Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Question about shaking hands (self.Blind)
submitted by grendelt
At work we've been doing more and more work with the blind/VI community. My director is going to a conference for blind/VI in another state. It got me wondering about the custom of shaking hands as part of a greeting or introduction.
For the sighted, shaking hands is easy to pick up on clues to participate or not. ("Is their hand extended as an invitation or not?") Sometimes you shake hands upon introducing yourself, sometimes you don't.
When I've met at some state departments for blind/VI, I've noticed they have been quick to extend their hand to initiate the hand shake.
So here's my question: When VI interact with other VI, do you shake hands? How do you know the other person is offering their hand as a handshake?
For the sighted, shaking hands is easy to pick up on clues to participate or not. ("Is their hand extended as an invitation or not?") Sometimes you shake hands upon introducing yourself, sometimes you don't.
When I've met at some state departments for blind/VI, I've noticed they have been quick to extend their hand to initiate the hand shake.
So here's my question: When VI interact with other VI, do you shake hands? How do you know the other person is offering their hand as a handshake?
Laser_Lens_4 5 points 4y ago
If I'm holding my cane I won't shake your hand. If I'm not then I will extend my hand and hope the sighted person grabs it.
But yeah shaking hands is generally pretty unenjoyable.
But yeah shaking hands is generally pretty unenjoyable.
RosyShine 4 points 4y ago
Probably not the answer your looking for, but I hate shaking hands, so i will only do it if prompted... yeah, its bad, i know.
grendelt [OP] 1 points 4y ago
Nope, totally understandable. It's an odd social custom - sighted or otherwise.
fastfinge 3 points 4y ago
What I usually do in situations where I might be expected to shake hands and I'm not entirely comfortable with it is have my cane in my right hand, and a drink (coffee, coke, beer, whatever) in my left hand. That way, it's obvious that I can't shake your hand, and you don't even try, so nothing is awkward.
payown 3 points 4y ago
As he completely blind since birth individual, I was taught to hold my hand out for two maybe three seconds. If it’s not taken, continue conversation, but assume that the person isn’t going to shake it and return your hands to your side.
Wafflez13 2 points 4y ago
I completely ignore them im legally blind so I can usually tell when they have their hand out but i cant tell if they are doing a fist bump , high five , hand shake , or whatever else also I cant really tell exactly where there hand is because its pretty blurry , so yea i usually ignore them unless they are like want to fist bump or something usually they dont say anything and quickly give up
retrolental_morose 2 points 4y ago
As a totally blind 'professional' I will tend to extend my hand first to sighted people, and expect them to find me rather than wave about.
When meeting another VI person for the first time in a formal setting, Either they open with 'let me shake you by the hand' and we have to do a lot of docking procedures, or less often, a sighted intermediary - a receptionist etc - will bridge the gap.
I always offer to shake the hand of a young person whenever I meet them through educational camps, trade-shows, conferences etc. And you can usually judge distance by their voice, sounds of white cane, dog harness, even wristwatch. It's a little bit of a minefield, but nothing to worry about. People are pretty understanding in my experience.
When meeting another VI person for the first time in a formal setting, Either they open with 'let me shake you by the hand' and we have to do a lot of docking procedures, or less often, a sighted intermediary - a receptionist etc - will bridge the gap.
I always offer to shake the hand of a young person whenever I meet them through educational camps, trade-shows, conferences etc. And you can usually judge distance by their voice, sounds of white cane, dog harness, even wristwatch. It's a little bit of a minefield, but nothing to worry about. People are pretty understanding in my experience.
grendelt [OP] 2 points 4y ago
> a lot of docking procedures
LOL - that's what I imagined and it made me wonder how this "sighted" custom carries over into the VI community!
Good to know. Yeah, we've been understanding with all the various needs of the VI community and they've been instrumental in helping us find workarounds as needed.
It's made me rethink how I approach instruction. (Used to, I would have an image of something and say "now replicate that" - but that doesn't cut it and it's made my instruction better for it.)
For what it's worth, we were building robots from nuts and bolts and then building circuits on a breadboard. Sound challenging? It sure is! But it's so worth it and extremely fun. And that's why my director is going to these conferences to tell other states how we did it and how they can too.
LOL - that's what I imagined and it made me wonder how this "sighted" custom carries over into the VI community!
Good to know. Yeah, we've been understanding with all the various needs of the VI community and they've been instrumental in helping us find workarounds as needed.
It's made me rethink how I approach instruction. (Used to, I would have an image of something and say "now replicate that" - but that doesn't cut it and it's made my instruction better for it.)
For what it's worth, we were building robots from nuts and bolts and then building circuits on a breadboard. Sound challenging? It sure is! But it's so worth it and extremely fun. And that's why my director is going to these conferences to tell other states how we did it and how they can too.
retrolental_morose 1 points 4y ago
I've learned so much about the visual, teaching the VI. A simple statement like 'this table of figures shows us...' totally flops if your audience can't visualise a table to begin with.
Circuits and logic are great though, appropriately adapted, or rather, not set visually to begin with, they can work well. Some blind people are the best programmers I know.
Circuits and logic are great though, appropriately adapted, or rather, not set visually to begin with, they can work well. Some blind people are the best programmers I know.
grendelt [OP] 3 points 4y ago
Yep!
The #1 key we learned was spacial organization and tactic navigation. We used muffin tins to separate parts like nuts, screws, washers, etc. to assemble the robots, then used the tins again for electronic components. To navigate around the breadboard we used tooth picks or bamboo skewers to feel each hole of the breadboard.
(If you're not familiar with a breadboard, it connects electronic components but it's a massive grid made up of holes smaller than a headphone plug. Rows connect components together, but each row is electrically isolated from all the others. When we tried assembling with black-out goggles on, it was difficult to figure out. Our VI friends suggested wooden skewers/toothpicks - it worked like a charm.
The programming was great since the software we used played well with the screen readers. And you're right, blind/VI are great programmers because you're used to modeling concepts in the abstract. Sighted programmers have to sometimes close our eyes to block out the added stimulus so we can concentrate on the logic.
PS - if you (or anyone reading this) have a school or VI support facility that would like to do something like this free of charge (we're grant funded) send me a private message and we can discuss.
The #1 key we learned was spacial organization and tactic navigation. We used muffin tins to separate parts like nuts, screws, washers, etc. to assemble the robots, then used the tins again for electronic components. To navigate around the breadboard we used tooth picks or bamboo skewers to feel each hole of the breadboard.
(If you're not familiar with a breadboard, it connects electronic components but it's a massive grid made up of holes smaller than a headphone plug. Rows connect components together, but each row is electrically isolated from all the others. When we tried assembling with black-out goggles on, it was difficult to figure out. Our VI friends suggested wooden skewers/toothpicks - it worked like a charm.
The programming was great since the software we used played well with the screen readers. And you're right, blind/VI are great programmers because you're used to modeling concepts in the abstract. Sighted programmers have to sometimes close our eyes to block out the added stimulus so we can concentrate on the logic.
PS - if you (or anyone reading this) have a school or VI support facility that would like to do something like this free of charge (we're grant funded) send me a private message and we can discuss.
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