We thought this might be an appropriate post as it’s half term this week….
 
There are elements of being blind that I find tricky to deal with. I’m a dad of 2 lovely children (ages 8 and 6 when writing this post) and enjoy spending time playing with them. I get frustrated when I can’t join in with some things like tennis or football (I keep missing the ball) but, with their support, can build Lego, play connect 4, etc. Both of them can ride their bikes without stabilisers and enjoy cycling around our cul-de-sac or going around the block with Errol (my guide dog) and I hot on their heels. On the whole, they play really nicely together and I, although being outside with them, don’t need to worry that they’re getting up to no good or being unsafe; I guess not being able to see them makes me rely a bit more on them looking out for themselves with me, every now and again, calling out to ensure that they are both safe. The bit that I find difficult is when I hear that familiar ‘splat’ noise followed by a painful cry… I can’t see what happened but know, just from the noise, that an accident has occurred and someone is down hurt. I generally know who it is from the cry but get this confirmed if it is my daughter that’s down with my son running along towards me shouting “Ne Na Ne Na Ne Na emergency”. I locate the injured party quickly and try and quickly establish what has happened, getting them back to their feet and making our way home. However, when they tell me there is blood then I struggle to know just how bad the cut is. I can normally tell by the amount of blood (if I can feel it running down there leg or something) but, more often than not, don’t really know if I need to seek further help. If Kelly (my wife) is around, then she will take over and clean up the wound, but if she isn’t, then I do my best using water and kitchen towel and our trusty ‘Mr Happy’ cool pad from the fridge. I guess that, if I felt it really serious, I would call upon a neighbour or call 999 but this is always a tricky decision to make.

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One for all those people doing their exams at the moment…
 
Dave: If I’m honest, I found school a bit of a chore, something you have to do but something you don’t really enjoy – apart from the lunchtime gambling, sneaking out of the grounds to buy chip rolls from the local chippy or flirting with the girls! :-) I considered myself to be a reasonable speller with this, and my English grammar, improving throughout my working career but know that I’m more of a middle of the road writer than a creative author. However, since my sight has deteriorated and I can no longer read or see print, I am finding that I spell words that I haven’t used for years or are unfamiliar to me phonetically (or is that finetically?). This regularly happens with names and I don’t realise that I’m spelling them incorrectly unless Vicky notices this or if I happen to take the effort to spell the name using my screen reading software. For example, I was emailing someone called Dillon with regard to my work and was informed, by Vicky after I had emailed him several times, that he spells his name Dylan. Other names and words that I have spelt incorrectly are Vikki instead of Vicky, Chrissie instead of Chrissy, dimentia instead of dementia, conjestion instead of congestion, etc. The names I get, as names could be spelt in several different ways but the latter examples where it’s just poor spelling have crept in over recent years and I think it’s to do with me not being able to see the word. I rely on my memory for spelling and hear myself spelling words in my head whereas sighted people might write them down and be able to visually see that the word is spelt correctly or incorrectly. It is something that I am conscious of and I do make an effort to spell check where possible but know that errors occur. However, I don’t get hung up on this as I notice that many people make mistakes or spell things badly proving that we’re not all perfect!
 
Vicky: So apart from checking that Dave had intentionally misspelt phonetic :-), there is an element of retaining some sensitivity to this subject…I’m aware that Dave would like to know the correct spelling of people’s names when responding to emails but obviously I’m not watching everything he writes so just mention it when I think there could be an alternative spelling or when Dave asks! Sometimes I mention it and Dave says, ‘Yes, I’ve already checked it’ but you can’t get it right all the time. However, there is also the balance of whether telling someone they continually misspell a word (when your role is to double check a document anyway) is helpful or annoying? This doesn’t seem to be a problem for Dave however, when he takes great delight in informing me that I have yet again typed the word from instead of form (or vice versa!!). So having someone for whom written text is read aloud and therefore those typos become more obvious does also have its benefits – proving, yet again, that joint working is effective in many ways.
 
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We’ve both just read, Vicky by paperback and Dave by audio book,  Touching the Rock by John M Hull – a diary kept by a man who eventually lost his sight due to double detached retinas. It was an interesting and thought-provoking read, prompting several discussions between us including about some of the similarities that Dave was able to relate to in person. We have been able to refer to the book too on our recent training days as it helps to highlight elements of our training.
Although written in diary form, John reflects upon his recent sight loss and the impacts it has on his everyday life, at times illustrating clearly some of the less thought about implications. We talk loads on our training that sight loss isn’t just about not being able to see as well but all of the effects this may have on someone’s life including in different social situations, relationships etc. Although one interesting part was his comments relating to the weather and how wind or rain can create an audible landscape otherwise not available, we found his reflections about social situations were of most interest to us. We can’t (and wouldn’t want to) re-create his words but a sample of his thoughts that resonated with us or made us connect with him the most were:

• Having to prearrange social events – i.e. not being able to just call in to a pub/social club to socialise due to not being able to see who was there
• Not being able to ‘mingle’ easily at a social event and so being dependent either on people engaging with you (and then feeling awkward about leaving you alone if they need to leave) or relying on someone else to introduce you to people around the room
• How being blind affected how much you smile with this being thought to be due to not seeing other people smile at you
• How accepting assistance may make people assume an on-going need for assistance…John’s example was being walking on his own to and from work, a familiar journey to him, but once someone joins him and is chatting to him how he then needs their support as talking to them takes away his ability to concentrate on the route. His concern was that they would then assume he needed their support on another occasion whereas without them he was independent!

 
There’s loads more that we could mention but wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone that hasn’t read the book yet. However, if you have read the book, then please share with us your comments and which particular bits stuck out for you.

Dave: It’s that time of year when the sun is making an appearance, there is warmth in the air and all of the plants have woken up following a long winter. I think that there are lovely parts of every season but enjoy the spring due to all the plants budding and being able to feel the new growth on a daily basis. I’m not a great gardener but like to potter around in the garden. I like plants that have vibrant, contrasting colours (yellow or white flowers on green foliage) and also enjoy my Acers (Japanese Maples) for their shape and soft leaves. However, this isn’t an Alan Titchmarsh gardening post, but to have a moan about people who don’t keep their gardens and, in particular, their bushes, hedges or trees that border a pavement tidy. I’m sure the majority of people do try and keep a handle on new growth but there are many homes that I walk past where the hedge or bush has really overgrown and, with the new spring growth, means that I get poked or brushed in the face more and more this time of year. I wear my sunglasses nearly all the time when I’m out and about with these not only protecting me from the glare of the sun but also as a barrier to things poking or scratching my eyes as I walk past. I know that I can report this on the council website but I shouldn’t need to do this. Please, if you have a garden that borders a pavement, get your shears out and give your overgrown bits a good trim…;-)
Vicky: Whilst we’re on this topic (and to bring it back on track a bit :-)) it’s also something to be very aware of if you are being a Sighted Guide for someone. Apart from being a real pain when you have to keep avoiding bushes sticking out onto the pavement too far (or continually having to use the ‘narrow gap technique’) what about up above? You may well have allowed for the width of you and the person you are guiding but have you checked for overhanging branches or twigs that droop down only on their side of the path? You will need to be particularly aware of this if the person you are guiding is taller than you. Believe me you will feel rubbish if you miss something visually and they don’t miss it physically!
 
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Yes, as far as I’m (Dave) concerned, saying goodbye to the old £5 note will be a sad day. On Friday 5 May 2017, the old paper £5 note will lose its legal tender status and will therefore no longer be able to be used to buy stuff in shops. Any old notes can still be exchanged at banks (so don’t panic) or by sending them direct to the Bank of England. Although I have now got used to the new polymer £5 note that came in to circulation on 13 September 2016, I really struggled to recognise them, confusing them and their new plastic feel with a lottery ticket or a shiny receipt like you get from Sainsbury’s (other supermarkets are available). Also, due to the change in size, my vibrating note detector no longer supported the new polymer note leaving me with finding an alternative way to sort my stacks of cash! :-) On the upside though, the new polymer notes have been designed to help us vision impaired people. They will continue to have tiered sizing and include bold numerals and similar colour palettes to the current paper notes, but, in addition, the new £10 and £20 notes will have raised dots enabling quick recognition, with the £5 note remaining free from this tactile feature. The new polymer £10 is to be put in to circulation in September 2017 with the £20 sometime in 2020. The £50 is not yet thought to be changed to a polymer note – the Bank of England say it’s because it was only changed in 2011 but I think it’s because there aren’t any in circulation… unless Vicky is holding on to all of them! :-)
Vicky: I wish…so I’m guessing the new fiver feeling pretty similar to a receipt must make it even harder when unhelpful cashiers hand your notes, change and receipt all over together then…
 
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