[nabs-l] presentation about blindness/ vision impairment

Arielle Silverman arielle71 at gmail.com
Mon Oct 15 04:39:42 UTC 2012


Hi Ashley,
Regarding tips for social interaction: When I present about this I
always say they should only learn two rules: (1) treat us like you
would anyone else, in every way possible except the obvious (i.e. no
pointing at things). and (2) if the interaction involves giving
assistance, ask the blind person if or how he/she wants to be helped.
It really does not need to be any more complicated than just treating
us (a) normally and (b) with respect for our preferences. I know it's
popular to give six or ten rules, but I think the simpler you can make
it for them, the better. Some people get so hung up on making sure
they treat us exactly right that they forget about simply acting
normally and treating us with respect.
Arielle

On 10/14/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I landed an internship  in the IT section 508 department
> of customs and borders.
>
> I am presenting about visual impairments. The goals of the presentation are:
> 1. to give an overview of what vision impairment/low vision/blindness is. 2.
> To explain how a vision impaired person functions in life including braille
> and O&M. 3. Overview assistive technology; benefits and limitations. 4. tips
> for assisting a vi/blind person.
>
> Can you point me to resources preferabily online which simulate low vision.
> For instance central field loss or peripheral field loss. Also, where can I
> find facts about vision impairment including how many might be visually
> impaired, the leading causes, and who is most likely to become vision
> impaired.
>
> I’ve already checked some major websites such as American Foundation for the
> blind, Foundation Fighting Blindness, The American Optemetric association,
> and www.lowvisionsolutions.com.
> I have some info already, but felt that I might have some more specifics.
> Is there a site where you can type something short in braille and it shows
> you what it would look like? I am pretty sure such a thing exists.
>
> Also, what do you suggest for the tips on interaction?
> So far I have these things:
> 1. Give verbal directions when asked.
> 2. Speak in a normal tone and volume
> 3. Identify yourself when you come in to a room or start talking unless they
> know you well.
> 4. Ask if they need assistance and how; they may wish to take your arm
> called sighted guide.
>
> Thanks for any ideas.
> Ashley
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