Deborah Kendrick
Editor's Note: As a companion to this gift guide, Deborah Kendrick joined us on the latest episode of the accessWorld podcast to discuss the history of accessWorld as well as holiday gift giving. You can find the episode on the AFB website or through your favorite podcast platform.
In a group of blind and low-vision technology fans, I recently asked people to name a gift from personal history that came to mind as unusual. Of course, one person said a car (while driving was still an option), and another said all gifts were special, but most easily had one memory that immediately surfaced.
For one person, it was a tandem bicycle. For another, it was a refreshable braille display; for another, it was a drive to a planetarium where seeing the stars with diminishing vision was still a possibility. One person recalled a braille watch, and another the emotional experience of receiving an early CCTV. Not all of the gifts remembered were specialty items specifically addressing the needs of a person who is blind or low vision, and yet, all were clearly items that would be appreciated fully with or without sight.
If you are searching for that special gift for a special person who happens to be blind, it probably won’t be one that appeals solely to the sense of sight. An entirely visual work of art probably won’t be the best choice. That doesn’t mean that your only choices are braille books and talking gadgets (both of which can be very nice, by the way), but think in terms of gifts that appeal to one or more senses beyond sight.
Music boxes, wind chimes, concert tickets, scented candles, plush blankets or sweaters, and games that everyone can play are just a few ideas to get you traveling down the road of gifts that don’t require vision. I’ve rounded up some others here that may have gone under your radar either because they are new or are from very small businesses. There should be something here to appeal to a wide range of ages, interests, and budgets. And if you see something that you might want for yourself, well, there’s still time to drop Santa a wish note.
For Lovers of Technology
A 2024 holiday gift guide would not be complete without mentioning the singular mainstream tech product that has captured the attention of the blind community. Ray-Ban Meta AI Smart Glasses are high-tech, stylish, affordable glasses whose original target audience was the sighted amateur photographer. With a tiny but powerful 12-megapixel camera in the outer corner of each lens, the quick tap of a button on the glasses can snap a photo or shoot a video. Speakers at your temples deliver high-quality audio, too—not just from the videos you take, but from anything you stream from your iPhone, like music, books, podcasts, or phone calls. The AI component means you can talk to your glasses to get answers to random questions (e.g., how tall is an elephant? When was Stevie Wonder born? How many U.S. dollars equals one thousand British pounds?). The bonus, which many blind people quickly clambered to adopt, was the AI’s ability to provide visual information. Say “Hey Meta, what’s in front of me?” and you can get detailed descriptions of cars, buildings, wall art, room decor, written document summaries, and more.
You can use the Meta glasses to communicate with a human volunteer through Be My Eyes or AIRA as well. The glasses are available in a variety of styles, typically selling for about $300. Recent holiday sales, however, from a variety of stores including Target, Best Buy, and Costco, have offered the glasses at significantly lower prices.
If you are looking for a tech-related gift with a smaller price point than the Meta glasses, there are plenty of options. Everyone who uses a smartphone for communication should have at least one portable power bank to charge that phone in case of an emergency. There are plenty of options in various sizes and power capacities (to charge a phone anywhere from one full cycle to five or six), so shop around on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, or Target. Note that most of these inform the user how much charge is left by a series of lights. For this reason, I like to get my power banks from vendors like AT Guys, companies owned by blind business owners who offer power banks that beep or vibrate as well as light up to indicate available charge. AT Guys currently sells an accessible portable power bank that is sleek in design, about the size of an iPhone, and can either vibrate or emit tones to let you know how much power it has left. It can charge your smartphone, braille display, and other devices that connect to a USB-A or USB-C port. AT Guys offers several other small items that would be welcomed by any tech aficionado, including Bluetooth speakers, headsets, charging stations, keyboards, a light detector, an entirely accessible portable voice recorder, and more. Most are under $100. Visit www.atguys.com or call (269) 216-4798.
If time is short and you prefer just walking into your favorite brick-and-mortar retailer, there are plenty of small affordable items for the tech person on your list. Browse headsets, Bluetooth or wired small speakers, USB flash drives, SD cards, or a multi-port power strip to power up all those small tech devices in a single location. Again, most of these kinds of items can be found at a range of prices, often as low as $20.
There is a plethora of choices to fit every taste, so browse your favorite online or retail location to find your best options.
Giving the Gift of Time
Some of the best gifts come in the form of experience or time. Do you have a skill that a friend would enjoy? How to use Facebook? Sign up for Shipt or Instacart? Connect some lights or locks or other household devices to an Amazon Echo or Google Assistant? Setting up such devices or showing another how to use an app or online service can be a fabulous gift. And both of you get to spend time with someone who made your gift recipient list!
Outside the Tech Arena
If you have a blind cook, a blind fashionista, a blind art lover, music lover, or collector of lovely handmade products, there is likely to be a small business owned by a blind entrepreneur with just the perfect product. Here are a few blind-owned businesses that have captured our attention:
Elegant Insights: Owned by Laura Legendary, Elegant Insights designs and sells jewelry for you, your purse, your dog, cat, door, or cane—all of which is pleasant to touch and see. Many pieces have embossed braille, relaying messages already assigned or of your own choosing. Visit elegantinsightsjewelry.com or call Laura at (702) 605-1265.
Wright Turn Only: Owned by Ray Wright, this shop offers beautifully crafted wooden treasures, which make wonderful gifts. Pens, seam rippers, bottle openers, ice cream scoops, and more present beautiful wood and whimsical designs. Custom projects are welcomed. Contact Ray Wright at (801) 560-9866 (call or text) or visit wrightturnonly.com.
Blind Girl Designs: Tricia Waechter turned her vision loss into a winning situation by using her talent for design to celebrate all things blind. White cane prints decorate aprons, tote bags, t-shirts, and hoodies, sometimes including braille messages. Call Blind Girl Designs at (862) 448-1011 or visit blindgirldesigns.com.
Aille Design: This business is the result of two fashion school graduates combining fashion with inclusion. The result is a line of clothing bearing bold braille messages created with Swarovski crystals. Products include t-shirts, sweaters, wide-leg pants, key chains, and an "Inspiring Stories" scarf. Visit www.ailledesign.com or call (716) 201-0302.
BrailleWear: Owned by Terry Keyson, BrailleWear offers tote bags, t-shirts, aprons, and more with embroidered images and perfect braille words in colorful threads. Prices are affordable, roughly $10 to $30. Proceeds support a nonprofit helping blind individuals gain independence. Call (805) 338-9853 or email braillewear4u@gmail.com.
Braille Books, Toys, and More
The Braille Superstore: Call (800) 987-1231 for braille books and so much more. From soccer balls that beep to braille sudoku sets, the Braille Superstore has you covered. Practical gifts include a Pocket Money Brailler ($6.95), which stamps currency in print and braille, and a raised-line drawing board ($19.95). These allow a sighted teacher or friend to create pictures that hands can "see." Chess sets, bingo boards, talking watches, tactile brain teasers, and puzzles are just a few more examples.
National Braille Press: If you are buying for blind children, don’t forget National Braille Press, which has an ever-growing collection of children’s books with both print and braille pages, as well as picture descriptions.
Blind Fashionista Barbie: New this year is the blind Barbie doll, a typically fashionable Barbie who happens to be blind, developed in partnership with AFB. The doll is priced at $10.99. If you would like to learn more about the partnership and how AFB assisted in the development of this doll, see this article in AFB Focus.
The best gift, of course, is the gift of time and presence. Here’s wishing you and yours the happiest of times while being present together this holiday season and into 2025!
