Entertaining with a Sight Impaired Guest

Guest Blog #74, Entry #519, May 10, 2011

Home entertaining has always been a pastime that makes you feel good and your guests feel even better. While considering what food to serve and what decor to have, we often forget about making your home environment safe for those who may have disabilities, such as poor or no vision.

Provide open space for entertaining

Today, I’m pleased to have Guest Blogger,  Wendy Martin Turley from Parenting Blind By Design, to discuss how to make your home welcoming and safe for entertaining guests who may be blind or have low vision. Read her tips for making your home enjoyable by all, but in other areas of your life as well.

_______________________________

Wendy Martin

Most people think about clearing every little thing out of every possible path or having ugly foam things taped to the corner of their tables.

Those days are long over.  People lose their sight every day and yes it’s a surprise, but the difference is.  Today their life isn’t over.  With understanding, a little thought and determination a sight impaired person (low vision or no vision) can use a computer, cook, and use public transit, work, parent and travel.

I know many people think this will be about tips for entertaining at home, but really these tips can be carried forward into any public space or event.

Many sight impaired people never learn beyond the basics of braille if that.  It’s becoming obsolete.  With talking elevators, audio books, and programs that read what’s on the computer screen or been scanned into the computer.

This information comes from experience with my husband and step-mother at various events.

Tips for making the event enjoyable for everyone:

1)    Often living room furniture is crammed into a small room with about 8 inches to 1 foot to move between a sofa and a chair.  Main pathways should be 18 inches to 2’ – 6”.  Three feet if the person is using a walker.

2)    Tables are interesting because these are needed items and you don’t often have to get rid of them.  It just may be that they need to be moved.  For instance, tables with lamps or art on them and floor lamps should be placed with thought.  Try to keep most art and tables on one wall in corridors, tables in rooms away from main walking spaces. Floor lamps have cords; have a mind that they are kept out of main walking spaces, if possible under solid furniture.

Ensure walking spaces are left clear and unobstructed

3)    Make the person feel a part of the action by letting them have a space within the main social circle, where they can easily interact with the gathering without feeling like they need to interrupt the crowd by commenting from a corner.  You may want to move your furniture into an easier arrangement for conversation.  It will make it easier on everyone in the long run and if you plan how you and your guests are going to move through the room then there will be fewer interruptions in the flow of the gathering.

4)    You may want to give your sight impaired guest a tour of the home early in the visit.  Remember to show them where light switches are if they have low vision for safety and don’t feel embarrassed if your guest mentions it’s not needed.

5)    Manners are different, no question is stupid and many sight impaired people are comfortable asking for help.

6)    If they ‘lose’ their drink, to avoid accidents, look at the person as the centre of a clock face and tell them where their drink is from them.  Or use their dinner plate as the centre of the clock.  “Your drink is at 1 o’clock to your plate.”  After the first time it is done at a gathering, everyone catches on and it’s more relaxed.

Make your blind impaired guests feel welcome

7)    Ensure your sight impaired person knows where their things are, you never know if they have medication or something within the bag they may need during the gathering and hunt for the knapsack or purse is NOT considered a valid party game.

8)    There is great unbreakable glassware around these days at affordable prices; this will help everyone to lower the embarrassing broken glass incidents.  A sighted person can knock over a glass just as easily as a sight impaired person.  But shards of glass are harder to avoid if you can’t see them.  Paper plates and cups are NOT sight impaired person’s friend.  Hot food falling into their lap isn’t any easier to take than for a sighted person.  Sight impaired people can use knives and forks; however, they often have to touch their plate to find out if they’ve eaten everything.  They may need help with selecting foods if there is a buffet, so if they come alone, set up someone to help them go through the buffet together, it’s a great way to get everyone into the conversation.

9)    If the gathering moves outside or inside, ensure that your sight impaired person can follow, either by walking with them or making sure another guest makes sure they get out or in safely.  It’s embarrassing if the sight impaired person can’t find where the party’s gone.

An event is always exciting and a great time for everyone.  You shouldn’t be a mess because you feel like you need to baby sit someone at your gathering or feel guilty that someone is being left out.  A little preparation and a little understanding can make things run smoothly and enjoyably.

For more outdoor entertaining  ideas on Stagetecture, click here.