Friday, April 26, 2019

What do Blind People Use Bump Dots For?

Bump Dots are small pieces of rubberized  plastic which can aid the blind and visually impaired around the home or the office.

What Bump Dots Look Like:






Bump dots come in a variety of colors and sizes. You can even find clear bump dots which are less visible to the sighted so a sighted person who lives with a visually impaired individual can look at a kitchen or office and not see a myriad of red, black or orange dots all over the equipment.
Cooker hob control dial showing two clear bump dots marking the low and medium setiing on my cooker.
Clear Bump dots on Cooker

I live in an apartment and the apartment manager allowed me to place a large square bump dot on my letter box. The bump dot is placed just below the lock of the letter box so I can find the lock and I don't try to open the mail box of other tenants.


What Do Blind People Use Bump Dots For?


Apart from marking my mail box, I use bump dots to mark the keypad on my microwave  oven and use a large bump dot to mark the start button. I also marked my standard electric cooker and oven with bump dots. I used them to mark the medium level on the stove top rings and mark the 350 and 425 degree point on my oven. These were the commonest settings I use and it is easy to adjust to either side for higher or lower cooking temperatures.

What else do blind people use bump dots for? Click Link HERE



Bump dots are very useful items, they are small enough to mark objects using the Braille lettering system. Imagine I have a can for coffee and a caddie for tea, both about the same size and shape. I could mark the coffee can lid with a Braille letter C and the tea caddy with a Braille T, easily identifying the contents.











Thursday, April 25, 2019

How do I Get A Note Taker For My College Course?

I recently answered this question on Quora. The question and answer website.

Here is a link to my answer:


Read William Elliott's answer to Do colleges offer note takers for vision impaired students? on Quora

Notes are a sticky subject for many students. I like my own notes because I get to choose what I think is important. Other students think differently and so notes can be very personal to each student.

In my experience it is better to take a nice   Laptop   or tablet  to class


Having a note-taker can be difficult for you as a blind student because you are subject to the whims of your note-taker. What if they decide to drop the class in week seven? You are in trouble, even if the instructor is willing to ask for other volunteers to take over as a note-taker you are now going to have to either get used to their new style of note taking or try to get them to make notes that you would like.
Finding a note taker at community college
College

In my experience note-takers at community college do not ask nor want you telling them what you like in nites.

You may also consider taking a recording of your own notes. Don't just record a class lecture you will fail miserably trying to find a note in a hour long class is a fruitless task. Take quick notes using a voice recorder making each note something like a word and definition of repeat a teachers outline of work to be done. Keep each note down to a minute at most for speed and ease of recall.

I use a Victor Stream    myself


 So there  are a few reasons why I would suggest thinking twice about using a note-taker in your college classes. Let me know if this post has helped you by posting a comment or sharing on your favorite social media sites.






Monday, April 15, 2019

What Organizations for the Blind Operate in your City or Region?


This blog is rapidly coming up to 100,000 views. So as a thank you I thought I would post you some organizations that may be able to help you as a blind or visually impaired person.

An eye looks out of thescreen. William Elliott a life with blindness looking out for you wherever you are.

Looking out for you!

If you are in the United States the two main organizations for the blind you should know of are:











National Federation of the Blind


and



A merican Council of the Blind     

  Both of the above organizations have groups in all fifty U.S. States and affiliate groups in most major cities and town across the United States. They are also a great resource for finding about new technology, getting training to adapt  to blind living and a source of social support for the visually impaired and their families.

I have asked friends from all over the world to send some details of blind organizations in their countries, regions, states so that you can find some resources more easily.

To find a resource that maybe could help you or if you know of a resource that may help others please feel free to post more resources in comments or 

Click Here to READ More...

Friday, April 12, 2019

Should Blind People in the U.S. Be excluded From "The Right To Bear Arms"?

Personally I used to shoot clay pigeon in the U.K. I was pretty good shooting at club and county levels. Of course then I could see.
Uncle Sam, thin bearded man, wearing cream colored top hat, with starred head band, blue coat and red and white striped waistcoat, pointing out of the picture towards you.
Uncle Sam didn't say "Blind People Don't Count."

Since coming to the United States, I have shot a couple of guns at the shooting range. Back in 2010 my wife bought me a gun safety lesson and time on a range as a birthday present. It was a handgun lesson and I really enjoyed the time spent shooting and was happy that I didn't miss the target.

A while ago I remember a President of a State affiliate to the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) being pictured in a Walmart buying a handgun, much to the annoyance of many people.

Those who complained said that a blind person with a handgun was just plain dangerous to "normal" people. But at the time I argued that since it was not specifically stated in the Second Amendment that a blind person did not have the "right to bear arms" and a gun being included in that classification that it was legal under the Constitution.

So a few days ago I thought I would pose this question on Quora, "Should Blind People  be Excluded  From "The Right to Bear Arms" Under The Second Amendment  of The United States Constitution?"


READ MORE.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Do Blind People Ask to Feel Someone's Face So They Can See Them?

A few days ago I was asked on "Quora" if blind people like to feel peoples faces, so that they can "see" what someone looks like.
An eye wide open looks out of the screen at you.
"Let me feel your face so that I can see you"

I have seen such things in movies. But have  never come across such a thing in real life.


I think that the idea is some urban myth.


Or a plot created by some creepy people who maybe use an excuse of being blind in order to touch others in what I would consider a rather inappropriate manner.

Do you want someone feeling your face?



So why not take a look at my answer along with several other peoples opinions by following this link:


Read William Elliott's answer to Some movies show blind people being able to "see" someone's face by touching it. Is this true? Are you able to do this? on Quora