The Navigation Solution

Navigating is so scary for us visually impaired folks. I went from playing sports in High School, to not being able to see stairs, curbs, anything in front of me. I have discovered some amazing tech and apps for this episode to help us get around!

*This newsletter is built to be read in Dark Mode on your device for ease of reading for the visually impaired.

What People Are Asking

If you want to submit a question, submit it by CLICKING HERE

📍 Q1: What activities should I play with my child with RP?
✅ A: It depends on how bad their vision is. When I was able to do lots of activities still, I needed contrasting colors. So a basketball that contrasts well to your driveway, or a soccer ball that is neon colored and stands out well in grass. In regards to board/card games, these are very tricky. Make sure they have large fonts and just talk to your child and see what they’re comfortable with and able to see. They want to be included but they still want to feel “normal”. So don’t exclude them if you think they won’t be able to do it, always ask.

Apps Of The Week

BlindSquare (iOS Store)

BlindSquare is an AMAZING app. It’s something I just became aware of this last week.

INSTALL HERE

It is a real-time navigation app that is about as exact as it can get. It speaks to you and tells you street names, tells you where to go, exact turns you need to make, if something is at ‘3 o’clock’ or ‘11 o’clock’ based on your orientation.

It’s quite impressive. I’m not affiliated with them at all, I just think it’s something we all need or could benefit from.

Watch This Demo Video of the App

XploreNinja (Android Store)

This is the exact same app, made my BlindSquare, but it’s for Android.

Download Here → DOWNLOAD

The Personal Touch

Checking out of stores is scary now.

There are a few times where my wife has dropped me off at the store to grab a few things as she stays in the car with the kiddos. As my vision has regressed, this simple task has become more daunting.

I can’t read what’s in each aisle. So if I’m trying to find something that’s not easy to find, such as produce or dairy, then I really struggle.

I’ve learned that it’s just easier to ask for help. I used to be embarrassed, but I learned that a lot of people just want to help and people with good vision ask where things are all the time to workers.

This is another reason to have a white cane. Even if you have decent vision still or full field of view, the white cane shows people around you that you may need help.

After finding the necessary items, it’s time to checkout, the most daunting part.

I wish every self-checkout or cashier station had the same exact card reader and process in every single store on the planet. Man that would be nice.

I also wish all of them had the ‘tap’ feature where you can just tap your card and it works, but they don’t. The amount of times I’ve felt so dumb when I try to tap it and the cashier kindly asks me to slip it into the slot. Silly me.

I’m working on finding apps/devices that can help in this process and I will keep you all posted!

If you have any solutions please let me know so I can include it in a future edition!

But these are things that those around us don’t think about. They don’t realize that we can’t see the screens on card readers or the self-checkout stations.

So be yourself, ask for help, laugh at yourself, and enjoy life!

We got this!

My Book

25 Tips For The Visually Impaired is 50% Off Any support would be greatly appreciated as I continue to grow this community! GET IT 50% OFF NOW. This is an e-book with very large font, built and formatted specifically for the visually impaired.

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Next Week’s Edition

Yard work is hard for us, but I have something that can help!

Recommendations

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I appreciate you being here and I want to encourage you to stay strong!

Spencer | The Blind Girl Dad