Communicating your needs when living with vision loss
How do I lead an effective conversation about my needs?
When one person asks a question, they are curious. When two people ask the same question it’s a coincidence. When several people ask, we’ve hit something big. I get this particular question a lot.
It stands to reason others may benefit from understanding the answer too.
The question(s) that spurred today's piece comes from a person with a visual impairment in need of guidance learning to use a specific device. It might be an iPhone, Alexa, or a kitchen appliance. They need support and interactive feedback choreographing an important next step toward independence. There's a very real danger people will stall out seeking help if it's unclear how to have an effective conversation about their own educational needs.
First, consider what the person is really asking. “How do I ask for what I need when I don’t know myself?” Or maybe, “Who do I ask for this type of expertise?” Makes sense to not know if we're navigating uncharted waters. Before offering a substantive answer I'd like to pause. Let's name, acknowledge, and validate the feelings underneath the question first.
Being a foreigner in a foreign land is hard. Especially when you do not speak the language yet. It can lead to frustration. Confusion. It may cause misunderstandings. Tempers may flare. It may bring up other strong emotions. Maintaining calm, cool, and collected when frustrated requires significant mental effort. If we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired this may exceed the reservoir of available emotional bandwidth.
Imagine how often someone diagnosed with new vision loss wrestles with this situation. Having effective conversations without the vocabulary or fluency to get your point across can be exhausting. It may happen at the eye doctor’s office. It may happen at work or at a restaurant. Plus, most people find it incredibly hard to talk about their needs. Vulnerability is involved with asking for help.
We’re in a sacred space if someone musters the courage to tread into these waters at all.
Now to the meat of the response: what skill you need to learn dictates who to ask for help. The Scope of Practice for 3 common vision rehabilitation professionals points us to the answer:
Here’s a helpful shorthand summary a dually certified CVRT/COMS friend shared:
If it’s indoors it’s within the scope of a CVRT. If it’s outdoors it’s within the scope of a COMS. If it’s a communication tool it’s within the scope of a CATIS. Since communication devices are indoors there’s some overlap between skills a CVRT and a CATIS can teach including how to use a smartphone or read Braille.