How to Cope With Being Blind

Coming to Terms with Being Blind

Learn more about your eye condition so you can better understand it. Ask your doctor about your eye condition, especially if you're still confused and need a better explanation about it. Understanding your visual impairment as much as possible will significantly help you cope with your condition. Understand that it's normal to ask questions about your eye condition and it won't be considered “silly” or “weird.” Other than your doctor, you can also seek out information from therapists, eye care and vision specialists, and national organizations that serve people with visual impairments. If you know any people who also have a visual impairment, you can also ask them about what having this impairment is like.

Allow yourself to grieve over the loss of your vision. Going blind or experiencing vision loss can be deeply upsetting, so it’s normal to feel emotionally impacted by it. Giving yourself time to experience these emotions is crucial for being able to accept and deal with your new situation. There’s no set amount of time that it takes a person to grieve the loss of their vision. It’s important to understand that there’s no right or wrong amount of time for you to feel upset about your visual impairment. Talk to family or friends during the grieving process. It will be much easier for you to go through if you’re not alone. Talking to others about the way you feel can be very comforting and relieving.

Remind yourself that you can still be independent without your vision. While there may be times where you'll want a helping hand, you will still be able to do a lot of things on your own. If you’re worried about losing your independence, do some research into the various tools and devices that are available for the visually impaired. For example, there are lots of devices that help blind and visually impaired people do daily life tasks such as cooking meals, getting around your home, doing basic hygiene, and traveling. There are also lots of apps on smartphones and computers you can use that are made for the blind and visually impaired.

Recognize that you can still live a happy life. You can still have many of the same passions and hobbies as you normally would if you weren’t blind. You may need to make a few adjustments to adapt to your loss of vision, but even so, you can still be like any other sighted person and do the things you love to do. For example, even with your impairment you can still do things like attend family activities, travel around the world, and do volunteer work around your community.

Accept yourself and your condition to make it easier to cope. At first, you may feel like you have lost your sense of identity or who you are. However, it’s important to realize that losing your vision doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t be the same type of person you imagined yourself to be. For instance, being blind doesn’t make you any less of a member of your family or community, nor do you have to sacrifice your career goals. You can still accomplish nearly all the same tasks that a sighted person would be able to.Tip: Know you’re not alone; millions of people of various ages, races, and genders are visually impaired. Understanding that you're not the only one in the world who is blind can make it easy to cope with your visual loss.

Staying Positive and Engaged

Find adjustment classes and therapeutic counseling for your condition. Loss of vision can be a major life event and can cause you to feel depressed, anxious, lonely, helpless, nervous, panicky, and even angry. Finding and attending adjustment classes and therapeutic counseling that focus on adjustment can help you cope with your emotional health and also get the resources needed. Your doctor will probably be able to refer you to a local counselor or to an organization for the visually impaired that can help you locate these resources. Professional organizations, university-affiliated hospitals, and national organizations for the blind and visually impaired are good sources to help you get the support you need.

Make friends with people who are also blind or visually impaired. Introducing yourself to others who are blind and visually impaired will make you feel welcomed and important and can be very comforting. A friend with a visual impairment can validate your feelings and understand the challenges you have to face. Take steps to be engaged in your local blind community. For example, sign up for classes and recreational activities with your local association for the blind to interact with and meet other vision-impaired people. Friends who have a visual impairment can also provide plenty of emotional support, suggestions, tips, and resources for yourself. Meeting other blind or visually impaired people can also help you recognize that you’re not alone and that you can have an enjoyable, pleasant life.

Celebrate the things you’re still able to do in order to stay positive. Don't focus on what you can't do, but instead, concentrate on what you’re still able to do with your loss of vision. It can be difficult at times to maintain a positive attitude about your condition, but doing so can help make life better and easier for you. For instance, take note of the fact that you can still take care of yourself daily, spend time with the people you love, and do the things you enjoy doing. It’s important to remember that, although you will have many challenges, you'll also have many accomplishments, just like any other sighted person does.

Adapting Your Lifestyle

Look into devices and visual aids you can use to make your life easier. There are many tools for the blind and visually impaired you can use to help cope with your condition. Talk to your doctor or members of your local visually impaired community to explore these visual aids and see if you can incorporate them into your daily life. Some useful tools for the visually impaired include telescopic glasses, lenses that can filter light, magnifying glasses, hand magnifiers, and reading prisms. You can also install certain software on your phone or computer to make texts easier to see or to have voices say certain movements or actions aloud.

Install new equipment in your home to make it easier to get around. It’s important to not only make it easier for you to live in your home, but to also make it safer for you. Changes can include adding new equipment to your home or simply altering the color scheme to make it easier to identify objects. Equipment you can add or install in your home include larger buttons for telephones, brighter lighting, screen display software on your computer, or a wearable alarm you can use in medical emergencies.

Learn braille to retain your ability to read. Braille is a form of writing specifically designed to be used by blind and visually impaired people. It’s shown in patterns of dots that are felt with your fingers. Talk to your doctor or contact your local government health agency to locate classes or resources for you to learn braille. Note that braille isn’t only useful for literary pursuits. It’s also used in such everyday items as door signs, elevator buttons, and clothing tags.

Find a job or school that is appropriate for your condition. Having a visual impairment does not mean you can’t work a job or stay in school. If you already have a job or are already attending school, speak to your boss or to administration staff at your school to find out what adjustments they can make to accommodate your needs. For example, if you’re a college student, your university can work with you and your professors to make sure you have the resources you need to learn the material, such as accessible PowerPoint presentations instead of traditional lectures. Examples of jobs that the blind can readily perform include teaching, customer service, social work, and motivational speaking. Visit career sites for the blind and visually impaired to find ways to make it easier to work with a visual impairment.Tip: If you live in the United States, your rights as a laborer or as a student with loss of vision are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Hire a sighted guide or guide dog to help you get around. This is the most effective method for blind people to navigate unfamiliar places, especially in large crowds. If you’re no longer able to drive yourself around, look into hiring a personal driver who can take you where you need to go. If you can’t afford a professional guide service, try asking a friend or coworker to drive you when you need to go somewhere (e.g., to the grocery store or to work).