Don’t feel overly conscious or obsess about being politically correct when talking to someone who is blind.
• People who are blind are generally not offended by words like “see,” “look,” and “watch” in everyday conversation. There is no need to avoid using the words “blind” or “visually impaired”. Don’t tiptoe around it.
• Whenever possible, try to use “people first” language, such as “people who are blind” rather than “blind people” or “the blind”.
• Don’t speak in an exaggeratedly loud voice or talk down to a person who is blind.
• Identify yourself when someone who is blind or visually impaired enters a room or when you are approaching the person. For example, say, “Hi, Joe. It’s Emily.”
• If you’re in a group, try to address a person who is visually impaired by name so that he or she is aware you are speaking to them.
• Don’t be afraid to ask a person if he or she needs help; if the answer is no, respect his or her wishes.
• People who are blind probably don’t want your pity, but chances are, they’d like to feel like a part of the team at their job just like anybody else.
• Don’t be afraid to make the first move.

Excerpt from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB): www.nfb.org.