Task:Skim through to read a little more about Low Vision.

Very few of us without disabilities stop to consider how we use our vision during the course of our days. We just take these abilities for granted and go about our business. Yet without this sensory channel, we would be significantly disadvantaged (at least temporarily) as we attempt many of the tasks we routinely perform throughout our daily lives. In this activity, I am going to ask you to examine what the impact of a visual
impairment would be on our activities of daily living.

Directions:


1. Choose an activity you routinely perform throughout your day (the best activities to use for this assignment are daily living tasks such as dressing, hygiene, eating - all non-dangerous tasks).

2. Perform the task using your vision. Note how you use your vision during this task.

3. Repeat the task without vision (close your eyes or squint) and note what other senses you relied upon to successfully complete the same task.

Discuss:
1. What task did you choose?
Getting up from bed, going to the bathroom, washing my face

2. What did you use your vision for when you completed this task?
I used my vision for:

• finding my slippers
• finding my way to the bathroom (without hurting myself)
• turning on the lights in the bathroom
• turning the faucet on, letting the water run
• positioning my hands directly below the faucet
• washing my face: finding my face with my hands full of water
• turning off the faucet
• finding the towel to wipe off my face

3. When you repeated the task without vision, what other senses did you rely upon for information?

Touching (most of the time), hearing

Note: I have been living in the same apartment for the last 3 years but when I did this activity, I realized that when I close my eyes, the rooms (the bedroom and bathroom) are completely new and strange places for me. It took me much longer to wash my face when my eyes were closed. Also I was scared to hurt myself during my voyage from my bedroom to the bathroom.

Submitted by Yesim Yilmazel-Sahin on October 17, 2003.