My Memory Makes the Difference

Whenever I put something on the counter or leave something leaned up against a wall or door, I had better remember where I put it or else I am in big trouble.  Why?  Because if I don't then I will have to spend lots of time looking for it.  It's the same for a sighted person but whereas a sighted person can use their sight to help them find it, I have to use my hands to do the finding.

 

If I place my shoes or slippers somewhere and go off to do something, then I had better remember where I put it or else I'll have to spend lots of time looking for them.  The same goes for when I am vacuuming, cleaning, and cooking.  So, how do I deal with all of this?

 

Yes, I use my memory to help me but I also use my very own techniques to help me.  I have developed a strategy of placing things in specific places.  In the kitchen, I place things in specific spots so as to be able to find them when I need them.  Whenever I am cleaning, the vacuum cleaner is placed in certain corners so that I can find it as I vacuum each room.  In my office, the same thing occurs and it's the same for almost everything else that I do.   

 

My friends often refer to me as a super organized person but that's okay.  By assigning certain spots and corners for specific objects, it means less for me to remember and time is saved.

 

If you would like to learn more about how blind persons go about remembering where they place things, then visit www.nfb.org.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and share my blogs with others.

Getting Dressed In The Dark

For most blind and visually-impaired persons, this is it! It does not really matter whether the lights are on or off; we literally get dressed in the dark because, for the most, part we are unable to see what we are putting on. True it is that some of us can see enough to decipher colors, but as a general rule of thumb we are unable to see ourselves in the mirror and consequently we have no idea how we look when we step out in to the sighted world.

As for me, up until five years ago I was able to see enough to decipher colors and was able to match my clothes sufficiently so as not to look like a clown when I went out. Now, things are different for me. I have had to spend a lot of time getting my mom to organize my closet for me. She has helped me match up all of my clothes, and I have had to organize them in such a way that I know exactly where to find what I need. I use a color detector to help me decipher colors. This nifty little gadget talks and for the most part is accurate enough to give me an idea as to the color of a piece of clothing, but every now and then it goes a bit crazy and mucks things up for me.

Having had sight before helps me to deal with getting dressed in the dark, but for those who were born not being able to see colors, it is very different. These persons do not understand the concept and meaning of color, and as a result they need sighted assistance to help them match and coordinate their clothes. It is literally impossible to describe colors to someone who has never seen them. How can one describe the color red? I could say that red is like a rose and someone who has never seen the color red would associate it with the scent of a rose and that would be the extent of their mental picture.

I use my sense of feel and touch to identify my clothes, but if two pieces of clothing feel the same but are of different colors, then I use safety pins to help me. For example, if I have white and pink blouses that feel exactly the same, then I place a safety pin in the inner side of the collar of the white blouse.

My closet is super organized, and it is imperative for me to always have everything in its proper place. Blouses and skirts, pants and jackets, sweaters and suits, shoes, and coats all have their designated places. If I make just one slip in replacing anything, then all hell breaks loose and I then have to spend time reorganizing.

If you would like to learn more about the nifty color detector, then visit http://www.independentlivingaids.org.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your accessibility and special-business needs consultant wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and tell the rest of the world: Yes! Blind and visually-impaired persons are able to get dressed on their own despite not being able to see what they're doing.

Why I Touch Light Bulbs

As a rule of thumb, the mainstream person with enough vision can usually tell when a light bulb has had it; they can usually do this after turning on the light switch and noticing that the bulb is not lighting. For me, it is very different. When I had enough vision, it was no problem for me to tell whether or not a light bulb was lighting, but ever since losing my vision over five years ago, it is a different story.

I now have to use a different method to tell me if the good old light bulb is lighting up. Often times if a light bulb is ready to quit lighting, you would usually hear a "pop" sound when you turn on the switch but you can't always depend on this indicator. So, I have to use another technique. Yes, you got it! I have to touch the light bulb to see what's going on or, if the light bulb is close enough to me, I can just bring my hand close enough to feel if there is any heat coming from it.

The other day, I went to turn on a switch in my office and as I did so I heard something go "pop." I immediately realized that one of the light bulbs had blown; but which one of the two was it? I took my step ladder and climbed towards the light bulbs. First I had to locate them by feeling along the ceiling for the chandelier. Next I had to stretch all the way to see which one was hot and which was cold. After a minute or so, I found the culprit and then had to climb back down, turn off the switch, and then climb back up and repeat the process of finding the chandelier. Upon locating the blown light bulb, the cold one, I removed it and then returned with a new light bulb. But there was more to come!

After screwing in the new light bulb, I climbed back down, switched on the light, and returned to make sure that the new light bulb was lighting. I tested both light bulbs with my hand and, lo and behold, the new light bulb was not lighting. It was cold. So down I went to repeat the process all over again. After a few minutes, I had things working again.

Last year, I discovered a little gadget that I can use to tell if lights are on in a room. If you turn it on and it buzzes, then there is light but if it does not buzz then there is no light. A very handy little thing for telling if my computer screen is on or off but be careful now! It will only work if there is no residual light close at hand. For example, daylight. I will hasten to add that I could not have used it in the incident described above because there were two light bulbs for me to deal with.

You may be asking yourself if I am unable to see the light, then why do I bother to turn on lights? Very simple! It is for the sighted world, in case I should have visitors. And, somehow it makes me feel as if I am still part of the sighted world.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day and reminding you to go out there and tell others what blind and visually-impaired persons do in order to tell if light bulbs are working.

To learn more, Visit Independent living aids (ILA) at http://www.independentlivingaids.org.
Tel: 1-800-537-2118
Or Maxi Aids at: http://www.maxiaids.com
Tel: 1-800-522-6294