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Blind and Visually Impaired Community

Full History - 2017 - 02 - 07 - ID#5sn4f4
7
Daily struggles/annoyances? (self.Blind)
submitted by morgaes
Hi. I'm looking to identify some daily struggles or annoyances that blind and visually impaired people face in every day life. My husband is legally blind so we've already got a few items written down but of course those are mostly specific to his experience and I'd love to get a wider perspective. I'm mostly looking for general everyday annoyances that sighted people might not be aware of but any comment is welcomed. Here's the list we have so far:

1. Can't tell which bus is approaching the bus stop.
2. No way to tell the price of items at the store.
3. Braille or big print menus are rare.
4. Crosswalks with audio or tactile indicators are rare.
5. Videos that autoplay on the internet can disrupt the screen reader and can be hard to turn off.
6. Cars that park on the sidewalks.
7. People "help" without being asked to (e.g. drag him across the street).
8. People tend to be more skeptical of his sexual identity than they would be for a sighted person (he's gay).
9. Pity and comments such as "you're so brave".
10. Tactile paving is rare on sidewalks and streets here.
11. Sidewalks are often in bad shape or even missing.
12. Vending machines are rarely accessible.
13. Many signs lack braille (bathroom signs, street names, house numbers, etc).

Namrakk 9 points 6y ago
Others assume you're inattentive/dumb/impolite when you miss visual cues
ObsoleteOtter 2 points 6y ago
This especially.... how many times I've been called rude or asked if I'm "dumb" because of missing their visual cues or not looking people in the eye when speaking
morgaes [OP] 2 points 6y ago
I could imagine that being a devaluing experience. Thanks for sharing.
ObsoleteOtter 4 points 6y ago
Here are the issues I have when I go out. Not being able to see the menus at food places, prices at stores, debit card machine (I will hand my husband my card to do it if he is with me because people look at me like an idiot when I have to put my face to it to see). Looking like a weirdo with my sunglasses in stores. Crossing the street. Riding my bike. When sidewalks are messed up. When people try to show me something on their phone and all I see is a extremely bright rectangle. Seeing the sizes when clothes shopping. There's a lot of things but most of all -what was said in a previous post- when people assume I am rude or dumb because I miss social cues and can't make eye contact. It really hurts sometimes and I wish I knew how to explain it to strangers.
morgaes [OP] 2 points 6y ago
Thanks for your reply. It seems from your and others replies that the social aspect can be easy to underestimate.
ChilledSylph 4 points 6y ago
I'm a highschool student so I don't know if this would apply to other situations
1. Missing social cues and body language
2. People not explaining how they're writing things down and formatting them
3. Menus and vending machines are a total pain for me
4. Not being able to read at the same speed as those around me
5. Tripping or bumping into things/people I didn't know was there
6. Getting anxious when I have to explain my condition to other people
7. Avoiding using my white cane because people tend to coddle and overwhelm me
8. Finding group conversations difficult because I don't know who's talking because they're so much going on
9. Websites that aren't optimized for screen reader support
10. My eyes getting incredibly tired when I read for too long
11. Microwaves/ovens/dishwashers not having tactile buttons
12. I find cooking in general really difficult
I'm probably forgetting something important but I can't think of anything else right now
morgaes [OP] 2 points 6y ago
Thank you for your thorough reply. It's really given me something to think about. Especially item number 8 about group conversations, I'll work on being more inclusive in those situations. Would prefacing with my name once the conversation gets faster/heated or when interjecting be sufficient?
GuideDogAndHisQueer 4 points 6y ago
When I answer the front door people who do not say who they are and I have to ask them or play guess the voice. The problem is I am terrible at names so it doesn't help.
morgaes [OP] 2 points 6y ago
Thanks for your reply. So would being more specific when greeting be of help? Especially when dealing with casual acquaintances and such? Something like "Hey, this is John from History class?"
Murdvac 3 points 6y ago
I find not being able to see pretty annoying.
morgaes [OP] 2 points 6y ago
Fair enough. Thanks for your input.
modulus 3 points 6y ago
Home appliances (dish washers, washing machines, microwaves, ovens) are hard to program without sight, and the tendency to touch screens is making it harder (not saying touch screens are inherently bad).

Cooking is difficult, but maybe that's just me or too obvious. Knowing when something is ready etc.

morgaes [OP] 2 points 6y ago
Thanks for your reply. That's another aspect I hadn't considered. I knew cooking could be a challenge for many visually impaired people but the fact about knowing when something is done. Cooking terms are often very visual (golden-brown, translucent, opaque, etc.). Thanks for your insight.
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