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Rainy days and Photophbia

Posted on by One Vision

Whilst waiting in the bus station on one of our coldest, wettest days of the year so far (I think so anyway) I thought I would write a little blog about how the wet weather and rain affects my vision and my photophobia in particular.

Photophobia isn’t just about the suns glare. It’s any glare. Light, water and otherwise too. I’ve even had it from glass and coins. I’ve found coins because of it though 😉
My bus back home has missed yet again and because of the weather the Uber fares are quite expensive, so I’m sitting it out until the next bus. Fingers crossed everyone that that one comes.

I made a graphic last night to explain this. A real photograph of my trip into my home city the other late afternoon and a doctored one to get the nearest depiction of what glare does to my eyesight.

I do get glare through the day, any day, not just summer sun. The light and glare can bounce of cars, appears brightly around corners. Especially if sat in a moving vehicle which I try to catch as I’m now very used to avoiding bright light and where it appears from.

In the late afternoon and evening, this also happens as the light drops into darkness from traffic lights, shop lighting and wet surfaces, puddles etc.

This is nearly exactly what I see.

It hinders my confidence getting around in the low light. It also makes things seem alot blurrier. Which I’m blurry anyway without this adding to the effect.

The pavements seem to shine. Reflect back at me.

I cannot wear my usual trusty sunglasses I have through the day all year, as they make it too dark to see at all.

It’s very hard to explain what I see. Especially as I seem to get around sort of ok with no white cane as yet, to help. This is something I’m going to have to sort out though.

You just can’t see the cogs whirring inside my brain checking out all the possible dangers. It is abit like a duck or a swan gliding around.

I wear grippy boots because I’m frightened of falling again if it’s dark and wet.

You just cannot see my frantic feet peddling away getting me around.

It does help knowing extremely well, my route around the city I’ve been visiting all my life.

Anywhere I don’t know, I wouldn’t march around so quickly.

A late afternoon darkness descends on a city. Traffic lights are at red and the wet precinct gradually goes down the hill. The sky is a darkening blue colour. The shop lights are on brightly as its just near closing time.
PD 1 A late afternoon darkness descends on a city. Traffic lights are at red and the wet precinct gradually goes down the hill. The sky is a darkening blue colour. The shop lights are on brightly as its just near closing time.
The same photograph as PD 1. The view is blurrier. The red traffic lights are elongated and brighter. Stretching towards the foreground. The shop lights are very bright now. They take up some of the pavement. The pavement shines because of the wet weather.
PD 2 The same photograph as PD 1. The view is blurrier. The red traffic lights are elongated and brighter. Stretching towards the foreground. The shop lights are very bright now. They take up some of the pavement. The pavement shines because of the wet weather.
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Large Print and Braille menus

Posted on by One Vision

After a very productive day of abit gardening by Richard and I. A brickie doing some work in my house this morning due to my ongoing renovations to my little house 🤗. We thought we would meet up with my sister for a well deserved meal locally.

I was looking at the menu on my phone as it’s easier for me than reading the menu. Or so I thought.

A lovely fella came up and said they had a large print menu which we could use which also had a Braille menu on the other side.

Well done Brewers Fayre and the Rhubarb Triangle Pub!

We’ve never been offered a large print menu and it made it so much easier for me to read today. And it was also nice to sit and just enjoy reading a menu, page by page for once.

Richard, who has an eye condition called Choroideremia, can read the menu as his central vision is sort of 20/20. His vision is very different to mine and about as hard to explain! He uses a white long cane to get around safely as his distance vision is patchy.

At least we can help each other.

A colourful ring bound book of photographs of lots of plates of food on the cover. The text reads Large Print Menu.
PD 1 A colourful ring bound book of photographs of lots of plates of food on the cover. The text reads Large Print Menu.
A colourful ring bound book of photographs of lots of plates of food on the cover. The text reads Braille Menu.
PD 2 A colourful ring bound book of photographs of lots of plates of food on the cover. The text reads Braille Menu.
A close up photograph of a white page with Braille text
PD 3 A close up photograph of a white page with Braille text
A white contents page with large black text. Different types of food listed with page numbers
PD 4 A white contents page with large black text. Different types of food listed with page numbers
Richard. A white male with shaved head. Wears a colourful turquoise and orange jersey and beige jeans. He also is wearing Ray-Ban meta glasses. He holds a hedge trimmer whilst cutting a green foliaged hedge nearby.
PD 5 Richard. A white male with shaved head. Wears a colourful turquoise and orange jersey and beige jeans. He also is wearing Ray-Ban meta glasses. He holds a hedge trimmer whilst cutting a green foliaged hedge nearby.
Posted in Useful Information

Special Assistance with Visually impaired Travellers

Posted on by One Vision

A new blog is coming up about the Special Assistance service we used on our holiday to Tilos, Greece recently.

Myself. My other half Richard and his lovely Mum Pauline.

This was my first time using this service and my experience of it.

From Manchester Airport to Rhodes (Diagoras) Airport there, and back.

How to book it. Who can use this service. What this involves. Any hiccups. Ease of service. What to expect.

On one leg of the journey we were left to our own devices by the special Assistance member of staff. As he… “finished at 5pm”. We’ve made a complaint about this to Jet2.

This didn’t spoil the holiday it was just a very small incident among the amazing people that helped us make travelling alot easier. Other people in both countries couldn’t do enough for us and even went out of their way to help. From the staff in Special Assistance, to the cabin crew from both airlines we flew with.

We were 2 visually impaired travellers and one person needed a wheelchair for ease of getting around. 3 of us in total.

I will write about the additional help we received from the very kind and caring people we came across.

VD Choppy images of inside the special Assistance room in Manchester Airport. Images of my shoes walking in the airport and on the plane. On the beach with my cocoon sunglasses. Small Greek church. Greek flag fluttering in the breeze. Bright pink flowers. Our apartment next to the beach with blue doors and shutters. Richard being guided in Rhodes Airport by their special Assistance member of staff.  Croissant and coffee on the plane. Outside view of the plane taking off from my window. The Greek salad meal I had on the way home. The plane landing. A green eye logo for One Vision Blog appears with the words One Vision Blog