How to Create a Safe Home for Your Visually Impaired Child
by Lin Beckner
How to Create a Safe Home for Your Visually Impaired Child
by Lin Beckner
How to Create a Safe Home for Your Visually Impaired Child
by Lin Beckner
There are countless thoughts racing through a parent’s mind after learning their child is visually impaired. As a parent, you want to give your child the best shot at a happy, fulfilling life, and vision impairment is not something you were prepared for.
While there’s a lot you can do to enable and empower your visually impaired child, one of the most important things you can do right now is make sure your home is a safe setting for them to learn and grow. Done properly, making home improvements can add value to your home. If you have an inkling you might sell in the near future, be sure to keep your receipts to show to an appraiser.
About Vision Impairment
There are no definite statistics regarding the number of visually impaired children in the United States, in part because there’s no set definition of vision impairment. However, the National Federation of the Blind reports that, in 2017 there were 706,400 non-institutionalized children under the age of 20 reported to have a visual disability.
While most people think of blindness as a total inability to see, most visually impaired people can see to some degree. In fact, total blindness is much less common than low vision — according to data from the World Health Organization, only about 7.3 percent of all visually impaired people are totally blind, but that is still 39 million out of 285 million visually impaired people, worldwide.
Others may be able to perceive the presence and absence of light, shapes and colors, or experience a constricted field of vision. Understanding your own child’s visual ability is important for adapting your home to their needs.
How to Adapt Your Home for a Child with Vision Impairment
When your child is visually impaired, you have to go above and beyond the standard childproofing measures, according to BabyCenter.com. It’s important to modify your home in ways that not only make it safer, but also easier for your child to navigate and use.
Lighting: Keep lighting consistent throughout the house to eliminate shadows and glares. Install light diffusers to adapt existing fixtures or install new fixtures as needed. Most visually impaired people benefit from brighter lighting, but a significant minority may require dimmed lighting to use their vision.
Flooring: Children with low vision can see important details with contrasting colors. Consider changing the color of your flooring between rooms to let your child know which rooms they have entered. If your child has no or very little vision, using a different type of flooring in each room can serve the same purpose. For example, use hardwood flooring in the hallway and a low-pile carpet in the bedroom. Keep the height of your flooring choices consistent to minimize trip and fall hazards.
Furniture:High contrast colors are again helpful when it comes to furnishings. A sofa that stands out against the flooring and wall colors will be easier to access than one that blends in. This is also useful in the bedroom, where contrasting pillows and blankets help your little one gets comfortable in bed. Avoid very dark colors and patterns, as they may be visually confusing.
Backyard Safety: If you have a backyard, consider building a fence to help protect your child from wandering. Some people feel comfortable DIYing this project, but it’s something most of us should leave to the professionals. Use sites like Angi.com to connect with local contractors who have received positive reviews from customers.
Organization: Keep walkways clear at all times and avoid changing furniture arrangements. Be careful to clean up diaper bags, toys, and other frequently used items as soon as you’re finished with them to prevent falls.
Feeding and Playing: Use bottles with a brightly colored nipple for ease of use. When your child begins eating solid foods, choose dishes and silverware that contrast with the highchair tray. Buy toys that provide multisensory stimulation and store them in a space where your child can play safely. You can also begin adding supplements to their diet to help support healthy vision and hearing.
There’s a lot to learn about raising a child with vision impairment, but you won’t get far without a safe home to do it in. While these suggestions will get you started, you’ll probably have to adapt as your child grows and you learn more about their visual ability. Communicate with their doctor, monitor how your child is adjusting, and understand that it will be a lifelong learning process for all involved.
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