Finding stuff and then knowing what it is
If your eyesight no longer gives you the information you need about the world around you, it’s time to pay more attention to other senses. The sense of touch is the sense most used by low-vision and blind people to learn about the world around them. Below are things that I’ve come up with that work for me. Please share some that work for you. You may need sighted assistance to set up some of these.
I’ve divided these tips into two parts. This one focuses on dining issues and finding and identifying things in the kitchen. The next one deals with clothing issues.
Making eating a bit easier
- Yes, you can touch your food to help get it onto a fork, but probably not when dining with strangers.
- If you have some sight, consider selecting a plate or bowl with a color that contrasts with the contents to makes food easier to spot.
- Some meals are easier eaten in a bowl instead of on a plate. This might help when dining out.
What’s in this container?
Rubber bands are my friend. Here are a few ways I use them.
- There are several similar salad dressing bottles in the fridge door, but my Italian dressing is the only one adorned with a rubber band.
- We store many dry items in identical glass jars. The one with my corn chips have a rubber band around the cap. My cracker jar has a rubber band around the bottle cap.
- Olives always go into the same glass jar on which I’ve put a tactile bump on the cap.
- Consider learning the braille alphabet. Then you can use adhesive labels with a word or letter.
Where is that button?
Our microwave and other appliances have a flat screen display, useless for the blind and low-vision.
I put a tactile bump on the microwave 30 second and off button and I’m good to go. These tactile bumps are small adhesive-backed raised dots. An example you are familiar with is the one your cabinet doors close against, to protect the wood. Find them online or at a hardware, big box or dollar store.
There are so many handy tips and devices to make kitchen tasks easier. Consider finding and working with a trained rehabilitation teacher. They can be very helpful.
My next post deals with identifying and managing clothing.
Edward Cohen is the creator of the EZ2See® weekly planner/calendar.
