ELLIE'S BLOG on Living Well with Disability

This is such a wonderful time of the year.  It's a time of hope and love, a time where we can be with family and friends that we haven't seen for while.  So as we gather  in the various events with family or friends we have to remember those that are left out. Be sure to contact those that couldn't attend it will mean a lot to them.

But don't forget there can be some who are attending but are really not as totally present as they could be. I'm referring here to people with a variety of disabilities.  Some mild some more severe, some noticeable some less noticeable and some quite well hidden .

                    HEARING IMPAIRMENTS

Starting with loss of hearing I'm reminded of the visit we made to older friends we hadn't seen for quite awhile.  We were sitting around the table talking when suddenly Steve said," I can't hear a word you people are saying".  We sat there at first shocked then of course that's why he was very quiet.  I was so glad that he said that as it gave us a chance to talk about what you can do to include people who have a hearing loss.  We asked him what could we do to make it better for him. And  he said ,"you're talking too fast and not loud enough".  I also remembered from my experience as a PT in dealing with people with hearing loss that it is good to look directly at the person. This way he could read my lips and my visual expression so he wouldn't lose the nuance in the spoken word.

We continued our visit trying to keep in mind these four factors. Speak slowly, clearly and loud enough to be heard and look at the person directly. And it worked very well.

Ten Commandments for Interacting
With Hearing Impaired Persons

I.          Thou shalt not speak to the listener from another room.

II.        Thou shalt not speak with your back toward the listener or
            while the listener?s back is toward you.           

III.       Thou shalt not speak as you walk away.

IV.       Thou shalt not turn your face away from the listener while
            continuing to talk.

V.        Thou shalt not speak while background noise (water 
            running, radio or TV playing, people talking, etc.) is as or louder than your voice.

VI.      Thou shalt not start to speak before getting the listener?s
           attention and while the listener is reading, engrossed in a TV
           program, or otherwise preoccupied.

VII.    Thou shalt not speak while your face is hidden in shadow.

VIII.  Thou shalt not obstruct a view of your mouth while speaking.

IX.     Thou shalt not speak rapidly or by shouting.

X.       Thou shalt be patient, supportive and loving when the
           listener appears to have difficulty comprehending what has
           been said.

And some basic rules for people who are Hearing Impaired to help them in their ability in lipreading   http://www.afthi.org/ 

                       VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

And when I think of someone with vision loss my brother- in-law is the one that first comes to mind. He has lost his central vision due to wet macular degeneration. When he visits he can see you peripherally but not if you approach him face on.  Sitting in our living room he takes out his special magnifying glass to be able to read. But this way he can share with us his thoughts on the article we're reading and talking about.

But there are many people who don't have as severe a visual loss but due to other medical reasons wouldn't be able to read it easily either. They don't have their close up glasses or the print is just too small even with their glasses. Or the light is not bright enough or it's too glary to read by. So they just pass the magazine along without reading and not being able to to participate in the conversation about it.

If you think you know one of your guests probably could have a problem with reading close up don't put small print magazines or coffee table books on your coffee table.  And if that's still a problem and people forgot to bring their reading glasses you can always purchase close up glasses in a drugstore. They are available in different strengths.  I myself have three pair with three different strengths depending on my eyes at the time.

And be sure that a person with low vision is sitting where there is no glare and very good light which  they can shine directly on the page.Do not leave things where they can be bumped into or tripped over. This can cause a visually impaired person to fall and hurt themselves, or damage the thing they have fallen onto.  Remember to have sufficient light in the hallways,steps,bathrooms and their bedroom if they're staying over. Remember no monochromatic table settings.  Contrast is essential for people with visual loss. 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR INTERACTING WITH THOSE WHO HAVE VERY LOW VISION OR ARE BLIND.

• Speak in a normal tone of voice. People with vision problems usually have normal hearing.
• Introduce yourself ? recognizing voices can be difficult for some people.
• Speak directly to a person with impaired vision. Most people can answer for themselves.
• Rather than using gestures and hand signals to convey instructions, directions or size, describe the information.
• Be clear with your instructions. Many people use "right" when they mean "yes"; other words like "here", "there", or "this" are vague and don't give enough information.
• It's o.k. to use words like "look" or "see", as they are part of normal conversation. People with impaired vision use these words themselves.
• Let a person with impaired vision know you are leaving so that he/she won't be left talking to him/herself.
• Last but not least, treat people with impaired vision as you would want to be treated.

If you go out to the local restaurant remember they will need help with reading that small print menu in low light. And if you go to church ,temple or mosque ask for a large print copy of the service sheet ands hymns if they have them.

An excellent resource is the site of the American foundation for the blind.  They also have a wonderful section on senior citizens which can be very helpful. Their site is : http://www.afb.org/ 

Have a wonderful holiday season             ellie