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When it rains I (Dave) often have memories of and refer to a holiday I was on in 2006. My wife and I were on a guided tour of Vancouver, Canada. We were between stops on a tour of the city when it started to rain. The driver and guide said on the on-board PA, it’s not rain, it’s liquid sunshine! He then went on to say that it’s not rain that’s the problem, more the inappropriate clothes that people wear when it rains.
For me being blind, rain is both a positive and a negative. I’ll start with the not so good first… I use and rely on my hearing lots when I’m out and about. I’m listening out for people, cars, usual noises as well as those not so usual noises; noises that mean I might have to concentrate more on my cane rather than hearing - builders or road workers for example. When it rains, it’s not the additional noises of water running down drains or the wet noise that is made from cars driving on wet roads, but the reduced and muffled sounds that are caused by having to put my hood up to stay dry. You’ll be amazed how different the world is when you put your hood up. I lose majority of the sounds from behind me and the sounds I do get are muffled and hard to pin point exactly where they are coming from. For this reason, even if it means getting wet, I’ll leave my hood down; especially if I’m out on my own or responsible for my children’s safety also. The other problem that rain causes is puddles; those very wet things that I don’t see and therefore walk through making my feet and trousers wet… not harmful but oh so annoying! On a positive side, rain is one of the weathers that provide an audio description of its severity. Rain fall itself comes in different forms and they all sound different; it’s like a sliding scale from drizzle having little or no sound through to hail or torrential rain being very loud. Often I can listen to rain and work out how hard it’s falling and weather I’m likely to get damp, mildly wet or soaked through! The other positive that rain brings is its ability of identifying my surroundings to me. Rain generates a landscape of sound built up of the various different noises it makes when hitting different surfaces. For example, rain hitting grass sounds different to rain hitting concrete and it’s different again when it hits wood or metal. Not for one minute am I suggesting that I can identify an item from the sound that’s made when rain hits it, more that it enables me to build a picture in my head of where things are around me that I’m aware of but can’t see. Try it… the next time it’s raining (you’ll probably not have to wait very long), stand outside your door, close your eyes and listen. Try and listen for the different sounds and build that audio picture. Isn’t the sound of rain falling on the canvas of a tent or the roof of a fibreglass caravan great – especially if you’re inside rather than outside!! Vicky: I guess like all of us, how we relate to the rain also depends on what we’re doing (and how we’re dressed) at the time. However, a holiday memory for me was going to Blizzard Beach (a water park in Florida) as a family in torrential rain. Because it was humid it wasn’t cold, we were all dressed in swimsuits and were going to get wet anyway and the additional bonus was very few other people had ventured out so there were no queues for the rides 😊 However, getting drenched by the rain when you’re on your way to an important meeting is not such good fun. Some of the points Dave makes are nicely illustrated in two of the books we’ve read – In ‘Bleedout’ by Joan Brady “Sighted people tie the moments of their lives together with a landscape that flows from one vista to the next; only rain gives the blind a continuum like that and I listened to the pattering on the window.” And in ‘Touching the Rock’ by John M Hull “I opened the front door and rain was falling. I stood for a few minutes lost in the beauty of it. Rain has a way of bringing out the contours of everything…I hear the rain pattering on the roof above me, dripping down the walls to my left and right, splashing from the drain pipe at ground level on my left, while further over to the left there is a lighter patch as the rain falls almost inaudibly upon a large leafy shrub. I think that this experience of opening the door on a rainy garden must be similar to that which a sighted person feels when opening the curtains and seeing the world outside” We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting… Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.
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 Dave: As a sight impaired person, crossing a road, usually a simple task for a sighted person, can be a nerve wracking experience and, at times, a bit of a gamble if I’m honest. Where possible, I would use a controlled crossing such as a pedestrian or zebra crossing but where these are not available, such as a junction of a side road, I would have to use my other senses in order to determine whether it’s clear to cross. On many occasions, (this actually happened more when I had my guide dog) drivers would stop and expect me to cross in front of them. Now, as much as this is a kind gesture, for me it presents a couple of possibilities:
· I can’t see why the car has stopped; maybe it’s stopped as another car or hazard is preventing them in proceeding. · It has stopped for me but I can’t see the driver dancing in their seat and waving their hands furiously at me or repeatedly flashing their lights On a few occasions the driver has put their head out of the window (after winding it down or that would be stupid) and shouted something like “it’s clear to cross” or “I’m waiting for you to cross”. So, what do I do? Just wait and ignore the kind gesture? Or do I gamble and cross and hope that they are waiting for me and that I’m not about to get mown down by someone over-taking the car that had stopped??? Vicky: Hmmm…to be honest, before I worked with Dave and we talked about this I hadn’t really thought about how unhelpful this might be. It would be natural to stop and allow time for someone to cross in front of your car if they looked like they were having difficulty getting across the road but I hadn’t really thought through the implications if that person couldn’t see me. So would I do it differently now? We chatted about it when writing this post, and in reality, I’m still no further forward – this is because for some blind people, they might have good enough vision to see that my car had stopped and therefore it is helpful, but for others, like Dave, it might be confusing and unhelpful. In the end, I might think more about whether it was necessary for me to stop (i.e. how busy the road was etc.,) and if I did, then remember to be prepared to assist further…(oh and wind down my window if I was going to call out - thanks for that useful tip Dave!) :-) We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting… Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.  Vicky: Lots of you will have read about the appalling situations where the accessible loos are full of boxes or have been turned into the manager’s office (nice 😊) but some accessible loos that are free of clutter still really aren’t accessible and definitely not to all. A lot of companies assume that the accessible toilets need to be accessible solely for people in wheelchairs – great if they are, but not their sole purpose. And why do people insist on just putting mirrors at the suitable height for someone in a wheelchair? When the wall is blank above, do people not think it would be sensible to put a full length mirror in - an easy way to make it accessible to all.
For us working together, and for Dave when he’s out with his wife, accessible loos are (usually) great as I can just open the door and describe the layout and any unusual features from the door before leaving Dave to it – for want of a better expression. This saves Dave having to feel his way around in the men’s to find the urinals or cubicles (imagine that for a second – gross, or if you’ve had to experience this, sorry for making you relive this experience) or getting funny looks if he accompanies us into the ladies (something we as business partners have always managed to avoid). It also helps to be able to describe any unusual tap types, dryer types, flush types etc., yes there are loads! And so now for the times when the use of the word accessible is not an accurate description… A while ago, Dave and I were out on a visit to a different office and went to find the loo. We found the accessible toilet along a corridor, and I opened the door ready to describe the layout. However, on this occasion, I looked in and said, ‘Oh hang on, I can’t actually see the toilet’. We agreed we’d need to do a joint recce and in we went. The room was quite long by narrow and, right at the far end, neatly positioned behind a wall was the toilet. Having described the area, I beat a hasty retreat. As I got back to the corridor, someone was about to go in to the loo. I quickly explained there was someone in there, at which point I got a raised eyebrow and an ‘Oh, ok’! The person quickly walked off and I was too busy chuckling to bother to call after them and explain. On another occasion, and this time providing sighted guide to an older man I don’t know so well, we were at a hotel conference venue. I looked for the sign for the accessible toilet and we followed this to find it was the ladies. We turned around and retraced our steps at which point I saw the sign for the men’s and an accessible loo in the other direction. Having followed this however, we were then just faced with the men’s toilets – I looked around but all the other doors in the corridor were either locked or cleaning cupboards. It was then that I realised that the accessible toilet sign was on the same door as the one for the men’s. My only course of action was to open the door (with some trepidation) and do a quick recee. Thankfully not a urinal (or man using it) in sight - but the accessible loo visible – just a bigger cubicle in one corner, apparently with its own basin and hand dryer – fine I guess but not if you’re supporting someone of the opposite sex. Having quickly described what was going on to the man I was supporting, I then gave directions (as best I could) from the door although obviously I couldn’t describe the cubicle layout. Not ideal or empowering! And then the moment of going to another conference, back with Dave this time, to receive directions to the accessible toilet which was supposedly just through some double doors. Through the doors we went, to find a lift, a cleaning cupboard and a ‘do not enter’ area. No accessible toilet here. Back out we went and I looked around but no accessible toilet in view. At this point we came across a husband and wife also having the same problem. We chatted for a bit and then I suggested that, as the man was sighted and the lady vision impaired, maybe we could swap partners if everyone was in agreement? I then sight guided the lady to the ladies, and Dave went with the husband to the men’s. Really not ideal but any port in a storm!! At the end of the conference, we did find out that there was an accessible toilet through those doors – but you had to go up in the lift to get to it – seriously!! On a positive note – there is now an item called a RoomMate - which is an electronic, wall-mounted device, which offers people with vision impairment a bespoke audio description of the layout of an accessible toilet. We have it listed on the Disability Equipment Service website – https://disabilityequipmentservice.co.uk/for-sale/9390 But you can go direct to the ADI Access website - http://www.adiaccess.co.uk/find-a-roommate Whilst this device won’t overcome all of the problems we’ve mentioned above, it would still be a really useful thing to have for any accessible loo. Dave: Vicky has captured things very well, I find it one of the worse things about sight loss. As you’ll appreciate, going in to a public toilet and using your other senses, mainly touch, isn’t great – it’s horrendous! I’ll just share one quick story which highlights this… On the way home from a holiday in the South West, we stopped off for a quick toilet break. It wasn’t a large service station, more of a car park with toilet block, even so, I still needed sighted help to find the gents (no accessible loo in sight – if I can use that pun). As we approached the door, my wife said in an alarmed voice “There’s a notice on the door that warns of sharps and needles”… Imagine what could happen if I had gone in alone and started to feel around!!! We’re sure other people have their own tales to tell, please share these and comment on our blog. We’d love to hear from you. And if you’re a company reading this or a designer, architect, builder, please, please, please think a bit more deeply about the word accessible. Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.  Dave: Being blind doesn’t mean that you have to stop doing things, however, there are things that I can’t do due to not being able to see – driving for example (although I can’t wait for self-drive cars). I’m talking about housework, laundry, gardening, etc. These are all things that, with the right attitude and a very methodical approach, can still be done – sight or no sight. I still like to wash and vacuum our car and still get the mower out of the shed and cut the grass. I vacuum and I do most of the laundry, including putting the king sized duvet cover on to the duvet… try this with your eyes closed for a challenge! However, when I do all of these things, I have to do them in a methodical way to ensure that the job gets done correctly. Take cutting the grass for example, I use an electric @FlymoOfficial (other brands are available). I ensure that the children are not around when I do this.
I start at the point nearest the plug socket making sure that all of the flex is behind me. I then cut the grass in horizontal strips, slowly working my way up the lawn to the furthest point from the plug. I will then, with the mower off, go back to the start and repeat the process. I’ll sometimes do this a 3rd time thus ensuring that I have (hopefully) cut all of the grass. I’m the same with the car; I’ll wash it in a methodical pattern, starting with the roof, then the windows, then the top half of the panels before making my 4th lap of the car to do the bottom part of the panels and finally the wheels. You might think that it’s quicker to wash each panel in full and slowly work my way around the car once but I like to wash from top down ensuring that I clean the dirtiest part of the car last (can’t forget what I learnt from my car valeting days). I use touch to feel the panels as I wash, feeling for any dirt (or birds ****) that I need to pay particular attention to. I will then rinse the car, again using feel to detect any missed bits, before drying with a ‘flunky’ (the best Ultimate Synthetic Chamois you’ll ever buy) ensuring that the car is definitely clean. All of these tasks take me much longer than it would a sighted person and there are times when I might miss bits or suck something up the vacuum that I shouldn’t have… but I think it’s good for me to do them – after all, what else would I be doing with my time? Vicky: There’s potentially lots to comment on here – but the main point I’d like to make is that there’s lots to think about as to appropriately supporting/assisting someone and not making assumptions about what someone with a vision impairment can or can’t do. But there’s also appreciating why someone might do things in a particular way and not taking over or interfering with the assumption that you can do it easier. Whilst not everyone with a vision impairment will be as methodical as Dave a lot of people will be and this might relate to how they organise things at home, having certain places for things; always putting things in the same place in the fridge for example, and again this is something to bear in mind if you’re visiting someone in their own home as a friend or when providing support. On the duvet front – here’s a couple of photos from the ‘Duvet Derby’ competition we sometimes run on our training that illustrates this nicely (and that was only a single duvet). We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting… Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.  Dave: In preparation for National Sandwich Day on 3 November, and as promised in our VIDA Insight no. 23 – Food (http://vidatraining.weebly.com/blog/23-foodbritishfoodfortnight), I thought that I would take the opportunity to write about sandwiches but in the greater context of the very British ‘buffet’.
We all love a buffet don’t we? A lovely spread of quiche, sausage rolls, chicken drumsticks, cheese and pineapple, vol-au-vents (showing my age now) and the platters of bridge rolls and sandwiches. Even when I could see, there was something about trying to establish the fillings of the sandwiches… I think that one’s egg mayonnaise… and those look like some kind of chicken; maybe coronation or tikka… and then you would hear “Oh no… I don’t think that’s vegetarian… you try it!” And what is it with having several platters of sandwiches with the same mixed fillings on them… surely it would make more sense to have a platter of each filling?? The thing I love about a buffet though, is the fact that you can go back as many times as you like. I particularly enjoy this when there are a variety of desserts on offer (I’m well known for liking my puddings) but this blog is supposed to be about sandwiches. Since not being able to see what’s on offer, and yes, probably not much of a disadvantage to someone that can see, approaching a buffet table is a real no-go; often referred to as a blind person’s nightmare. Imagine having a table of food in front of you and you having to find a selection with your eyes closed… and then having to carry this pile of food, often balancing on the thinnest paper plate imaginable, back to your seat. You can now probably appreciate why it is so much nicer to have a waiter/waitress bring your plate of food to you at the table. However, the real bonus to this style of eating is that it’s called ‘finger food’ and you can get away with using your fingers to eat it… perfect for the vision impaired! I always now rely on someone’s support to help me with this task. I like to go up to the table and find out what’s on offer and be able to say “yes” or /”no” whilst going around. I’m still amazed though at how few buffets have labels to aid with the identification; especially now the sandwich selections are more than cheese and pickle, egg and cress or ham and tomato. So, thinking about sandwiches and fillings, what are your favourites? I think my preference would be something along the lines of chicken and bacon mayonnaise, chicken tikka or a classic BLT. I also like a chip butty and a fish finger sandwich. However, and my in-laws still can’t get over this, I have been known to eat (and enjoy) a cold mashed potato with salad cream sandwich or a cold cottage pie sandwich. We also, as kids, used to have crisp sandwiches (any flavour works)… just delicious! Vicky: Oh Dave and you sounded so posh when you mentioned ‘bridge rolls’!! Ok so I’m one of the vegetarians Dave mentions who can be heard saying, ‘Hmmm not sure about this, can you try it first and let me know’ – well that’s when I’m on my best behaviour, with my husband I’m usually heard to say ‘Oh no, I shouldn’t have started that, the rest is yours!!’, so yes in some ways a buffet is a nightmare for me too. However, like Dave, I enjoy the prospect of trying different things from a buffet and for me, the visual array of a buffet is appealing, so even though I appreciate Dave’s rationale for putting all the same sandwiches on one tray, as a sighted person I think that would look boring. However, I do agree separate trays of vegetarian, meat and fish sandwiches would be much nicer and, a plea to anyone presenting a buffet, also labelled! The sense of relief I experience when buffet food is labelled is two-fold. Whilst I appreciate labelling doesn’t help everyone, not only does it make it easier when you’re vegetarian or have other dietary requirements, it is also a massive help when you are assisting someone else to choose from a buffet. Being faced with an array of sandwiches (and now more often wraps, samosas and spring rolls that you can’t even see into) and trying to give the person you’re with a good idea of what their choices are can be a daunting task, especially if there’s a queue of hungry people behind you. The number of times I’ve had to say to people ‘Oh, hang on, not too sure, might be chicken, then again it could be cheese!’ or even ‘Ok, it’s a samosa but no idea what’s in it. If it’s vegetarian can you let me know’. I did have to laugh when I turned up at a friend’s party, went to say hello to the hosts who both have vision impairments and who happened to be at the buffet table, to be greeted by ‘Oh good, someone with sight, what’s on this table!’. Mind you, this didn’t make me laugh as much as the time my husband and I went to a party only to find out that the buffet was vegan – great for me as I could eat everything with no concerns but my husband (an avid meat eater) was a little disappointed to say the least (it was over 20 years ago and still comes up regularly!!) As to my favourite sandwich – since going vegetarian that’s a bit more tricky and sandwiches at buffets can be a bit disappointing (although I do like egg mayonnaise or cheese and coleslaw, it’s annoying if there’s a huge array of food and that’s your only option). I like to taste some different things so maybe roasted veg and hummus, or falafel (easier in a wrap, I’ll agree) – but in general I’ll try anything that’s vegetarian and a bit different. We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts (or favourite sandwiches). Please share these by commenting… Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information. |
Our VIDA Insights...Following our experiences from delivering our Vision Impairment Awareness training days over the past couple of years, we know that there’s loads more that we could talk about and examples we could have shared. Whilst these won’t be a substitute for our training, they will give you an insight (hence the name!) into our thoughts, observations and experiences from each of our perspectives - Dave’s living with sight loss and Vicky’s from being a sighted person and working alongside and supporting people who have sight loss. Archives
February 2020
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