At this RNIB school we have young adults from
16-25, with a huge range of disabilities and learning difficulties with sight
loss.
Do you think retail spaces cater to the Visually Impaired?
No, but they learn with practice. Here, at the RNIB school, we teach our students to become independent and able to experience everyday life.
What are your thoughts on a highly sensory retail store experience?
It completely depends on the market you are trying to target. Each sense holds a unique memory and feeling for everyone, even bubbles in wallpaper, or a scent in the air. It has potential to hold a unique impression on the highstreet.
Confidence is an issue with most youth; do you think this also a problem shared with your pupils? Is there anything Zed can do?
Yes, just like any teenager, or pupils struggle with fitting in and confidence. Especially the students that use apparatus/wheelchairs/sticks to help them, it makes them stand out too much and they just want to blend in. Many of the students are too embarrassed to use a white cane here.
The possibilities for Zed to make sunglasses for the VI that do not make them seem any different to everyone else on the street would become a product in high demand. The sensory theme could work well with the design of these products.
This may seem like a highly naïve question but; for people who are completely blind, do they really care about the colour of their glasses? Or is their main focus on other features like texture or weight?
Yes they care of course, but most I know choose a colour that blends with their outfits, like most people do. I think texture based eyewear is something that can be incorporated throughout all the collections that distinguishes the brand.
So have you worn these before?
I haven’t tried them no, though each pair has a unique tint in the lens, shape and size to the wearer. Some have a coloured tint, like yellow so that black and white are more defined. These are an expensive necessity for the wearer; the benefits and grants given to the VI would be enough if the much-needed technology weren’t so expensive.
Is there anyone here that has become visually impaired from UV light?
No, I’m afraid not, this problem occurs more frequently in later life. Exposure to UV light over summer months tends to deteriorate sight over time, and causes problems like cataracts. This could be the reason the population of the visually impaired has risen so much as holidaying in hot countries becomes a staple.
The amount of UV awareness for skin is huge; I agree that there is nothing to make everyone aware of UV protection on the eyes, maybe the RNIB in London may be able to help to start a campaign.
Do you know anyone who has tried the glasses that improves colour blindness?
I haven’t but I’ve seen the videos, it’s exciting that things are starting to happen. The rise in population of visually impaired over the decades has meant technology to help them on a day-to-day basis has also improved. There is now an audio satnav that tracks the movements of the wearer and warns of hazards on the way; this would probably be used in unfamiliar situations.
Another consideration is why people don’t know about UV protection in glasses and how necessary it is. Why don’t people understand the sticker on a pair of sunglasses? Why do they pull it off, understanding it to be no more than a kite mark or standard? Also should people in the UK care as the lack of sunlight in the UK makes us feel as though we deserve the few days of brilliant light a year and what harm can that really do?
Do you think retail spaces cater to the Visually Impaired?
No, but they learn with practice. Here, at the RNIB school, we teach our students to become independent and able to experience everyday life.
What are your thoughts on a highly sensory retail store experience?
It completely depends on the market you are trying to target. Each sense holds a unique memory and feeling for everyone, even bubbles in wallpaper, or a scent in the air. It has potential to hold a unique impression on the highstreet.
Confidence is an issue with most youth; do you think this also a problem shared with your pupils? Is there anything Zed can do?
Yes, just like any teenager, or pupils struggle with fitting in and confidence. Especially the students that use apparatus/wheelchairs/sticks to help them, it makes them stand out too much and they just want to blend in. Many of the students are too embarrassed to use a white cane here.
The possibilities for Zed to make sunglasses for the VI that do not make them seem any different to everyone else on the street would become a product in high demand. The sensory theme could work well with the design of these products.
This may seem like a highly naïve question but; for people who are completely blind, do they really care about the colour of their glasses? Or is their main focus on other features like texture or weight?
Yes they care of course, but most I know choose a colour that blends with their outfits, like most people do. I think texture based eyewear is something that can be incorporated throughout all the collections that distinguishes the brand.
So have you worn these before?
I haven’t tried them no, though each pair has a unique tint in the lens, shape and size to the wearer. Some have a coloured tint, like yellow so that black and white are more defined. These are an expensive necessity for the wearer; the benefits and grants given to the VI would be enough if the much-needed technology weren’t so expensive.
Is there anyone here that has become visually impaired from UV light?
No, I’m afraid not, this problem occurs more frequently in later life. Exposure to UV light over summer months tends to deteriorate sight over time, and causes problems like cataracts. This could be the reason the population of the visually impaired has risen so much as holidaying in hot countries becomes a staple.
The amount of UV awareness for skin is huge; I agree that there is nothing to make everyone aware of UV protection on the eyes, maybe the RNIB in London may be able to help to start a campaign.
Do you know anyone who has tried the glasses that improves colour blindness?
I haven’t but I’ve seen the videos, it’s exciting that things are starting to happen. The rise in population of visually impaired over the decades has meant technology to help them on a day-to-day basis has also improved. There is now an audio satnav that tracks the movements of the wearer and warns of hazards on the way; this would probably be used in unfamiliar situations.
Another consideration is why people don’t know about UV protection in glasses and how necessary it is. Why don’t people understand the sticker on a pair of sunglasses? Why do they pull it off, understanding it to be no more than a kite mark or standard? Also should people in the UK care as the lack of sunlight in the UK makes us feel as though we deserve the few days of brilliant light a year and what harm can that really do?
No comments:
Post a Comment