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

[David Andrews]

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