Giving gifts is a pleasure understood in every culture and every language, and we at AccessWorld try to help jumpstart your creativity each year with some ideas that will be fun to give to people with visual impairments and just as much fun to receive. Last year, I rounded up a pile of ideas ranging in price from free to a bit luxurious, and the response was so appreciative that some of those ideas bear repeating in 2016.
Unique, Outstanding, and Free
Whether your gift recipient is new to visual impairment or a blind or low vision expert, there are certain items that continue to be valued highly year after year.
Dubbed the "magic wand" by many an individual new to blindness, the long white cane is a tool that gives back independence and freedom of movement. White canes are available from many companies throughout the U.S. and Canada, and vary in durability and price. One white cane, however, is entirely free of charge to any blind person requesting it. Actually, it is more than one, since you can request a second one after six months if the first one gets lost, broken, or left behind.
The program is made possible by the National Federation of the Blind. All you need to do is fill out an online form with your friend's or loved one's information and wait for the unusually long tube to arrive in the mail. To order the right length, subtract 8 to 10 inches from the recipient's overall height. The length might be adjusted in the future, according to the recipient's preference.
Another "magic wand" of blindness can be a braille slate and stylus. Even if your recipient has not yet begun to learn braille, the gift of a slate and stylus with a braille alphabet card can trigger an exploration of tactile literacy free slate and stylus can be ordered at the same time as the free white cane. For either or both, go to the National Federation of the Blind website or call 410-659-9314.
The Gift of Learning
One of the most remarkable educational resources available to blind people throughout the world is the Hadley School for the Blind.
Have you ever wanted to learn French? Or how to use Power Point? How to read braille music? Or bake a pie? Chances are that just about any skill or content pursuit you or a blind or low vision friend has entertained is available as a free correspondence course from Hadley. You and your teacher will communicate through the mail or online, via braille, large print, recordings, or live conversations. If you and your friend are both blind, try signing up for the same course and encouraging one another throughout the year.
To explore the wide range of course possibilities, go to the Hadley School for the Blind website.
Fun and Games
Holiday gift time is, of course, heavily associated with toys and children, and there are plenty of games and toys designed for children as well as adults who are blind.
Here are some of my favorites available in 2016:
Games
A few historically popular board games have been revived in new formats this year and are sleeker than ever. My two favorites are the new Cribbage board and magnetic checkers, both available from the National Federation of the Blind Independence Market
Cribbage is a centuries-old card game requiring only a deck of cards (braille or large print, of course) and a Cribbage board for pegging the score. It's fun and fast and can be equally enjoyed by people of all ages. Checkers, too, is a centuries-old favorite that has been revived in a sleek and portable format. All magnetic, this portable version of checkers can be easily carried in a tote bag. Playing pieces are distinguished both by color and shape (red and black, round and square) and spaces are easily identified by both touch and sight. Again, this is an easy game for two that can be enjoyed by all ages.
Other games available from the NFB Independence Market include Quiddler (a card game somewhat similar to Scrabble), MegaWords (again, a spinoff of Scrabble), and Shut the Box. Prices range from around $9 to $39.
Children's Books and Toys
The National Braille Press adds braille to many award-winning children's books, to be enjoyed by blind and sighted children alike. From colorful board books for infants and toddlers to stories for preschoolers and beyond, all books are sold at the same prices as in bookstores. Some books have companion products available, such as plush animals or trucks or blocks, to help bring a story to life and stimulate all the senses. Go to the National Braille Press website for a complete list, and be sure to get there in time to order the 2017 Peanuts print/braille wall calendar, which includes120 stickers.
The InSights calendar, produced each year by the American Printing House for the Blind, features the work of a blind or low vision artist on each page. The American Printing House also offers inflatable Rib-It balls of varying sizes whose crinkly texture and dual-color combinations make them easy to see and hear for kids with visual impairments. Kids of all ages might like the tactile brain-teaser Twist, Slide, and Solve ($16), or the Lots of Dots Coloring Books (about $40 each). For details or to order, visit the American Printing House for the Blind website or call 800-223-1839.
Business Owned by People with Visual Impairments
Online shopping has made it much easier to locate novelty gifts and gadgets that might otherwise remain unnoticed, and many businesses that sell such items are created and owned by people with visual impairments. Highlighting just a few, here are some ideas of what you can find for sale from a few blind entrepreneurs.
Delicious Leather Products
When Susan Loviner and Rudy Tell started their business and their marriage 40 years ago, they were both artistic and both fully sighted. The business (and the marriage) are thriving, but Susan lost her sight several years ago and is still producing a brilliant collection of all-leather, buttery-soft items.
Products range from small pouches (suitable for cash, cosmetics, or glasses) to fanny packs to larger purses, bags, and a popular backpack. The Banana purse ($38), named thus due to its curvy shape, is a cross-body soft bag perfect for a day of shopping or night on the town. Prices range from $10 to $225, and most products are available in a wide range of colors. Every item is handmade and all leather.
To order, you can attend any one of the scores of art shows and fairs featuring Rudy Tell Design Group products, or directly by emailing Rudy Tell and Susan Loviner or calling 423-487-2995.
A Little Bit of Everything
The Harbolt Company, owned and operated by Brent Harbolt, offers a range of technical and household items. Speakers, headphones, and laptops are sold alongside tote bags and pocket knives. Quantities available are often limited, but there are frequent specials to keep buyer interest high. A unique feature is that Brent himself makes an audio recording describing each product from the perspective of a blind person. Visit the Harbolt Company website or call 405-633-2572.
Talking MP3 players
If you read the article in the June 2016 AccessWorld reviewing the Talking Daisy and MP3 Player, you have already met Laz Mesa, owner of Accessible Electronics. As the title suggests, the primary products sold by this company are talking MP3 players, although other electronics such as bluetooth speakers, headphones, SD cards, and more are also often available. Email or call 727-498-0121.
AT Guys
Many AccessWorld readers may already be familiar with the AT Guys, whose proprietor, J.J. Meddaugh, has been rounding up bargains and selling assistive technology products for several years now. Once again, because the company is led by blind individuals, a range of innovative and useful products are available on the site. In addition to a number of accessories for iOS and Android phones and tablets, including headphones, speakers, keyboards, and more, the AT Guys offerings include both innovative and ordinary tech solutions. The iGrill Mini lets you know when your food on the grill or in the oven has reached a desired temperature. The TCL Pulse, operated via a smartphone app, vibrates to wake you up in the morning, and other devices allow you to control your lights or coffee maker when away from home, get GPS directions, and more.
Accessible Entertainment
If you or your gift recipient is a movie lover, there are plenty of new options available with audio description to enhance the appreciation of a TV show or movie by someone who can't see the visual details on the screen. Movie tickets to any Cinemark Theater, for example, will pretty much ensure that the chosen movie will be one including a descriptive track. (Just ask for the headset for audio description at the box office.) If you want your gift to be enjoyed anytime in the quiet of the recipient's home, try a subscription to Netflix. For about $8 a month, subscribers can now choose from a growing variety of TV shows and movies, including "Daredevil," "Grace and Frankie," "House of Cards," and many more.
A Range of Products for Low Vision and Low Hearing
Independent Living Aids offers an eclectic range of products for people with vision and/or hearing disabilities. The company offers products to make cooking, reading, recreation, using technology, and a host of other pursuits more accessible. The Moshi interactive alarm clock ($45.95) responds to 12 voice commands, and will tell the time, temperature, and more. The Moshi Neck Pillow ($414.95), is a neck massager and reading light in one. Whether you want to magnify the print on your recipe cards or amplify the sound delivered by your television, ILA has a product to try. Visit or call 800-537-2118.
Personal Tech Toy Favorites
On a final note, our editor suggested that I list my own personal favorites in tech toys this season.
For the hottest new technology for braille readers (or those who our braille-reading wannabees!), the Orbit Reader 20 from the American Printing House for the Blind definitely heads the list. Although the exact price is not known at this writing, APH says it will be under $500 and that units will be ready to ship for Christmas. To order, call 800-223-1839 or visit the American Printing House for the Blind.
Although not quite as new on the scene, my other top pick for just plain trendy and fun tech would be any one of the Amazon Echo models. I sometimes hear Alexa in the background when talking to various friends on the phone and, well, it just sounds like great fun asking the voice across the room to tell you the weather, play some music, or fill in the blank for the currently unanswered fact or puzzle.
Prices range from $40 to $180 for various models, which you can read about in previous issues of AccessWorld.
Most of the suggestions in this round-up are ones that would or could naturally incorporate the best of all gifts any one of us can give another. That, of course, is you and your time. Watch a show, play a game, or otherwise make yourself available to participate in the pleasure of the gift you give. The result will be joy that extends beyond a single occasion.
Related articles:
- Holiday Shopping at Best Buy and QVC by Janet Ingber
- Learning to Use the Amazon Echo with the Mystic Access Audio Tutorial by Bill Holton
More from this author:
- The Orbit Reader 20 by Orbit Research: a Review by Deborah Kendrick
- Book Review: Getting Started with the iPhone and iOS 9: Step-by-Step Instruction for Blind Users, by Anna Dresner by Deborah Kendrick
