How do I talk to a blind person?
Many people are very timid when approaching a blind person for the first time. I have heard a lot of people talk about the what ifs. What if I say the wrong things? What if I say the wrong term (ex.: did you watch the new Mary Poppins movie)? Let me stop you right there, the blind people I know would be happy for you to just talk to them. Many blind people enjoy socializing. In fact, blind people enjoy getting together and having parties. They love playing games and meeting new people!
First, let’s look at how you might be able to know that someone is blind.
You will notice that not all blind people look blind. What do I mean by that? Let’s look at the first picture above. This gentleman is being led by a sighted guide, but he is also holding a white cane. The white cane has become a universal way to notice a blind person. It is a long “stick” that is white and most tend to have reflective red tape towards the bottom.
Another way to spot a blind person is because they have a guide dog. Most guide dogs have a leather harness and leash. Some harnesses are a soft plastic. These dogs go through a lot of training and make the blind person feel more comfortable in many different environments.
Lastly, there are going to be some people you would never know have vision loss. They look and act just like anyone else. This doesn’t mean that they need to be ignored, but realize that not every blind person is going to look blind.
Now that we have recognized a blind person in our area, how do we talk to them?
Have you ever been in a room and heard a child say “MOM!” Have you noticed how all the “moms” in the room turn to see who’s child called them. Think about that when greeting a blind person. Just because you are standing near them and saying hello doesn’t mean you are talking to them. You could be talking to the person next to them in the row. When you are talking to a blind person gently touch their shoulder to let them know that you are directing your conversation towards them.
Here is a video my mom and I did to help you better understand how to talk to a blind person.
I hope you enjoyed our talk! Even with the little one in the background at the end. Feel free to share any questions you have for us. If you visit our Facebook page you can see the entire live video we did July 26th.