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| Booklist | GENERAL HELPFUL HINTS CAN BE FOUND ON WWW.THROUGHTHEROOF.ORG . Then click on ROOF BREAKERS GUIDES. ******************************************************************* Visually Impaired or Blind submitted by Denise Ferrin http://www.sixfriends.org/
*To help people with vision problems (including the elderly), buildings should avoid:
Potted plants, like plastic fiscus, that people could bump into and even knock over, placed near walkways;
Dim lighting, anywhere;
Placing toilet paper roll holders in unexpected places, or sitting the roll right on the back of the toilet (where it might get knocked off accidentally);
Doors that open into areas of high traffic;
Ramps that drop a person off into a driveway;
Unmarked breaks in pavement, if they're over 1/2 inch high;
No contrasting color strip at the edge of each stair in a stairway;
Handrails that just end in mid air (without rounding and going to the ground);
Ramps that don't have a ridge 4 inches high along the bottom (or a rail within 6 inches of the ramp) (so feet can't step off sideways);
Drinking fountains and pay phones that stick out from the wall without barriers on each side;
Metal and plastic signs that might hit a person on the face or shin;
Doors on elevators that close too quickly;
"Curb cuts" that cut across the whole sidewalk and leave no level place to walk;
Signs with shiny surfaces, making them glarey and hard to read;
Using the same color material to pave the sidewalks and the driveways;
Landscaping that hangs down in people's faces, or has drop-offs alongside walking surfaces;
Outside sprinkler systems that wet down walkways;
Furniture that is the same color as the flooring;
Windows behind where the main speaker will usually stand in a room;
Signs with poor color contrast (such as red on purple) or fancy lettering;
Hallways that zig-zag;
Walkways or hallways so narrow that two people can't walk side-by-side;
Having no grassy area, or having it hard to get to (a dog guide might have to "use the facilities");
Poles placed in the middle of a sidewalk;
Cords or hoses laying across walkways;
Rooms for learning without handy electrical outlets (for tape recorders, laptop computers etc.);
Ropes strung across doorways, rows, or aisles;
etc.
*If your church is sensitive to the needs of people who are visually impaired or blind, consider adding your church address/website to Denise's list. http://home.att.net/~sixfriends/xchurch.html ************************************************************************ |