Everyday life presents blind and visually impaired people with special challenges, especially now in Corona times. Support from sighted people can be very helpful.
Berlin (dpa / tmn) - The restrictions in the wake of the corona crisis pose major problems for people with visual impairments. When does the queue continue, do you keep enough distance - and where does the bus go?
"Many people with visual impairments suffer enormously from the new situation - and the solution would often be amazingly simple," says Klaus Hahn, President of the German Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBSV). Because everyone can help. The association gives tips on how to provide specific support:
- Offering help: How much support a visually impaired person needs depends on his experience, his knowledge and the form of the day. However, offering help is fundamentally not wrong and is also possible at a safe distance. A sentence like "The lady with the white stick - can I help you?" be completely fine, explains the association.
- Talking: In times of distance, the visually impaired and the blind are even more dependent than usual on talking to them. Friendly information such as "I will be happy to let you know when it is your turn" or "A dispenser for disinfectants is one meter to your right" can help.
- Keep your distance: Whether on the sidewalk or on the tram - many people with impaired vision do not notice early enough if the distance to another person becomes too small. That's why they rely on being avoided. However, if that is not possible because there is no space: just say something.
- Bus travel: Since the front area of buses has been cordoned off, the visually impaired can no longer get in at the front and ask the driver which line the bus is on. The front seats on the bus are also more difficult to reach. It is very easy to help here - by announcing the bus lines arriving at the stop and by looking for the bus door and a seat in the vehicle as a "navigation system" for the other person.
- Queues: The "corona queues" with a gap between those waiting are a book with seven seals for many visually impaired people, the association said. Would you be happy to learn from others that there is a snake and where it actually leads - to the post office, to the bakery, to the cash register? It also helps them get an indication of where the end of the line is and when they can advance in line.
Tips from the DBSV
Help page of the DBSV with reading function for corona questions