Whether you are blind or visually impaired, being organized is the only way to retain sanity. It is totally not in my nature to be organized and I have had to work on this ever since my vision went. It takes discipline and consistency. Even if you live with someone who is sighted, do you really want them to help you do everything? Wouldn't it be better to be prepared to do these things for yourself? With the equipment available today and basic organizational skills you can take care of your own personal needs and feel better for it. Even after all these years though, I still can never find my diet coke. I set it down and it seems to wander off to somewhere else, all by itself or maybe those little fairies come in when we aren't looking and move them around. It does seem that way sometimes. These are only a few suggestions, please contact us and give us your ideas.
Some clients find that in the beginning, they have trouble getting toothpaste on the tooth brush. Now this wouldn't be true if you are low vision. If you can see nothing this idea may work for you. Slide the brush until the head of the brush is between your thumb and index finger. Then take the tube of toothpaste and run it along the top of the bristles, while you gently squeeze the tube. If you live alone and do not have to share the toothpaste, I have been told that some just squeeze the toothpaste directly into their mouths.
Using a hair removal product will help save those little nicks while shaving your legs. It is what I did for a few months and then I later went back to the razor. Both ladies and men have the option of an electric razor too.
As previously mentioned, organization is important. To keep bath needs organized I purchased a dispenser that is mounted on the wall under the shower head. It holds four items and the bottles are easily refilled. We keep shampoo, conditioner etc. and just press the button to dispense enough of the product. That way, we don't have several bottles of who knows what sitting around the edge of the tub.
In the very beginning, putting on makeup was a daunting experience. I had no way of knowing if I had it on right or if I looked like a clown. I learned real fast to simplify cosmetics. I separated my regular day makeup and my dress up makeup into different cosmetic bags. Keeping the evening makeup in a separate drawer I at least knew I had the right type of cosmetics for the event. I tried to purchase eye shadows in different brands so that I would be able to remember that the highlighter was in the little box with the curved edge. Sometimes that just isn't possible, so I mark the highlighter with a touch dot. I steered away from mascara, fearing that I would have it all over my face. I still don't bother with it much unless I am to go some place with a sighted person who can tell me it is ok. I did finally learn a technique for putting it on and that is to find your nose with the hand you would not hold the brush in. Then slowly bring the mascara wand up to your eye and blink several times until you feel that your lashes are sufficiently covered. Men, are you bored yet?
There are many different ways to organize and label your clothing. Presenting a good appearance is always important to a person. Technology improves every day to make life simpler but it is not essential to have every piece of equipment that comes out.
The least expensive way is to organize your closet and drawers. Always putting the items back into the designated spot. Hang your outfits all on one hanger keeping them all together so you aren't always looking for something.. Laying your clothes out the night before is a good idea. You won't be in such a hurry and chance making a fashion error, like I did at my husband's graduation. When I returned home and realized what I had worn, I was just mortified. This happened because I was in too big of a hurry.
Another way is to sew or pin Braille labels into the tags of your clothing. When I still had enough feeling in my fingers to feel the Braille I did this. I pinned them in. Sewing took too long.
Another way is to purchase a set of clothing markers from an adaptive equipment company. These are different shapes and colors that slip over the hanger to let you know what is what. Such as, the star is a blouse and the circle is your red skirt and so on. The problem with this is you have to be able to remember what shape is assigned to what.
There are new devices on the market that take all of these problems away. One is called the Voila Talking Bar Code Scanner. It comes with labels with an adhesive backing that can also be pinned into a garment. I pin them in. They can go through the laundry just fine. When you are trying to find the designated outfit you run the Voila scanner across the bar code and it will tell you what it is. You will have previously programmed the device with the appropriate description. This is done with the press of a button. We use this device in the office to label files and in the kitchen to mark canned items. It is very reasonably priced at less than two hundred dollars.
Another scanner is called the I.D. Mate. It is a fabulous device that comes with labels that you can iron right into your clothing and scan them to verify the outfit. It is a talking bar code scanner as well but has far more capabilities but it is far more expensive. It is over $1500.00. I don't have one of these. Like the Voila it can be used to label virtually anything.
Simplifying your wardrobe is another solution. If you have clothes you never where, give them away. If you haven't worn them in a couple of years, you probably aren't going to. Why constantly deal with them if it isn't necessary? I'm a fine one to talk, as I write this I have a closet full of dresses and suits that I used to wear when I was in banking. Do as I say though, not as I do.
I tossed out the entire collection of colored socks that matched the outfits. I either wear white socks or knee hi hose. I couldn't keep all the colors straight and got sick of wasting time trying. For peter his regular socks are all white with no stripes to match at the top. His black socks feel softer and I keep them rolled into a ball while the white socks are put together and the top folded over. Now I can check them with another new toy I bought.
The new toy I have that has proved to be very useful is the Talking Color Identifier. It is so simple to use. You turn it on and hold it flush against the fabric and it will give you the color verbally. It isn't perfect but it really does work very well. On white clothes, if they are dingy or not bright it will read them as very light gray. If you need to verify that your sweater is blue instead of purple you are in luck. I use this all the time. It cost approximately $119.00. We had great fun with it at one of the support group meetings.
I have a lot of shoes. Too many shoes. I have a couple of pair of tennis shoes that are exactly the same except for the color. Before I had the talking color identifier I used this method. I put round shoe strings in the black ones and left the traditional flat laces in the white ones. Other shoes are kept in a shoe bag and the navy shoes are marked on the bag with a clothes pin to tell them from the tan ones.
A quick fix for a hem that is down is Stitch Witchery It is a product that is sold in fabric stores. You can purchase it by the yard or on a spool. It will, with the help of an iron fuse the hem together until a more permanent hem is sewn into place. The self threading needles and hem clips make this easier than it sounds.
Send in your own tips and tricks.