[nfb-talk] Making Our Homes Comfortable and Accessible to Blind Folks

Mon Dec 19 14:07:40 UTC 2011

I think you should have lights on, not only for your guests but for protection.  I have some sight and can not stand a dark house.  My totally blind, chapter members, when I go to their homes, have lights on.  I think they use timers to control the lights, posibly.  
If you walk into my home, accept for the canes at the door, a brailler, on my craft table, a talking micro wave and a few braille gagits like a braille ruler, I do not think you would even know it was the home of a blind person.  I have collections, a few pictures on the walls and have decorated for the Christmas holiday.  An NFB member came over and we decorated my place and had a great time.  
When planning my lay out of furnature I planned it so I could look at the tv when I wanted, even though I can not see it well.  I have a place to sit and talk on the phone and I have a recliner.  I love all aspects of my home accept transpertation, now that I am living on my own. 

Terry Powers

-----Original Message-----
From: David Andrews [mailto:dandrews at visi.com] 
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2011 4:50 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Making Our Homes Comfortable and Accessible to Blind Folks

I think you answered your own question.  If you have sighted persons over regularly then you should do things to make them comfortable.  To do otherwise would be making yourself a bad host.  Where you draw the line is a personal decision though.  For example, if you have a working, and adequate TV, you may feel that it is not necessary to go out and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a HD model, or you may!

Dave

At 03:43 AM 12/17/2011, you wrote:
>Hi there,
>
>
>
>Here's a question that I guess could also be somewhat philosophical in 
>that it will make us think about how we deal with and interact with 
>sighted people.
>
>
>
>As blind folks, do you think we have a responsibility to not only make 
>our homes comfortable and accessible for us and the folks with whom we 
>live, but also to sighted folks?
>
>I've heard comments in the past that basically say that since it's a 
>blind person's home, then the only thing that should be of concern is 
>that things are comfortable and accessible for the blind person.
>
>
>
>I've been thinking a lot about this over a long period of time.  I have 
>some friends that come over, and one in particular who stays in my 
>guest room when he's in town, and when all of that happens, I'm the 
>only blind person around.  All of a sudden, I begin to think about 
>lights and the amount of light in a room.  I begin thinking of making 
>sure that appliances that are labeled in Braille are done using clear tape so that they can also use them.
>I even began thinking of the layout of my living room and how one of my 
>friends finally said that it was uncomfortable to do things like watch 
>TV or watch movies, because of how my furniture and TV are placed.  
>People have to face sideways to be able to watch TV.  And, my TV is so 
>old that it doesn't support or have HD capabilities.
>
>
>
>I began wondering about the importance of a blind person having an 
>aesthetically or visually appealing house, not only for himself but 
>also for the sighted friends and family that come to visit.  Are we 
>being selfish by not considering these things, or should sighted 
>company learn to live with how we have things and deal with them?
>
>
>
>I'm beginning to think that if I care about my friends and family, then 
>I should do something to make them feel comfortable in a place where 
>they spend quite a bit of time.  But then, where does one draw the line?
>
>
>
>Anyway, hope you don't mind the question.  Just curious what other 
>blind folks (especially those who are totally blind) think.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Jim

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