Recently, I had the chance to put myself in somebody else's shoes and feel what it's like to be legally blind. As a glass we worked in partners of two and we each had to go through different obstacles with sunglasses that had petroleum jelly smeared on them to reduce our vision. Our obstacles consisted of walking around the cub, going up and down stairs, using the ATM machine, and using the elevator. Because I am "legally" blind without my contacts or glasses on, I know how it feels and looks like to not be able to see.
Some of the problems that I encountered were that there wasn't any braille on the ATM buttons. This would definitely cause a problem for someone who was visually impaired. Throughout my experience I realized how important certain precautions and accessible materials used throughout the built environment are. Even though it may be costly, it is worth it to those with those disabilities who need them on a daily basis.
When looking through the glasses, I experienced that one of the things that what I could see resembled a rainbow. Everything wasn't completely black, but colors looked smeared around and blotchy. I also figured out how useful it was to have a partner who was there to guide me through the process. Being reliant on someone else isn't what most of us are fond of, but if the built environment payed more contributions to those with disabilities they could act more independent.
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