Vision Disability

Participating in the vision disability workshop was literally an eye opening experience into understanding the difficulties a person with visual impairments faces every day. Simple tasks of everyday life were simulated and I realized how challenging not being able to see clearly effects how situations are approached.

The first task was standing in the Starbucks at the bookie and using a plastic bag folded in half to simulate what a person with 20/60 vision and can still drive during the day. Reading a newspaper was challenging but not impossible, only truly able to see when the newspaper was very close to the face. Next, by folding the plastic bag in half again, representing a legally blind person, looking around was a complete blur. To indicate between spaces, I was very reliant of a contrast of colors, it was hard to differentiate between similar colors as they blurred together.

Two Layers of Plastic

No Filter

The vision simulator tool has four circles, each showing how one would view the world with different impairments. The four types shown are central vision loss, loss of parts, tunnel vision, and blindness (from top to bottom).

Vision Impairment Tool

The next task was to take sunglasses smeared with petroleum jelly, walking through the Bookie into the main walkway of the CUB, using the elevators, and going down a floor to use the ATM. First walking through the CUB, while being unable to see people’s distinct facial features, their faces and bodies were blurry and it was a little difficult to identify their depth and distance from me while walking. In the elevator, there was no real distinction between elevator buttons, but what helped identify where the buttons are from memory and the “ding” helped recognize when the elevator car arrived.

Next, using the ATM machine was far from easy to use alone. There was brail on the number key pad, but the screen with the information was digital and a touch screen. Unless I squinted really hard through the glasses, I wouldn’t have been able to read the screen. There was a flashing light around where your card and envelope was supposed to go and a beeping noise signaling when to insert the card or take your money.

Moving onto the last stop at the library and using the stairs. Depth perception of each step was difficult to differentiate because the stairs had no significant color distinction from one step to the next.