Fast food restaurant may be difficult to navigate alone, but the food choices are mostly designed to be picked up. You may struggle to keep the filling inside the bun or pastry, and to prop up the floppy pizza slice while you guide the tip into your mouth. And of course there are those squirty […]
Read more "Visiting a Restaurant Part 2: What to Order and How to Deal with It"
The last time I visited our local Chinese restaurant I was hosting an older gentleman and his wife. He was very aware of my vision loss. His way of trying to assist me was that every time I put down my glass he moved it to a safer spot! His wife took over ordering the […]
Read more "Visiting a Restaurant"
It’s good to take something with you to a pot luck. It gets you into the kitchen where the action is, and makes you a contributor, not a bystander. There’s no need to bring a pie, of course. Drinks, chips or a fruit platter from the grocery store are all appreciated, but there is something […]
Read more "Pot Luck Pies for Summer: Part 1, No Bake Pie"
The situation is very unequal. You hear footsteps coming – steps like all other steps. A voice says “Hi Bill!” Is it a friendly neighbor or someone you went to school with? Is it the boss or the receptionist? There isn’t a perfect solution for this, and asking who you are talking to can be […]
Read more "Not Knowing Who You Are Talking to: The Worst Discomfort in Vision Loss"
Are you one of the planners for your grandson’s bar mitzvah? Or are you a friend of the bride’s sister, and don’t know anyone else going to the wedding? Are you an old hand at the phoning around and planning you need to do before you go to a big occasion? Or are you new […]
Read more "The Season for Weddings and Graduations Is Here, but Will You Have Fun?"
You are the closest relation or partner of someone who is losing vision, or has a diagnosis of a blinding disease. The shock and grief for you can be almost as great as for your loved one. You aren’t getting any of the special attention or professional care either. You’re just holding her (or his) […]
Read more "Dealing With Vision Loss in Your Partner, Parent or Best Friend"
Eyes that don’t make contact, or look unusual, or a white cane make the person you are meeting uncomfortable. You don’t want to of course, but people react to the lack of eye contact. It makes them nervous. Sometimes the store clerk or the receptionist or new neighbor will talk with an over-sweet tone, like talking […]
Read more "April Fool’s Day: You Don’t Want To Be Treated Like a Fool"
Last week’s post focused on the common misuse of the word blind to give negative punch to statements meaning ignorant or unaware. I got some push-back from my family as you will discover if you have a minute to check out the comments from last week. This post is focusing on the other side of […]
Read more "The Other Side of the Blind"
There are 3 challenges to gift buying when your sight is poor, or you have no vision. The first is getting to the stores you like; the second is picking out the item from the hundreds around you, but which are not on display to you; and the third is selecting the gift in the […]
Read more "Selecting Your Gifts Unseen"
Pop Quiz: Where your white cane now? in a closet, or somewhere in your bag by the front door in your hand or at your feet I have a guide dog (Skip this entry and pat yourself on the back.) It’s more likely that you checked number 1 than any of the other choices. […]
Read more "Can Your White Cane Come Out of the Closet?"