Gift Guide
Making Your Home Vision Loss Friendly
Holiday Travel Tips
The holidays are finally upon us. 'Tis the season for shopping for gifts, gathering around the table with loved ones, and hosting relatives from near and far. Every year at this time we get a lot of questions from the family members of people with vision loss. They ask, "What's the best gift for my mom now that she has macular degeneration?" or "What can I do to make my home comfortable and safe for my visually impaired grandma who's visiting this holiday season?"
To help you find that perfect gift and easily make your home more vision loss friendly, the staff at the American Foundation for the Blind has created a Holiday Guide filled with great gift ideas and decorating tips. We also have some travel tips for you to share with your visually impaired loved one who may be flying or taking the train to see you this holiday season.
Step 1: Finding the Right Gift
Finding the perfect gift for someone with vision loss doesn't have to be a challenge. From the cook to the gadget geek, we have something for everyone. And the best part of these gifts is that they will help your loved one stay active and independent. Visit our specialty product guide to find many of these gifts, and explore the AFB product database for information on more high-tech gift ideas.
Gift Guide
For the phone user:
For the game fanatic:
- Large print Scrabble® board
- Large print playing cards
- Tactile dice
For the bookworm:
For the music lover:
- Accessible MP3 player like the iPod Nano
- Music box
For the beauty conscious:
- Magnifying cosmetic mirror
- Electric razor
For the time conscious:
- Talking watch
- Large display or talking alarm clock
For the chef:
- Black/white cutting board
- Large print measuring cups
- Talking microwave
For the numbers geek
- Large display or talking calculator
For the shopaholic:
- Multi-compartment wallet/money organizer
For the letter writer:
- Large print address book
- 20/20 pens
For the couch potato:
- Movie with descriptive video narration
- Large button universal TV remote control
For the handyman:
For the craft enthusiast:
- Self threading needles
- Goose neck lamp with long adjustable neck
For just about anybody:
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Step 2: Making Your Home Vision Loss Friendly
If you are one of the millions of Americans with a loved one experiencing vision loss due to eye conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, or glaucoma, there are a number of inexpensive, straightforward things you can do to make your home a safe, comfortable place for your relative to visit this holiday season.
The first thing to remember is that most people with vision loss have some degree of vision, whether it's the ability to see shapes or detect a small amount of color contrast. That is why proper use of lighting and contrast makes a world of difference when making a home easier to navigate for someone with low vision. After reading the tips below, you'll discover how applying simple concepts involving lighting, organization, and contrasts in color and texture can help a loved one feel comfortable and confident in your living space.
LIGHTING
Holiday lights and candles are everywhere this time of year, which makes it easy to remember how important lighting is for people with vision loss.
- Overall lighting is a must for safety. Always keep rooms well lit and provide a small flashlight for your visitor.
- Consider adding night lights to your guest rooms, hallways, bathrooms, and kitchen to help with navigating your home in the dark.
- Provide adequate light for specific tasks, such as cutting food or reading, and reduce glare.
- Reposition television sets so sunlight or lamplight does not shine directly on the screen.
CONTRAST
When decorating your home or table this holiday season, consider using contrast in your design to help things stand out to your friend or family member with vision loss.
- Set your holiday table with dark placemats and a light-colored plates or light placemats with dark-colored plates.
- Place bold colored throws on your couches and chairs. Not only will they help your guest stay warm, but also they will help your loved one more easily see the furniture in your living room.
- Use dark towels in a light bathroom or vice versa.
- Make stairways safer by placing a brightly colored strip of tape along the edge of each step, and if you have a banister, consider decorating it with a festive bold-colored ribbon to help it stand out to your guest.
ORGANIZATION
As decorations, dishes, and wrapping paper pile up at home this season, remember to keep things organized for your loved one with vision loss.
- Eliminate clutter—dispose of unnecessary items and always return key items such as the TV remote control, keys, toothpaste tube, eye glasses, etc., to the same place.
- Provide your guest with a basket or tray to hold their important belongings during their stay.
- Remove objects that create a tripping hazard, such as throw rugs, low tables, and electrical cords, and keep walkways clear.
Share These Holiday Travel Tips with Your Loved One
If you have a friend or a loved one with vision loss who will be traveling to see you this holiday season, share these helpful tips from a world traveler with macular degeneration.
- Don't be embarrassed to ask for help when you need it.
- Be sure to identify yourself ahead of time as having a visual impairment.
- Memorize your identification numbers, charge card numbers, passport number and bank number. Or you may want to set up a system to get them easily should you lose your wallet.
- You can ask the airline to arrange for a guide or to set up a wheelchair to get you to and from the plane easily and efficiently; a wheelchair especially helps at the security checkpoints, since you'll avoid getting stuck in line.
- When you book your reservations, ask for security guidelines and how much time you will need to allow for clearing these requirements.
- You may want to ask for assistance when going through security lines to help retrieve all your belongings.
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