[Job-Discussions] Question about Non-verbal communication with sighted people

[Sandra Gayer]

Hello,
Great advice above, I couldn't have put it better myself! I teach,
"face the face."

IE, if there's noise coming out of someone's face, face that way. You
can convey a comfortable level of appearing, not sighted as such, but
knowing their rules, with the right head movements and facing the
right direction for people speaking. It's tuff going in an interview
panel if you're all seated at a circular table but worth the effort!


I meant to say that, if you're not sighted, you cannot create eye
contact as eye contact is the interplay between two sets of eyes. It's
a visual dialogue and cannot be one way. If one person can see and the
other can't, there is no contact. The best we can do is face them and
they are happy with that. There are other things we can do to
communicate interest as has already been shared in the previous email;
an open posture, an expressive face, (get sighted feedback about
this), little or no restlessness. I won't go on.

HTH,
very best wishes,
Sandra.

On 6/6/23, Dick Davis via Job-Discussions <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I always taught my blind careers students to look in the direction of a
> person who is talking to them. Nodding your head and leaning toward them
> shows interest too. Slouching conveys boredom.
>  Persons born blind do not usually develop those habits, so must work at
> them.
>
> Staring is looking at a person without nodding or doing anything to humanize
> the process. It is considered spooky, as is looking off into space, although
> looking up from time to time is a sign of thoughtfulness. Ask your sighted
> friends to work with you and give you feedback. It may seem artificial
> first, but it will become a habit.
>
> Body language is 70 percent of all messaging. Looking away, to a sighted
> person, means you are not telling the truth. Looking down means you are
> ashamed or hiding something. Or that you are afraid.
>
>  If you have a central vision problem like Mac-d, you may have to explain to
> people that you need to look away to see things better. That will make sense
> to them. Always tell sighted people why you do things if they are different
> from the way things are normally done.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Jun 6, 2023, at 11:55 AM, Karen Rose via Job-Discussions
>> <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Sorry, Siri messed up. Lol is a person born totally blind,
>>
>> Karen Rose MFT/LPCC www.career-therapy.net
>>
>>>> On Jun 6, 2023, at 9:50 AM, Karen Rose via Job-Discussions
>>>> <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>> As a person born to lead blind, I have always wanted to know how to make
>>> a contact in the first place. Any tips much appreciated :-)
>>>
>>> Karen Rose MFT/LPCC www.career-therapy.net
>>>
>>>>> On Jun 6, 2023, at 9:37 AM, Andrew J. Harmon via Job-Discussions
>>>>> <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>> 
>>>> Hello
>>>> I’m currently taking a class online about effective communications in
>>>> the workplace, and I had a question about non-verbal communication. I’ve
>>>> always heard how important it is to make eye contact with an individual
>>>> you’re trying to communicate with, but I wanted to know if there is any
>>>> additional “unwritten rules” about this? Is it better to only maintain
>>>> it while speaking, or while also listening to the other participants in
>>>> the conversation? Can you make people uncomfortable if you try to
>>>> maintain eye contact too long or too little?
>>>>
>>>> Thank you in advance for any help on this topic.
>>>>
>>>> Sincerely
>>>>
>>>> Andrew Harmon
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