Tag Archives: Visually Imapired

Christmas

Posted on by
Reply

Hello all,



It is coming up to Christmas time. Which means everything will be getting busier and there will be more going on around us. Which can be great but for those of us who are Visually Impaired or Blind it can be a bit more difficult.

There are lights going up and Christmas trees being decorated, shops are filling up with more of their Christmas stock. This can all feel quite festive. I do enjoy Christmas and giving presents to people. It is nice to get together with family and friends and to have a catch up.

What can be difficult is the Visual Clutter. At home we have everything where we normally put it so it’s not something new in a new spot.

I don’t really enjoy shopping as it’s busy, so we go when it’s not a weekend day. This makes it easier as there are less crowds. Shops will often have a move around of their stock at Christmas to utilise space. But when you go in and nothing is where it was before it’s quite disorientating.

This is another reason to go when it is not busy as you can take your time and not feel rushed. Top tip for the Visually impaired and Autistic shopper, go when it’s not busy so you are not feeling rushed.

Christmas can be great from a sensory perspective, that’s why it’s important to get it right for yourself as a Visually Impaired or Autistic Person. Take the time to not feel overwhelmed and to do it at your own pace.

Once all our decorations are up I’ll try make a post with you showing what it can look like if you have Nystagmus.

I find when shops have a lot out it can be very overwhelming. I find there’s too much stuff. I get it, it’s commercialisation, but sometimes there’s just too much going on.

Enjoy your Christmas season and all the merriment it can bring. If Christmas is hard for you, then make time for yourself and do what you need to get through. It can be hard this time of year.

Thank you for reading.


I’m on Threads @VisuallyImapiredPip

Cane Tip

Posted on by
Reply

Hello all,

A while ago I decided to try new cane tip. It was the Path Finder 360 rolling ball tip.

I had seen it on social media and thought I’d try it. It looked interesting in that I would be able to move my cane in any direction I wanted. Rather than the normal side to side sweeping motion a lot of visually Impaired Cane Users use.

I was used to using the high mileage tip from Ambutech and I loved it. But a change was needed as it looked so good.

I got the tip and after a few days of using it I had to say it was not for me. I’m sorry, I know a lot of other people have used it and said it was great but it was not for me.

I realise one of the reasons was that if I am stepping off a train I put my cane down and then tap the floor to make sure it’s all good, then I step down. The problem the 360 cane was giving me was that I found it would just move in any direction when I touch it down. Making me feel uneasy, especially if I was by myself.

This same feeling applies to steps. When walking down stairs I want to just move my cane left to right. But with the 360 cane it would roll forwards. With my other cane tip I would need to angle it so that it would move forwards.

The other issue was that it was a hollow tip. I was unsure how long it would last as I’d only used it for a few days. So I can’t really pass comment on this one.

If anyone has tried this 360 tip please let me know.

If you wish to see the cane I’m referring to it is through RNIB.

Thank you for reading,

Philippa B.

Loop Earplugs

Posted on by
Reply

Hello all,

I am back for another blog post. Sorry I have been away, again, I have been thinking about stuff to write and then I got a few ideas. So here is one of them.

A while ago I was looking around for something which could help me to reduce the amount of noise I have to contend with when on public transport or just out and about. Scrolling through twitter and intstagram I came across a brand called Loop. I remember a few friends mentioning it to me and I decided I would give them a go.

They have quite a few different options on their website and I was struggling to choose an option. They have ones for blocking out noise at concerts, for sleeping, or just everyday background noise. Eventually I settled on the Experience ones. These are designed to block out background noise and still allow you to hear conversations which are happening around you.

They have a few options for colours, I decided on the purple ones. I don’t normally go for purple so I thought I would be a bit different. It is a nice deep purple which is lovely.

Once I got them and had opened them up I was struggling to put the tips on the ends of the loops. This is because having Dysrpaxia I struggle to do tasks which are quite fiddly. I eventually got them on by just forcing it, but it was difficult to get the two pieces to align. But anyway, we got there.

Getting the train to work is an exhausting experience because of all the noise. So I pulled out the little plastic case they come in and I put them in my ears. I noticed that I could still hear the sounds of people talking and the keyboard clicks from phones around me. I was irritated and I was not happy. I took them out and then noticed the whooshing sound of the train came back into my ears. I put the Loops back in and couldn’t hear it anymore.

Another day I had to get the bus. Which again I wasn’t happy about because it is longer than the train journey. I also have to deal with floating bus stops- click here if you want to know more about how they impact Visually Impaired and Blind People. The bus journey was long and I knew I would get irritated, then frustrated quite quickly so I put the Loops in. Once again I could still hear the noise of people chattering away on their phones, but I couldn’t hear the noise of the bus speeding along. I decided to take one out. Yes, the noise of the traffic and the speeding bus returned. Putting it back in, it disappeared. 

They are pretty good at blocking out background noise but still enabling you to hear conversations happening around you.

They cost about £30 which at first I thought would be expensive, but if they work then great. They are not entirely what I set out for, but I can have a use for them when in busy environments without a lot of background noise. I have decided to try another pair of the loop earplugs to see if a different version blocks out all the noise- or as much as possible for when I am on the train.

I would recommend giving them ago as they re quite comfy and can be worn for long periods of time. The tips have different sizes and they are washable. I am just going to use alcohol wipes or soap and water to clean them.

Anyway, that’s that and I hope you have a good day. 

And no this is not an endorsement.

CVI

Posted on by
4

Hello again,

Thought I would drop in. I was wondering what to write about and then I decided. My horrendous eyesight.

So the other day I was helping to put stuff away after shopping and the front door had been left open while we bring stuff in from the car. I heard a noise which sounded like a bell. I turned around and looked towards the door. There was something there, I couldn’t make out what it was. So I was startled. The mystery thing then moved. My eyes refocussed and I realised it was a cat.

The cat was black and white and our carpet is a dark blue, almost black. This is what made the cat more difficult to see.

One of my eye conditions is Cerebral Visual Impairment. My brain and my eyes do not always communicate with one another. Which leads to instances like the above where I can be looking directly at something but my brain just can’t understand what it is at all.

This can be very dangerous when crossing roads.

When I realised it was a cat I saw it turn around and move back outside. I went to close the door. We do not have a cat so this is why it was startling because it was out of the ordinary and clearly my head had no idea was to do with the information.

The same thing happened again this morning. I was putting on a fleece and a small moth was on the sleeve, I did not realise and then it moved onto my hand. I flapped my hand and it wouldn’t move. So I flicked the moth off and it disappeared.

It is very difficult when you can’t see but when you have CVI its all confusing because you are looking but your brain is just not doing what it should be with the information it is receiving from your eyes. This is very exhausting.

Please follow the link to the CVI Society to learn more https://cvisociety.org.uk

I am off to enjoy a nice cup of tea and watch some TV. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.

Thank you,
Philippa B.