Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
11
↓
Blind people of Reddit, what are some struggles that you deal with in society and life in general? I'm writing some fiction and may want to include a blind supporting character, and if there are any other things that I should note, please let me know. (self.Blind)
submitted by mcclainaj05
retrolental_morose 15 points 1y ago
It's so often just little things. Some of my most recent irritations include:
* Medicines having their braille labels overstuck by stickers from the pharmacy
* Buses or taxis stopping in slightly different places each time
* mobility routes being taught with such precision and narrow focus that you are lost if you are outside your little bubble of learning
* printed material on glossy paper, with decorative content or in stupid layouts, making it difficult to OCR and there being no alternative (i.e. Braille, an online version etc).
* Food packaging with data in different places. If the product name, expiry date and cooking instructions were always in a uniform typeface on the same part of a package my life would speed-up a hundred-fold.
* inconsistency with buttons and dials on home appliances. Some click when you turn them, some don't. Some physically stop at a pre-set "end", some don't. Some buttons are uniform in size, shape and colour, despite one being obviously more important than the rest, etc.
* People thinking a picture of print is readable to screen access tech
* Folks assuming I need to talk to my tech because I am blind. I don't know why this persists but everyone seems to believe a blind person can't learn to type, even though sighted touch-typists don't look when they are properly trained. Boggles the mind.
* Medicines having their braille labels overstuck by stickers from the pharmacy
* Buses or taxis stopping in slightly different places each time
* mobility routes being taught with such precision and narrow focus that you are lost if you are outside your little bubble of learning
* printed material on glossy paper, with decorative content or in stupid layouts, making it difficult to OCR and there being no alternative (i.e. Braille, an online version etc).
* Food packaging with data in different places. If the product name, expiry date and cooking instructions were always in a uniform typeface on the same part of a package my life would speed-up a hundred-fold.
* inconsistency with buttons and dials on home appliances. Some click when you turn them, some don't. Some physically stop at a pre-set "end", some don't. Some buttons are uniform in size, shape and colour, despite one being obviously more important than the rest, etc.
* People thinking a picture of print is readable to screen access tech
* Folks assuming I need to talk to my tech because I am blind. I don't know why this persists but everyone seems to believe a blind person can't learn to type, even though sighted touch-typists don't look when they are properly trained. Boggles the mind.
Tarnagona 12 points 1y ago
I’ll add, people trying to be helpful in very unhelpful ways. Like grabbing my arm and trying to pull me somewhere, instead of asking me whether I want help and where I’m trying to go. Or speaking to the person I’m with about instead of asking me directly, “what would she like?”
Also in the same vein, people wanting to tell me about Jesus or pray with me for healing. Look, I just want to run my errands in peace. Also, assuming I MUST want healing is kind of ableist.
Happily, these are things that don’t happen often, but do still happen with some regularity when I’m out in public.
Also in the same vein, people wanting to tell me about Jesus or pray with me for healing. Look, I just want to run my errands in peace. Also, assuming I MUST want healing is kind of ableist.
Happily, these are things that don’t happen often, but do still happen with some regularity when I’m out in public.
bradley22 3 points 1y ago
The “helpful” people are annoying.
slotherwordly 3 points 1y ago
Dear gods, yes this. I detest going out in public bc of this crap.
oncenightvaler 1 points 1y ago
so when people come up to me and ask to pray about healing I pray with them and then I ask them about what they want to pray for in their own life usually I pray for peace from worries.
Tarnagona 3 points 1y ago
When I have time for it, I enjoy talking to people, hopefully making them examine a little bit why they want to pray for my eyes, and the ableist assumption that’s built on.
I also love delving in to the wider questions of whether prayer is effective at all, how do they know God is listening or even there at all. I try not to do this in a combative why, but I think it’s really important to examine what our beliefs are based on, and whether that is indeed a good foundation for belief.
I’m an atheist now, so I don’t have much interest in praying for anyone, myself included. But I find conversations about beliefs and religion fun and interesting. And I’m passionate about encouraging critical thinking applied just as much to deeply cherished beliefs as to anything else. Religious beliefs may seem harmless but influence all kinds of decisions, like who to vote for.
I want everyone, myself included, to believe as many true things, and as few false things as possible. So if I can get someone to think about the assumptions they are making when they ask to pray for me, that’s all to the good. And maybe one of them will give me a good reason to believe in god(s) one day.
On the other hand, sometimes I don’t have time or spoons for these conversations. And people wanting to pray my blindness away bothered me long before I became an atheist.
I also love delving in to the wider questions of whether prayer is effective at all, how do they know God is listening or even there at all. I try not to do this in a combative why, but I think it’s really important to examine what our beliefs are based on, and whether that is indeed a good foundation for belief.
I’m an atheist now, so I don’t have much interest in praying for anyone, myself included. But I find conversations about beliefs and religion fun and interesting. And I’m passionate about encouraging critical thinking applied just as much to deeply cherished beliefs as to anything else. Religious beliefs may seem harmless but influence all kinds of decisions, like who to vote for.
I want everyone, myself included, to believe as many true things, and as few false things as possible. So if I can get someone to think about the assumptions they are making when they ask to pray for me, that’s all to the good. And maybe one of them will give me a good reason to believe in god(s) one day.
On the other hand, sometimes I don’t have time or spoons for these conversations. And people wanting to pray my blindness away bothered me long before I became an atheist.
ThisBlindChickReads 9 points 1y ago
-Not being able to fill out forms ... There is paperwork for everything (signing receipts counts).
-Cashiers not understanding that I can't see the pay pad ... Even though i have my white x and
-Constantly knocking glasses over.
-people trying to direct with phrases like "over there", "that one" , "right here" ... These phrases mean nothing to me. Give me a direction like "two o'clock about 3 steps" , "in front of your left hand" , "one step to your left".
-Cashiers not understanding that I can't see the pay pad ... Even though i have my white x and
-Constantly knocking glasses over.
-people trying to direct with phrases like "over there", "that one" , "right here" ... These phrases mean nothing to me. Give me a direction like "two o'clock about 3 steps" , "in front of your left hand" , "one step to your left".
bradley22 3 points 1y ago
Why do you have to sign receipts in the US? I’m from the UK and as far as I know, we don’t do that here.
mcclainaj05 [OP] 3 points 1y ago
Depends on what you're buying and how you're paying for it I think.
bradley22 2 points 1y ago
Interesting.
ThisBlindChickReads 1 points 1y ago
When paying with a credit card some businesses still print a paper receipt that require signatures. Some that come to mind are restaurants/ bars (this adds an added difficultly when adding a tip), pharmacies, doctor's offices (to pay insurance copays), some independent clothing or other retail stores. Those are ones I can think of at the moment. Some are moving over to electronic pads but even those are difficult to navigate if the employee doesn't recognize that I can't really see it (sometimes they will set it in the table or face it toward me and just walk away. I usually go to places with a friend so they usually help me out.
bradley22 2 points 1y ago
Wow, that isn’t a thing here.
ThisBlindChickReads 1 points 1y ago
That must be so nice ... And makes me jealous 😂
PungentMushrooms 5 points 1y ago
A few that come to mind:
​
1. The fact that just existing in the same room as other people can make people feel uncomfortable because they don't know how to interact with a blind person. Sometimes you can really hear the unease in customer service people's voices even if your just asking for the most simple, mundane thing and it's always up to you to defuse the tension because you obviously don't want to make folks feel uneasy.
2. People watch you all the time when you're out and about. You lose all anonymity. If you're in an office and go to pour yourself a cup of coffee, it's basically guaranteed that someone will be watching you attentively like you're performing a circus act
3. Constantly haaving to prove yourself even for things that are genuinly really easy to do with no sight. Like using a can opener. "Oh, you need any help with that?"
​
1. The fact that just existing in the same room as other people can make people feel uncomfortable because they don't know how to interact with a blind person. Sometimes you can really hear the unease in customer service people's voices even if your just asking for the most simple, mundane thing and it's always up to you to defuse the tension because you obviously don't want to make folks feel uneasy.
2. People watch you all the time when you're out and about. You lose all anonymity. If you're in an office and go to pour yourself a cup of coffee, it's basically guaranteed that someone will be watching you attentively like you're performing a circus act
3. Constantly haaving to prove yourself even for things that are genuinly really easy to do with no sight. Like using a can opener. "Oh, you need any help with that?"
Unpopular_couscous 4 points 1y ago
I'm so sorry you have to constantly think about this stuff. I'm sighted but my dad is legally blind and as a child, I would always feel so embarrassed about him in public because I didn't want others to stare at us. I don't feel that way anymore.
I tend to recommend this one book to everyone, and truly "the courage to be disliked" by Ichiro Kishimi changed my life and made me stop worrying about what others think. Give it a listen if you get a chance.
I tend to recommend this one book to everyone, and truly "the courage to be disliked" by Ichiro Kishimi changed my life and made me stop worrying about what others think. Give it a listen if you get a chance.
hatesfelix 1 points 1y ago
One of my friends is blind and I never even thought about any of this stuff, to me he’s just my best friend, not a blind man. Sorry you have to deal with this.
Financial_Tough_7677 2 points 1y ago
Hi, I was born in late 1964 with congenital glaucoma. I am also near-sighted. I have had 17 operations on my eyes – including a couple of trabeculectomies, an endothelial transplant, and cataract extraction. For about 15 years I was able to read the 20/60 line on the eye chart (you know, the DAO6 line.) My right eye was never that great. The best I could do with it was see the 20/400 line – the big E.
I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life, owning several businesses starting when I was 21 years old in 1986.
In iCantCU.com, which is a $1, I have shared almost all struggles and everyday experiences I had experienced so far. You can refer to that to know more about my experience in each situation, from consulting a doctor, watching games, travelling by train etc.
I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life, owning several businesses starting when I was 21 years old in 1986.
In iCantCU.com, which is a $1, I have shared almost all struggles and everyday experiences I had experienced so far. You can refer to that to know more about my experience in each situation, from consulting a doctor, watching games, travelling by train etc.
mcclainaj05 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Wow, two months later and I'm still getting replies, thanks for the link, I will be sure to check it out.
OldManOnFire 2 points 1y ago
Agree with everything posted so far. It's the little things. Tripping over the dog, waiting for rides instead of going when I want, little stuff like that.
B_Bussen 2 points 1y ago
It is certainly the little things. Keep in mind all of us have different tallents. I'm not a great mechanic, although I've known blind people who were. I work in electronics and have always been good at troubleshooting. I have no problem tearing my comput apart to install another drive and so forth. Many of my friends are scared to do that.
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.