Preserve your autonomy is one of our first goals as human beings. But what about when we are visually impaired At birth or what do you become one during your life? If this is your case, we wanted to offer you an article to provide you with advice to help you maintain your statehood, your self-confidence and your culinary creativity.

A well-appointed and thoughtful kitchen

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When you are visually impaired, cooking is always possible. You simply have to adjust and design this room so that it is natural to move around in it, and in a safe manner.

For this, it is necessary to place kitchen furniture and household appliances in a logical and orderly manner so that each item is in its place and easily. Memorable. Storage units should also be placed at an accessible height to facilitate the search and handling of objects.

On the safety side, consider a anti-slip floor (vinyl or PVC) may be a great option. The idea is to reduce the risk of falls, especially when carrying a hot dish or a bowl filled with boiling water. Light-colored worktops and darker walls will make it easier to locate utensils and other items by increasing contrast.

Regarding thelighting, which is one of the most essential points, it is essential to avoid having dark areas in the room. Having LED lights placed under cabinets or at least above preparation areas (worktop, sink, gas stove or stovetop) ensures good visibility. With the technologies at voice commands Today, it is also possible to be able to turn lights on and off without the need for switches.

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A good organization to find your way around

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Being visually impaired can mean a lot of things. It is possible to see, but in a reduced way, or in a fuzzy way and to have to guess the elements around us. But, it is also possible to navigate in complete darkness. To be able to recognize ingredients or kitchen utensils, it is recommended to use tactile markers And tags. For example, you can stick adhesive labels in Braille or large characters on spice jars, cans and bottles. The aim is to be able to distinguish their content without confusion.

Your ingredients and other provisions labelled in this way can then be placed in your storage in a logical manner. Like the layout of your kitchen furniture, the principle is to be able to memorize their location easily.

Markers can also be placed on the buttons on your household appliances, such as oven or microwave controls. This will allow the appropriate options or programs to be quickly identified and selected.

And to go further, there are label readers ! These small devices in the form of pens allow you to stick personalized labels on various elements and to read what they indicate. Very practical for identifying foods in the kitchen, but also medications and household products!

If you want to know more about these readers, you can go to the store of The Valentin Haüy association who offers them or directly from Voxiweb.

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Appropriate utensils and tools

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Another way to make cooking tasks easier for people with poor eyesight lies in the use ofadapted tools. And there is no shortage of good ideas in terms of household appliances, practicality and safety.

We are thinking in particular of stovetops and talking microwaves or even to talking scales. The latter, for example, will announce the weight of the ingredients weighed out loud. There are also knives with guides to cut food safely. And sound detectors to indicate when the level of a liquid has been reached in a container.

Of course, these are not the only innovative objects and we are confident that others will be created to help people with visual disabilities to cook independently.

Adapted recipes and cookbooks

Preparing and eating the same meals all the time can quickly become boring. Fortunately, people with poor eyesight can also continue to learn from new recipes ! Especially thanks to Audible recipe books. The Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (FSA) offers a list on their site where the recipes offered during their cooking classes are listed.

Les books in braille or large print However, they are missing. However, it is possible to get a braille book with ten simple recipes called” Cooking for everyone! ”. A nice book proposed and designed by Rebecca Bauer and Adeline Richez in 2021. This year was also the mother of a book called” Cooking Blindly ” for” Cooking the blind ” in French. However, the latter, created on the initiative of Maggi, a Nestlé brand, does not yet seem to have gone beyond the borders of Brazil.

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Towards an autonomous and secure kitchen

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In summary, cooking with impaired vision requires specific arrangements and the use of adapted tools to guarantee safety and autonomy. But it is possible while continuing to enjoy it! Although we still notice a lack of inclusiveness on the cookbook side.

To help you with this daily task, Magic Sight offers comfort glasses that act as multi-purpose teleextenders. These have already allowed many people to regain some autonomy in their daily lives. If you want to know more about how they work, you can go to our dedicated page.

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