Cooking while blind: Accessible tools for the kitchen
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Cooking while blind: Accessible tools for the kitchen
October is Blindness Awareness Month
When I slowly began to lose my sight, I quickly began to lose the joy of cooking.
When fall begins, I immediately start to reminisce about those marvelous holiday feasts I’ve shared with family and friends. When I close my eyes I can almost see and smell the sweet and savory dishes abounding the table. Roasted turkey, baked ham, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, potato salad, and sweet potato pies; all cooked over the course of three days with my own hands with love. When I slowly began to lose my sight, I quickly began to lose the joy of cooking.
Now, my kitchen has become a place where I feel the real limitations of being blind. Where I once cooked with confidence and ease, I now hesitate with using a sharp knife on a cutting board, measuring ingredients, pouring liquids without fear of it spilling over the edge, and pressing and finding buttons correctly on a microwave or blender. God forbid my trying to do anything on top of my stove or inside the oven. Feeling overwhelmed, I hung up my apron and decided I would have to enjoy eating food more than cooking food.
Although I have decided I will never go back to cooking the feasts I used to, I can confidently do some things in the kitchen with a little help from some accessible tools.
In 2022, I attended the Silver Bell’s training program provided by the National Federation of the Blind. They offered workshops on various topics such as daily living skills, mobility techniques, Braille discovery and practice, and much more. I subsequently wrote about my experience, and the article was published in the Braille Monitor.
One of the workshops was about cooking and they talked about accessible tools in the kitchen and also about safety concerns in the kitchen. We actually prepared a meal during the conference for the participants to enjoy. Although I have decided I will never go back to cooking the feasts I used to, I can confidently do some things in the kitchen with a little help from some accessible tools.
Maxiaids.com is one of the great online stores to find accessible kitchen gadgets for purchase. You’ll find various exciting and useful products to support the life needs of blind or low-vision people.
I was really excited to learn how to safely pour liquids without fear of their contents spilling everywhere.
REIVEN liquid level indicator
https://www.maxiaids.com/product/reizen-liquid-level-indicator
The Bump Dot
My finger can feel the bump of the bump dot placement which alerts me that I have now touched the start button.
Even though I won’t touch my stove or oven, with the use of a bump dot, I can easily use my microwave to heat up quick meals. Most kitchen appliances come with flat screens. For a blind person, you cannot understand what text or graphics are. For instance, I can’t tell the difference between one minute or seven minutes, the start button or the stop button. So now I place the sticky surface of the bump dot on the start button. My finger can feel the bump of the bump dot placement which alerts me that I have now touched the start button.
Also, on my microwave, I have placed the bump dot on the 30-minute button, Now I know I can press the 30-minute bump dot on the surface to indicate 30 minutes and tap that button for the time period I would like to heat up the meal. For example, for a two-minute meal, I would press the bump dot four times. The bump dot guides me and helps me understand exactly what I need to know to heat my food. These little gadgets have given me greater independence in the kitchen, I can heat up my coffee, quickly warm leftovers, and pop popcorn, etc!
The Seeing AI application
One of the applications I use on my iPhone is the Seeing AI app which assists in reading anything in print or text format. For instance, to ascertain the difference between three similar can items, hold each can in your hand, point your camera to the item, and Seeing AI will verbally tell you the text on each can. One can might be a Diet Coke, another might be Sweet Tea and another might be chili. Think how helpful this would be when you are cooking your favorite holiday dishes!
As you can see, being blind does not have to take away your joy of cooking. There are many wonderful, helpful kitchen-accessible tools at your fingertips. I hope you and your family share amazing holiday meals together and stay safe and healthy this holiday season.
American Council of the Blind of VA (ACBVA)
I would love for you to join me in the ACBVA community at our December 11th Holiday program where our speaker Kaila Allen, one of ACB’s crafters, will get us into the holiday spirit with an easy-to-make, tasty dessert recipe, and some decorating tips to brighten up our homes
We will talk more about holiday cooking and decorating.
See the details below to join us!
Join the American Council of the Blind of Virginia’s Email List
As a member of ACBVA, I encourage you to join our email list to be a part of a vibrant community of visually impaired persons, attend informative monthly online meetings, and learn more about important accessible resources.
For those interested in the benefits of the American Council of the Blind of Virginia (ACBVA) organization, you can also become a member, click the link below!
Hello Debra Hill!
I would like to congratulate you on your vibrant reclamation of life. You have made a great ‘noise’ in the silence of mediocrity and ofttimes despair.
You can count your life a success in the currency of inspiring others to dispel their self-pity and adopt a joyous celebration and affirmation of life.
Life has not been kind to you in some aspects, but you have been good to life, paying dividends of love and joy.
Continue with your zest and tenacity for life and let your music fill the ether to where the cup is running over.
The very best to you and yours!
Paul Wayne
To my dear long-term friend Paul Wayne,
I was profoundly moved by the eloquent and genuine words of encouragement you shared about my blog. I hope you realize it has been the presence of people like you in my life who throughout the years have given me support and guidance through joyful and difficult times.
In my songs and writings, I strive to share and spread the abundant love that has been given to me to others.
Thank you for playing such an important role in my life and for your words which are poetic and overwhelmingly generous.
Abundant Love,
Debra
“Love is Accessible.”