I have some issues navigating with a mask. It interrupts the lower bit of my visual field and makes it a bit difficult to see what's directly in front of me if it's close to the ground. I've just been using my cane more because of it, even if I'm in a pretty familiar location.

No difference at all. I’m fully bling and have been wearing a mask from day one. It’s funny cost I could just wear my coat back to front with the hood up and it would be just then same

For me, there's no more interference than wearing a scarf in the winter. I'd be more curious about what specific navigational difficulties he has while masked versus what he's "heard about online". If the change in airflow is a distraction, perhaps make sure he's wearing the mask properly (I've encountered several VI people who were given masks without training and had to remotely teach them how to adjust the strings/elastics/etc.).

EDIT: Also, come to think of it: how would it interfere with \*his\* ability to navigate when it sounds like she's the one doing it for him?

My wife and one our friends have both commented that the mask causes minor to moderate changes with hearing and "facial vision". But it is no different than wearing a scarf in winter or a hood on a coat. Neither of them decline to wear a mask. Yes, it is different navigating wearing a mask and perhaps makes travel a bit more slow while it is unfamiliar, but going without a mask is just ignorant and risky. His failure to use mobility aids is more disruptive to navigation than wearing a mask.

Nope. It's all just excuses.

My wife complains about her mask impacting her sight, especially when wearing sunglasses. I believe it due to the light reflecting off the white mask. However, she doesn’t think that is the issue. She still wears the mask because it is a minor annoyance compared to COVID.

I cant see how it would affect him navigating. I put that down to excuses and or ignorance. Parents are very stubborn. Not all. But most.

The face mask part doesn't go over your ears so why would it cause problems with navigation?

Yeah, as others have said, wearing a mask properly obscures a small part of my visual field. Since I'm working with a limited visual field to begin with, that's actually about half my functional vision that gets obscured. Then throw in glasses fogging up and getting dirtier faster.

I just use my cane when I go out now. Normally, it would only be used for traveling in unfamiliar places or in big crowds. But wearing a mask means I pretty much need it all the time right now.

I would much rather use the cane and wear a mask than not wear a mask.

I still have some vision and can more or less navigate. Wearing a mask doesn't cause me any problems. I would also like to add that I have severe asthma and I can breath just fine wearing a mask.

I only have a small amount of central vision. I am immunosuppressed, so I have needed to wear a mask at school during the weeks leading up to the social distancing measures. During that time, I did not experience any obstructed vision since my visual field is so small. I imagine that the lower portion of his vision is restricted by the mask. If that is the case, he might need to tilt his head forward to see the ground when walking. Ideally, using a cane should probably be pursued in the long term judging from his reliance on his wife.

I think it honestly depends on the mask type, how they learned to navigate, and their eyesight level. I only have 10-20% vision in one eye. I can see color, not shapes or depth. For someone with my conditions, a mask changes nothing. I use my cane and my fiance is a huge help.


Even people with glasses can sometimes have issues of the mask moving and blocking their view. This can be solved by changing what mask you wear, as they are all different sizes and shapes. However, not wearing a mask at all, that is an issue for another sub. As I don't want to start anything that pulls away from your question.

I have an extremely narrowed field of vision and only have vision in one eye so it greatly affects me. The obstruction of the lower portion of my vision is a major part of vision I have. So, I just dont go out because I dont feel safe in a mask.

Also I use a cane (most of the time) I'm also just super accident prone even with a cane. I have 0 depth perception so everything looks far away and flat. So, even with the cushion I have plus a cane I still have incidents and the mask just makes it worse for me.

I am blind and wearing a mask has affected my vision. Since the pandemic I’ve started using a cane to get around. However as a woman that lives alone and travels everywhere alone I now feel unsafe - advertising that I’m blind has welcomed unwanted attention to the point where there are time I don’t feel safe. I have done away with the mask because I’m not going to restrict my eyesight even more than it already is. My safety comes first before anyone else’s.

I am totally blind and a mask does not effect navigation...because it's not covering my freaking ears!

Sounds like he is just making excuses.

This is a hard concept for certain segments of the US population to understand but if everybody had worn masks from the time they started recommending it, this thing would have been far less deadly. And yes, our man child leader is partially to blame for this because some people, for some strange reason, believe he's not a total fruitcake and look to him for guidance.

"Here in 'Merica, the government ain't going to tell me what to do!" Oh yeah pal? Well, when you don't wear a mask, not only are you at risk, but you are putting the people around you at risk as well. If your selfish ass doesn't want to wear a mask, then it's possible that your spouse, FWB, friend, colleague, child, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandchild, or grandparent may end up dying in the ICU or having awful health repercussions for the rest of their lives. Why take that risk? I don't get it.

I mean how freaking difficult is this to understand?

My girlfriend's only complaint is that it feels like she needs to yell, and that it's so hot over here it's annoying.
But aside from that, it doesn't affect her at all, her Echo location is still top notch.

Again YouTube not my thing

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I'm fully blind and wearing a mask doesn't hinder me at all. My ears are free to hear, I lose a decent amount of smell but not enough to prevent me from using olfactory clues when navigating. Ultimately, the mask doesn't stop my cane arm or O&M skills from working, nor does it stop human guide, though we do need to repeat ourselves a lot since it's a tad bit harder to understand people when they talk.

My VI gf hates wearing masks for this reason. I tracked down a clear face Shield for her but it makes her sweat to much.

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WHat it does to me (legally blind) is fog up my glasses.... i successfully avoided wearing one until less than 2 weeks ago then finally had to cave and wear one because of a "mandate".

My only issue is it makes my glasses steam up which makes my vision even worse 😂

For me I wear glasses so it means that they get steamed up and the small bit of remaining vision I have gets taken away.