Best products from r/Blind

We found 22 comments on r/Blind discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 46 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

Top comments mentioning products on r/Blind:

u/-shacklebolt- · 2 pointsr/Blind

Alright, so I'll try to reply in parts as we break down the issue:

TRAVEL

  • Some cane travel instruction is probably not enough, and many people who are partially sighted benefit from sleepshade (or blindfold) instruction at least some of the time. Residual vision, as you know, can be so misleading. The step to take now is to start using your cane 100% of the time out of the house, no excuses. (One of the reasons I recommend looking into the residential type programs is because of the emphasis on quality, comprehensive independence skills including cane travel for every situation.)

  • I highly suggest getting the [NFB free cane]
    (https://nfb.org/free-cane-program) or (if you have means and don't want it for free) [buying a fiberglass or carbon fiber cane from them instead.]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=1&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) It is not often provided locally, it is lighter than the folding ambutech and revolution type cane you probably have, and if you don't like it stick it in your closet as a backup.

    CLEANING

  • Which cleaning tasks are you struggling with? The base of "cleaning" is going to be "keeping things neat." If you can't see things, finding them again and keeping areas clean can be an issue if you don't become consistent with where you set things down or put them away. From there, you just have to be methodical with your cleaning tasks. I vacuum the whole carpet, row by row, because I can't tell where the "dirty spots" are easily. I wipe the whole bathroom mirror on a regular basis. I wipe down the stove top after use to make sure there is no mess, and so on. For dish washing by hand, just quickly run your hand over the entire dish! Then you can feel if it is gunky in any spots.

    What cleaning things aren't going quite right for you? Let me know.

    COOKING:

    How good of a cook were you to start with? What types of food are you cooking, and what sorts of issues are you encountering?

  • One tool I use all the time is my silicone-coated locking tongs [like these.]
    (https://www.amazon.com/StarPack-Premium-Silicone-Kitchen-12-Inch/dp/B00KDV5RZY/) (and I want to get silicone spatulas.) I use it to "feel" around my nonstick pans safely, easily flip things, etc.

  • For measuring, there's [braille labeled]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1137&cat=19&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) measuring cups, or if you have color discrimination, [color coded ones.]
    (https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Measuring-Cups-Set-5/dp/B00I5PTBCA/r) There's also [bright measuring spoons]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=968&cat=19&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) that you can label as well.

  • A [talking food themometer]
    (http://www.thermoworks.com/Talking-Thermometer) can help with tasks like "how done is this meat" and "will that turkey send my family to the hospital" lol. Very handy.

  • For chopping things, I use one hand to hold the knife and have the other one OVER the non-sharp part of the knife (if you need to hold food) so there is absolutely no risk of your fingers being in the knife zone. If in doubt, go slow and carefully. I personally always leave my used knives on one side of the cutting board with the tip facing the board, and then I put all dirty knives on one specific spot on the side of my sink with the handles facing me. Some also tuck knives under the cutting board when stepping away from it.

  • If you have trouble seeing liquids go into cups, a [liquid level indicator]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1081&cat=19&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) is good for hot cups, but just poke your finger over the rim for cold stuff.

  • If you have trouble telling how done food is, FEEL, SMELL, and LISTEN to your food as it cooks often. Follow recipes until you're familiar with how long something will take. Use the thermometer if there is a safety concern. Crock pot recipes can be great because there are many easy ones to learn that have a huge window of forgiveness as far as cooking time, and a simple dial crock pot (off, low, high, warm) is very accessible.

  • Microwave, dishwasher, stove and oven, etc buttons can all be labeled with [stick on bumps.]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=605&cat=111&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) For example, I put bumps on the numbers, power, add minute, start and stop button for my microwave. I also put a button where the "light wash" for my dishwasher is and know that one click further is regular and another is heavy. (You can also use this to label a bunch of types of washing machines. Some are more accessible than others unfortunately.)

  • Are you practiced with food shopping independently? Are you making plans for the week, grocery lists, etc? How do you manage knowing what is in your fridge, pantry, etc right now?

    So that's a start of things I can think off the top of my head, but there's probably a bunch more. If you give me more feedback I will try to be more specific.

    Nail clipping I haven't had an issue with. Just use the metal tip of the clipper to feel where your finger pad starts if you're not sure, pull AWAY from that area, and then clip. Then I file my nail with a filing board so they're round and even.

    Fitness

  • If you can get a gym membership you can do pretty much everything, but you will need someone to show you how to use the electric machines the first time. Always take your cane to the gym for safety. Outside of the gym, depends on what you like! A local running or hiking group would be a great start if you want some outdoor recreation. Personally I love going out for long walks, and exploring my town. The "care and feeding" book I recommended (in conjunction with quality, sufficient O&M instruction) will really help you build confidence in traveling independently with practice, and being outside and exercising is huge for your mental well being as well as physical.

  • (BTW, for said exploring, there's a lot of good GPS software out there for blind people. I use Nearby Explorer Online for Android, Blindspot is very popular for iOS, just to start.)

  • For reading tasks, [get KNFB reader.]
    (http://www.knfbreader.com/) You might be able to get rehab to pay for it, although it is currently only $19.99 on android (the usual $99.99 on iOS.) It can read all sorts of printed text like mail, menus, etc. Great software for this job.

  • If you aren't learning braille, get started. [I love this free book.]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=758&cat=50&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) It is grade 1 and grade 2 braille, NOT UEB, so you will eventually have to relearn some things (but a lot of material out there still exists in grade 2, and it is a good primer to technique, the alphabet, numbers, etc.) Some other [braille instruction books]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=50&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) are in UEB. Sign up for local classes, too!

  • The NFB will send you a [free slate and stylus]
    (https://nfb.org/free-slate-program) to write braille with. You can use braille to label all sorts of foods (spice jars, canned goods, bottles of sauces), cleaners and soaps and such, and items at home to start with! There is [stick on labeling tape]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1045&cat=128&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) [reusable labels with elastic]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1048&cat=128&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) and [reusable magnetic tape for cans.]
    (https://ecommerce.nfb.org/asp/product.asp?product=1146&cat=128&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=) So a lot of options.

  • If you haven't already, sign up for the [NLS]
    (https://www.loc.gov/nls/) and [Bookshare]
    (https://www.bookshare.org/cms/) if you can. Paper and digital braille, physical and digital audiobooks, etc are all freely available to blind people either as downloads or mailed for free to your home. Bookshare charges a yearly subscription, but not if you're a student.

  • Eventually you might want to look at "big ticket" purchases such as commercial accessibility software, braille displays, etc. But that is often through vocational rehabilitation so will come later. Are you working or going to school right now? What is your plan with that?

  • Emotionally, the right therapist who understands vision problems can help a great deal. I know a few people who have greatly benefited from the counseling services offered by local blindness organizations.

    I've written about [losing my sight]
    (https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/5627a2/feeling_disheartened/) and how a lot of the process, for me, was emotionally coming to grips with the vastness of the change instead of trying to minimize it. Does that make sense? It's a big fucking deal in the beginning, and having what you need (practically and emotionally) makes all the difference.

    (And look, I know this is a lot of info, but I mean it when I say that I (and many others on this sub) want to help and want you to be able to succeed. If you want to ask more questions now, or you want to ask more questions next year, let us know.)
u/LarryWren · 3 pointsr/Blind

Honestly, some of the more comfortable-looking and aesthetically pleasing patches seem to be from creators on Etsy. Some are a lot more reasonably priced than you'd expect, too. General search, patch 1, patch 2, patch 3 – looks cool, but bit more expensive.

Amazon has some, too. I have one like this – REALLY do not recommend that style! The cheap price is nice, but it is soft and starts bending inward and pokes my ball (ow), so I imagine it will bend and press into your socket. Looks shit, too. But this other type looks super comfortable and pleasingly simple. Bit cheaper than Etsy patches, too.

What country/area are you from? That information would help figure out which companies would be easiest for you to order from. If you're from, like, South Africa trying to order from amazon.ca or amazon.com, you're going to have a lot of waiting and a lot of shipping fees, if you can even get it shipped there.

u/foxytit · 1 pointr/Blind

20x?!! Are you sure she's using a true 20x loupe? If you picked up a cheap loupe online, chances are, it's not a 20x. For instance: http://www.amazon.com/SE-Loupe-LED-Illuminated-21mm/dp/B0013E3DAG => advertised to be 20x, but turns out to be ~5.5x.

I would recommend first figuring out the minimum magnification power your wife needs to read small text. Reason: There is an inverse relationship between magnification power, and depth of field and field of view. Meaning, there is no 20x magnifier that can give you a huge field of view (I have a true 20x, and dear god, it is useless to me since it can only view about 1 character at a time).

Here's an example of the tradeoff: I own several Donegan OptiVISOR headband magnifiers. At first, I ordered their most powerful model, the 3.5x. The 3.5x has a focal length of 4", and a depth of field of about 1". This means, in order for me to have a clear image of what I'm observing, I need to make sure I maintain a 3" to 5" distance between the lens and the item under observation; it was just exhausting.

After trial and error, I ended up with the the 1.75x. It has a focal length of 14", and a depth of field of about 4". Which means, I can keep the item under observation at a distance of 10" - 18", which is much more forgiving.

In case you're interested in the headband magnifier: http://www.amazon.com/Donegan-OptiVisor-Headband-Magnifier-Magnification/dp/B0068OSIIS/

u/_WeAreTheLuckyOnes_ · 2 pointsr/Blind

THis is no way immediate help but I read an excellent book about someone who transitioned from sight to blind due to a traumatic event. It's called Beyond the Bear: How I Learned To Live And Love Again After Being Blinded By A Bear



https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Bear-Learned-Again-Blinded/dp/0762784555



https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-bigley/blinded-by-a-bear-how-my-_b_3202338.html


I found this book to be so inspiring and honest. I still think about it when I'm having a tough day and think "man, if Dan can come through like that I shouldn't be complaining too much." It's a those books that inspired me to write a letter to the publisher to pass on. I had never done that but I wanted to thank him for sharing his story.


I am sighted btw.

u/SpikeTheCookie · 6 pointsr/Blind

I'm so sorry your sight is diminishing. Mine too, and it's a challenge to always adapt to a new low in vision.

​

First, you need some wrap around sunglasses that don't let much light in. That will help you, I hope. :-)


Here's the link to the US Amazon for some sunglasses that might help and cost only $30. I'm hoping it transfers to your UK version:

Rapid Eyewear Nimbus DARK CATEGORY 4 SUNGLASSES for Extreme Sun Conditions and Sensitive Eyes (Photophobia). Glasses for Men and Women

https://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Eyewear-SUNGLASSES-Conditions-Photophobia/dp/B078XKHNZH

​

Second, try looking for a counselor/therapist who specializes in adjusting to vision loss.

​

Here's someone in my area, and I hope you can find someone like this in yours.

https://www.clarkcounselingsolutions.com/vision-rehabilitation

​

For example, here's someone on your side of the pond: http://www.focalpointuk.co.uk/staff/andy-fisher/

​

Here's what I entered into Google: Uk vision rehabilitation therapist

​

No quotes just the words above.

​

Wishing you well!

u/bondolo · 2 pointsr/Blind

I will try to find a post I made a couple of years ago but talking appliances are a good place to start.

Ignore the Panasonic talking microwave. It is years old and crummy. Get a food service ADA 508 compliant microwave instead. Even if you don't really read braille it is easy to memorize. Ours is Sharp R21 but there are now lots of options.

The best talking thermometer is the Thermoworks RT8400 Fast read commercial quality unit and uses triple A batteries rather than a watch battery.

VOX-2 is a very good talking kitchen scale. Has both metric and imperial units as well as a tare function.

Everybody seems to be talking about the instapot cooker. The controls are usable by people with low vision and mostly memorizable by the totally blind. You can also pay extra for the bluetooth version which has a fairly accessible smartphone app.

Are there any specific cooking tasks you are looking to accomplish?

u/aloe_chaos_lamb · 1 pointr/Blind

This isn’t glasses so might or might not suit your purposes, but my wife recently got me a Mindfold to help with my light sensitivity—it’s a sleep mask that is very comfortable and truly obscures 100% of light. Might be good at least for certain situations. Edit: whoops, obviously I didn’t read carefully enough! My bad.

u/Realistic_Excitement · 5 pointsr/Blind

Sighted artist here... I'm not sure if this suggestion will be helpful or obvious, but since nobody else has commented so far I will give it a shot. Have you tried using an embossing stylus with a smaller nib for your tactile drawings? I have not used the Draftsman, but after digging around a little online it looks like the stylus that comes with it is has a nib size roughly the same as a ballpoint pen. Will it make a smaller line if you use a smaller tool? If possible, lines of varying widths might get your more of the detail and depth that you're after.

I recently made a little series of embossed drawings using a five-dollar set of styluses ordered from amazon. There are many options, but here is the link to the set I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LQYS1GE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It comes with three double-sided styluses: the largest is about the same ballpoint pen size, and the smallest is so tiny that it's practically a needle. It might be worth trying if you haven't before.

I also really enjoy carving drawings out of those rubber and linoleum blocks used for making stamps, but I have sliced my fingers a few times in the process!

u/theimpossiblesong · 2 pointsr/Blind

I love this question it's not silly at all! I'm a blind makeup lover too so I completely understand.
Have you tried using a winged eye liner stamp? They're a bit more of a tactile experience than using a pen and require a little less precision. Plus once you get some practice it looks really cute!
Here are a few options!

https://m.sephora.com/product/wink-stamp-wing-eyeliner-P449090

https://www.amazon.com/Eyeliner-Stamp-WingLiner-Waterproof-Smudgeproof/dp/B07GM317JJ

https://thevampstamp.com/

u/sk1ttl3s · 3 pointsr/Blind

I don't know of it snows where you are in which case I can recommend a bigger wheeled one, but my husband likes this

Mount-It! Mesh Rolling Utility Cart, Folding and Collapsible Hand Crate on Wheels, 55 Lbs Capacity https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763TCX1V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tuAVDbSFQWQEP

u/8i8oio · 2 pointsr/Blind

I started with this... a Braille cube

And a really awesome intro book. It’s for adults learning Braille, which is perfect. link here

u/tymme · 1 pointr/Blind

I play primarily on PC and sit pretty close to my monitor (about a foot away for a 24" monitor). If I need to read something specific, I'll either use windowed mode and Windows Magnifier or a pocket magnifier like this one I picked up at Target for $10 or so.

We also have a larger TV in the living room for when I play on consoles. The bedroom has a RetroPie I set up for her and I to play older console games together, and she'll sit on the bed and I'll stand to the side or sit on the edge of it closer to the TV so we can play together.

Some of it is also adjusting/knowing my limits for games in general-
I don't care for FPS anyway, but wouldn't play that or LoL-type games where I'm part of a team that needs me to act/react quickly. I'll generally play ARPGs where I can be solo or part of a mob rather than a specific group. Also turn-based strategy games where amount of time spent doesn't matter.

u/LBDazzled · 2 pointsr/Blind

Are you on Instagram? A lot of TVIs (teachers of the visually impaired) share their ideas there for tactile games, books, etc. A lot of them make stuff on their own.

Here are a few to get you started: [@mrsbyrnetvi] (https://www.instagram.com/mrsbyrnetvi/), [@youvegotbraillellc] (https://www.instagram.com/youvegotbraillellc/) and [@whyeyeteach] (https://www.instagram.com/whyeyeteach/).

There's also [@paths.to.literacy] (https://www.instagram.com/Paths.To.Literacy/), which often has good ideas. And the [#TeacherOfTheVisuallyImpaired] (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/teacherofthevisuallyimpaired/) hashtag.

And one actual idea - do you have [Bop It] (https://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-Gaming-B7428-Bop-It-Board/dp/B01ALHAJ20/ref=pd_sbs_21_t_0/130-6949372-7702505?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01ALHAJ20&pd_rd_r=560ae70e-d06f-4203-9083-1a857e9870cc&pd_rd_w=BXIov&pd_rd_wg=aT22T&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=69JD80YKQT0FZ749RABH&psc=1&refRID=69JD80YKQT0FZ749RABH) in your country? It's an electronic game with buttons and levers that gives you commands (e.g., "pull it," "push it," etc.). He may enjoy that...

u/Carnegie89 · 4 pointsr/Blind

I have used the Master Lock 1500iD for a couple of years. It's very easy to use. It's a directional combination lock.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002TSN4SQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1