As the only private agency in Oklahoma that provides specialized services for people living with vision loss, we receive many inquiries about blindness. Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors. Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness. Total blindness is the complete lack of form and visual light perception and is clinically recorded as NLP, an abbreviation for "no light perception.” Blindness is frequently used to describe severe visual impairment with residual vision. Those described as having only light perception have no more sight than the ability to tell light from dark and the general direction of a light source.

What causes vision loss and blindness?
There are many causes of vision loss and blindness. Some vision impairment and blindness is congenital (from birth, or onset during the pre-school years). Most people lose their sight in later years through diseases or from accidents. Current data ranks the most common causes of vision loss and blindness as: cataracts (47.9%), glaucoma (12.3%), age-related macular degeneration (8.7%), corneal opacity (5.1%), diabetic retinopathy (4.8%), childhood blindness (3.9%), trachoma (3.6%) and onchocerciasis (0.8%).

How many Oklahomans are living with blindness and vision loss?

Approximately 50,000 Oklahomans are classified as legally blind. Another 500,000 have been diagnosed with eye diseases which lead to blindness or significant vision loss. Every seven minutes, someone in Oklahoma will become blind or visually impaired.

  

Are the other senses of a person with blindness strengthened?
Many people have the misconception that people who are blind are endowed with other highly developed senses and skills. Loss of eyesight means learning to do familiar tasks differently. This means having to rely more on other senses; such as hearing and touching to adjust to ones surroundings.

How do blind people get around?
There are many ways for the blind to go from one place to another. Using a long white cane allows someone who is blind to travel independently by helping to locate steps, curbs, streets, sidewalks, doorways, and any other object or place. There are canes of all sizes, including very small ones for children and long ones for tall people. Some prefer to use a guide dog to get around. These dogs are highly trained and can help a blind person to move around things, go through doorways, and stop at curbs and stairs. When the blind person hears that it is safe to cross the street, he or she will tell the dog to go ahead. When the blind person gets to the address of the restaurant or business, the dog will find the door. The blind person using the dog is always in charge and must tell the dog what to do. A blind person can also safely get around with the help of a sighted friend.  

Can someone with blindness live alone?
It is a common misconception that people who are blind cannot live alone or work independently, but with proper training, people can readjust living and working skills to their new situation. Our Vision Rehabilitation Department offers comprehensive training to help someone with blindness or vision loss to enjoy an independent lifestyle.

Can a person with blindness have a career?
There are very few limits to what a person without sight, or with limited sight, can accomplish. Blind people are chefs, lawyers, farmers, secretaries, factory workers, nurses, restaurant managers, child care professionals, social workers, computer programmers, insurance agents, salespeople, chemists, homemakers, doctors, professors, actors, musicians, telephone switchboard operators, counselors, maintenance workers, scientists, engineers, librarians, cosmetologists, car mechanics and repair people, electrical engineers, stockbrokers, accountants, journalists, and more. It is most important for blind people to have the chance to choose whatever job they want, and for the public to give blind people the opportunity.

How do blind people identify their clothes?
Most articles of clothing have at least one distinct way of identifying them by touch: different buttons or snaps, the feel of particular fabric or texture. Some blind people like to mark their clothes with a Braille label. Others might attach special buttons or tags. Talking color testers are also available to help people match garments. 

How do blind people shop for groceries?
Many grocery items, such as fruits and vegetables, can be identified by touch. Packaged foods like cereal, canned vegetables, milk and ice cream can be harder to identify. Many blind people like to shop with a friend who will help to find things and can read the labels. A blind person might also use a store employee to help find the groceries. Some blind people (especially if they are buying a lot of things) will make a printed list for someone else to read, and they will use a Braille list for themselves. Internet shopping lets a blind person handle supermarket shopping independently.

How does a blind person identify money?
Coins such as nickels, pennies, dimes, and quarters are easy to tell apart: they are different sizes; quarters and dimes have ridges around them, while pennies and nickels are smooth. There are many ways that paper money can be identified. Some blind people like to keep different bills in separate places in their wallets. The most common way to tell paper money apart is to fold the bills in different ways. Each person will have his or her own way of folding them; there is no standard for everyone. A five dollar bill might be folded in half the long way, while a ten dollar bill is folded in half the short way. A one dollar bill might be folded one way or not folded at all. When we get money back from someone else, we ask which bill is which and then fold it.

Blind people can use the same kitchen tools and appliances as sighted people use. Some blind use Braille or a special marking glue to put dots on some of the stove or oven temperature dials. It is easier to use things like measuring cups and spoons that stack with different sizes rather than ones with lines drawn on them. People can tell by the smell, sound, temperature, time of cooking, texture, and consistency how their foods are cooking.

 

There are watches that open up so a blind person can feel the hands and the Braille dots at the different hour points. There are also talking watches and talking clocks that speak the time and have alarms built in. For people who can read some print, there are also clocks and watches with large print faces.

How does it feel to be blind?
In the beginning, it can be frustrating or scary. It takes time to learn the skills need to live independently as a blind person. Once those skills are learned, that frustration gives way to confidence. Blind people do the same things as sighted people. The blindness becomes just another part of who they are. Blind people don't think about being blind every day, just like you don't think every day about whether or not you have red hair or brown hair.

Do blind people feel bad about being blind? Do they like to talk about it?
Blind and vision-impaired people live with their blindness or vision impairment every day and are often too busy to think about blindness very much. Being blind is nothing to be ashamed of. Most blind people would be glad to answer any questions you have about blindness: just ask them.

How do I interact with someone who is blind?

Here are few tips to help you support someone who is blind:

 

·         If you walk with them, let them take your arm. Don’t push them. The motion of your body will tell them what to do.

 

·         If you direct them, give directions as clearly as possible. Say left or right according to the way they are facing.

 

·         If you seat them, put their hand on the back of the chair. They will be able to seat themselves easily.

 

·         If you live or work with them, never leave a door ajar.  Keep corridors clear of clutter. Tell them if furniture has been moved.

 

·         If you talk with them remember that people who are only blind can hear as well as you.  Always talk directly to them, not through their companion.

 

·         If they have a dog, remember that the dog is a working dog, not a pet.  Ask for permission before petting or offering the guide dog food. 

 

·         Don’t feel afraid to use words such as “see” or “saw." People with blindness use the same language you do to describe things such as “watching TV."

 

What is Braille?
Braille is a writing system that uses raised dots on paper to form letters and words that are read by the blind with their fingertips. The basic Braille “cell” consists of two columns of three dots. The dots are numbered 1-2-3 from top to bottom on the left side of the cell and 4-5-6 from top to bottom on the right side of the cell. Each Braille letter, word, punctuation mark, number, or musical note is made using different combinations of these dots. Braille can be written with a Braille writing machine (similar to a typewriter) or it can be written by using a pointed stylus to punch dots down through paper using a Braille slate with rows of small "cells" in it as a guide. This method of writing Braille compares to writing print with a pen or pencil.

 

Where do blind children go to school?
In the past, most blind children went away from home to attend residential schools for the blind. While these schools still exist in most states. many blind children are now able to attend school in their home communities. Most children who attend the residential schools for the blind have other disabilities in addition to blindness. Blind children in public schools are in regular classrooms, use a cane, and read and write Braille. These blind students might also work with a special teacher who would obtain special books needed by blind children. These Braille books contain the same information and activities as other textbooks. Blind children take the same classes as other kids. At first, the special teacher would correct the papers that would be in Braille until the blind student learned to type the work on a typewriter. Then, any teacher could correct the papers.

 

If you have a question not addressed here, or if you would like more in-depth information, please feel free to call us at 405.232.4644.