If you are family, friend, co-worker or employer of a visually impaired person, you may have feelings similar to the person who has lost his sight—anger, grief, and depression. Perhaps, most of all, the family and friends need to know that a person with visual impairment has not had his other abilities affected. He is still a thinking, feeling human being who must now learn to do some old things in new ways, and in addition, learn to do some new things. It is important for the visually impaired person to talk openly with others and to make it clear that he does not expect, nor will he permit, them to take over all the tasks and functions that he normally performs. He must have the opportunity to try to do things for himself and to discover whether or not he can do them in a way which is satisfying to him. Family and others must know that the visually impaired person wishes to maintain the greatest amount of independence and self-respect. Allowing family and friends to do things for him can be tempting, but over protection can lead to over dependence. The person can suffer loss of self-esteem and become demanding. Friends and family need education, too.
A member of the family or a friend might like to accompany the person when he is being advised by one of the staff people from an agency. In this way, both can learn more about the exact kind of help that will be most valuable. If a rehabilitation teacher comes to the home, it is very helpful to have a member of the family present.
Many people do not understand that vision loss has many forms. Most persons with vision loss are not totally blind. Some can see light and outlines of large objects while some may be able to walk about quite well but not be able to read or identify objects at a distance. Others may be able to read and see distant objects in a narrow field but not be able to travel about comfortably. It is important to understand the particular kind of sight loss in order to understand what kind of help a person needs. The doctor may be able to help explain the individual’s condition, limitations and abilities.
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