Yet more subject matter expertise: blind and low vision people in shelters

RantWoman's efforts to seed a blindness email list with questions and thoughts about disaster preparedness are having their intended effects. Here, more thoughts about blind / visually impaired people, shelters, preparing people who will staff shelters during disasters, preparing kits to guide people staffing shelters. This is the world according to RantWoman. One point of disasters is that people get to cope with LOTS of circumstances that might be other than what one prefers

#NatlPrep #accessibility

RantWoman appreciates the efforts of the designated subject matter expert about blind and low vision people in shelters. BUT...he has a couple times mentioned measures that RantWoman not only would specifically not find helpful but that would severely strain RantWoman's capacity to be polite, courteous. One of the hazards of being an official Subject Matter Expert is the temptation to speak on behalf of everyone one represents instead of just being a channel for diversity and multiple strands of wisdom.

Or maybe RantWoman is just picky and insufferable?

Today's RantWoman reflections:

Include in the kit meant to set up the shelter:

--a description in large print of a couple different sighted guide techniques along with the note that the proper one is the one a blind person prefers even if it is something other than what is suggested on a piece of paper. Maybe laminate this or put it in a plastic sleeve in a notebook.

--same thing with print on palm, a technique for communicating with deaf-blind people

Another topic it might be nice to offer instruction about is how to describe a large room so that I know the restrooms are across the room from me or there is a first aid area to the speaker's right and a food area to the speaker's left or that cots are organized in 8 rows of 20 cots or whatever. Please include the location of stairs, ramps, stage areas or sudden drops. There are different ways of describing space so both blind and sighted people can be oriented; just pick one and use examples.
--Signature guides and how to use them: if a shelter needs to do paperwork on actual paper, either an actual signature guide or an instruction to make a tactile signature line by folding the paper along the printed signature line could be a big help.

--Some blind and deaf/blind people use braille; other's do not. Some deaf /blind people can read written notes; others cannot. Even if the site kit does not include braille supplies, maybe if something is needed in braille people can be asked whether anyone has braille supplies.

--RantWoman thinks as far as taking care of service dogs, it's a great idea to have both canned dog food in kits for setting up shelters and veterinarians included in lists of medical resources. RantWoman would be VERY surprised if there were one veterinarian / shelter location, but would hope one could be easily communicated with if there were pressing issues with service dogs.

--RantWoman likes the idea of putting something on the floor near or under things that stick out from walls, obstacles like fire extinguishers, brackets, light fixtures. Further, RantWoman is tall and thus sometimes finds more ways than average to run into things. RantWoman would also sometimes be afraid of just tripping over things on the floor meant to warn RantWoman of some such obstacle..

--When RantWoman thinks about a large room with lots of noise and confusion, RantWoman might like a day schedule where everyone just gets told there will be announcements for 5 minutes at the top of the hour every 2-3 hours and maybe for 15 minutes twice a day. Ring a bell or flash lights or something before announcements start so people know to be quiet.

--In lots of situations, people who let small children run around loose just fry RantWoman's nerves. It's reasonable to ask everyone to be courteous and to help their children share the space by keeping a close eye on them.

--People probably need to be reminded of basic courtesy such as keeping one's possessions stowed in ways that people walking around will not trip over them.

--Rather than make blanket statements about what blind people want, RantWoman STRONGLY prefers people to offer her a choice: For example a cot at the end of a row, somewhere in the middle but next to someone I came with, near a speaker if someone hears badly, away from bright lights if one has problems handling light.... Bear in mind, it might not be possible to offer a choice and people might need just to adapt.

Perhaps this is as much wisdom as anyone should be expected to handle for today!