Top 9 Holiday Gifts for a Blind Friend or Family Member
2021-07-12 | By Orcam Staff
Gifts for Blind People
Finding the perfect gifts for blind people or those with visual impairments requires thoughtful consideration to enhance their daily lives meaningfully. Smart technology and assistive devices offer practical solutions, making everyday tasks more accessible and enjoyable. For example, smart speakers and talking appliances can significantly aid in navigation and household tasks, providing independence and ease. These technologies cater to the needs of blind individuals or sight impaired seniors by offering voice-activated controls and audible feedback, which are invaluable for their daily routines.
For those pondering gift ideas for blind people, it is essential to focus on items that promote independence, comfort, and enjoyment. Gifts for sight impaired seniors might include tactile games or customized audio books, designed to provide entertainment while accommodating their needs. Additionally, practical items like item trackers can immensely help by ensuring that personal belongings are always within reach. When choosing gifts for a blind person, consider how the item will fit into their lifestyle and assist in overcoming the challenges posed by their visual impairment.
Unique Gifts for Visually Impairment
Between Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and Hannuka, you may be a bit stressed out over what gifts to buy for whom. When you have a blind or visually impaired loved one such as a friend or family member, the choice for suitable gifts can narrow significantly.
It is an especially difficult decision when you need to buy a gift for a blind child, as most child toys are not suitable for them. Gifts that are much more visual may present issues.
To help with this difficult decision, here is a list of the top 9 holiday gifts to get for a blind friend or family member:
1. Smart Speakers
Devices such as these can revolutionize your home-life, both if you are blind or a sighted person. However, particularly for people who are blind, connecting your home through smart speakers (such as Google Home or Amazon Echo) can make everything that much more accessible.
Most of the items on this list, such as OrCam MyEye, talking microwave ovens, etc. can be connected to these devices via Bluetooth. Your entire home can become a smart home with just one of these devices. They are very easy-to-use, so even for someone with limited computer knowledge, setup shouldn’t be a problem.
2. Talking Microwave Oven
Talking microwave ovens are fully accessible to your blind or visually impaired friends or family. They conveniently announce everything, from “running cooktime” to “current power level” to “attend to food”. With a talking microwave, it will be much easier for your friend or family member to heat up his/her favorite meal or snack.
You can adjust the speech volume, which confirms your selections of different commands, as you make them. If you want to make the life of an elderly blind person easy, a talking microwave is a perfect choice.
3. Life-Changing Assistive Technology
If you want to make a true difference in your loved ones life, you can empower them to navigate the world with more confidence and independence. With an award-winning tool that will support them everyday for the rest of their lives. Picture the joy on their faces!
- For Your Loved One with Blindness or Vision Impairment: OrCam MyEye
If your family member or friend is blind or has a significant vision impairment, this assistive technology is a game-changer. Imagine a tiny device that can read any printed or digital text aloud, recognize faces, identify products, and much more.
With the OrCam MyEye, your loved one can experience a newfound independence. They won't need Audible or braille anymore – this device reads text aloud, making books, menus, and bills accessible. The Smart Reading feature allows precise voice commands, enabling them to find specific information effortlessly (for example: "Read the amounts").
No more struggling to identify people – the facial recognition feature does it for them. Grocery shopping becomes seamless, as they can identify colors, money notes, and even tell time and date, all without pressing a button.
- For Your Loved One with Varying Vision Needs: OrCam Read 3
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OrCam Read 3 is the perfect gift to support the evolving needs of your loved one. Inspired by the invaluable feedback from the low vision community, OrCam Read 3 is a holistic tool that provides the right solution at the right time.
The revolutionary all-in-one solution be used as a customizable magnifier for pictures, handwriting, math formulas, and text; as a handheld reader on-the-go; or as a stationary reader. It has also the special Smart Reading feature, enabling the user to only find the text that interests them ("Read the headlines", "Start from 1 cup of flour", and more).
- For Your Loved One with Vision Loss or Reading Fatigue: OrCam Read
OrCam Read, a handheld device equipped with a smart camera. It effortlessly reads text from printed surfaces or digital screens without requiring an internet connection. From enjoying the morning paper to reading emails on a computer or smartphone, OrCam Read ensures that your loved one can access the world effortlessly.
4. Item Trackers
5. Talking Thermostat
Thermostats tend to have small screens and not have any options in terms of accessibility. That all changes with a talking thermostat. Talking thermostats are very user-friendly, with many programming options. Talking thermostats are made to be easy to install and have enhanced speech functions. Any time you press a button, the thermostat will tell you what function you have just activated. As it is a particularly cold time of year, a talking thermostat can really warm up your friend or family member’s home, this holiday season.
6. Board Games
There are a number of board games that have been made accessible to the blind and visually impaired, either with braille or very large print. From classic games such as chess and Monopoly to more modern games such as Bananagrams, no one should miss out on the family fun to be had by playing them. Check out our other blog post about the best-adapted games for the blind or visually impaired. Family game night is a night for everyone, regardless of their disability.
7. Smart Watches
Smartwatches can be great gifts for your blind mom, who regularly asks for the time. Recently, a new company started manufacturing watches with tactile dots which allow you to read the time by using braille. If your visually impaired dad knows how to read braille, you should definitely check these watches.
8. Kitchen Tools and Gadgets
Spending time in the kitchen is so much fun for everyone. For blind elderly people, it is not easy to cook food independently, without an assistive device. However, with the right equipment, you can cook like a blind chef Mustafa. The kitchen tips for blind people will help your blind mom to cook exactly like a chef. Specially adapted kitchen gadgets will be a great gift for your blind grandma, who bakes tasty cookies for the whole family.
9. Beep Balls – For Baseball and Other Sports
Beep balls are a great way to have fun with friends who are blind or visually impaired. They are made of soft material that will not hurt if you get hit by one. The ball makes a beeping sound and a vibration that helps you find it. The most famous game with the beep ball is beep baseball which has a league called NBBA. Also, you can read the story of Kalari who became a professional beep baseball player.
Here are some additional ideas:
Assistive Technology Gifts
Assistive technology gifts can make a significant impact on the lives of people with visual impairments. These gifts can help individuals with a wide range of daily activities, from reading and writing to staying connected with friends and family. Devices such as the OrCam MyEye, Amazon Echo Dot, and SmartVision2 Premium Phone can assist with reading texts, making phone calls, and accessing the internet. The Sunu Band sonar watch can help individuals with orientation and mobility, and the BrailleNote Touch Plus can be a valuable tool for note-taking, writing, and emailing.
Examples:
- OrCam MyEye device
- Amazon Echo Dot
- SmartVision2 Premium Phone
- Sunu Band sonar watch
- BrailleNote Touch Plus
Tactile Gifts
Tactile gifts can provide an excellent sensory experience for people with visual impairments. These gifts can include a raised line drawing kit, tactile map, and braille playing cards. Additionally, a tactile art piece or custom tactile graphics can be a thoughtful and personal gift. These gifts can stimulate the sense of touch and provide a unique way to interact with the world.
Examples:
- Raised line drawing kit
- Tactile map
- Braille playing cards
- Braille necklace
- Personalized tactile art piece
Audio Gifts
Audio gifts can provide an alternative way to experience the world for people with visual impairments. Audiobooks and wireless headphones can help individuals enjoy their favorite books and music, while Alexa-compatible audio systems and voice-activated digital assistants can provide a more accessible way to control smart home devices. Additionally, audio described movies or television shows can allow individuals with visual impairments to enjoy entertainment that may have otherwise been inaccessible.
Examples:
- Audiobooks
- Wireless headphones
- Alexa-compatible audio systems
- Audio described movies or television shows
- Voice-activated digital assistants
Personalized Gifts
Personalized gifts can be a meaningful and thoughtful way to show someone you care. For individuals with visual impairments, personalized tactile art pieces or braille necklaces can be a wonderful gift. Customized tactile graphics or images can provide a unique way to experience the world, and braille greeting cards or personalized audio messages can be a touching way to convey a message.
Examples:
- Tactile art piece with personal message
- Braille necklace with initials or name
- Customized tactile graphics or images
- Braille greeting cards
- Personalized audio messages
Budget-Friendly Gifts
Budget-friendly gifts can be an excellent way to provide a thoughtful and practical gift for someone with a visual impairment. Gifts such as talking watches or clocks, large-print playing cards, and magnifying glasses can be a useful tool for daily activities. Additionally, an audiobook gift card or braille labeler can provide a unique and thoughtful gift that won't break the bank.
Examples:
- Talking watch or clock
- Large-print playing cards
- Braille labeler
- Magnifying glass
- Audio book gift card
Conclusion
The best kind of gift for someone who is blind, is one that can truly change his/her day-to-day living. It is something that will actually improve their quality of life. Gifts for the blind are not easy to think of. We hope this list made your shopping trip much easier for this coming holiday season.No one should be left out of the gift giving during the holidays. The best kind of gift for someone who is blind, is one that can truly change his/her day-to-day living. It is something that will actually improve their quality of life. Gifts for low vision individuals are not easy to think of. We hope this list made your shopping trip much easier for this coming holiday season.
Household items for visually impaired are another thoughtful and practical choice. For instance, you might consider tactile markers for appliances, which help them identify different settings. Or perhaps a talking thermometer, which could be specifically useful in the kitchen. Next, ponder on gifts for vision impaired.
Adaptive technology items are indeed a fantastic choice. These may include reading machines or screen reading software, which significantly supports their daily tasks.In case you're hoping to surprise with unique gifts for visually impaired, consider sensory experiences like music, audiobooks, or scented candles. These can serve as remarkable presents tailored to their heightened senses.
If you're concerned about the budget, note that there are also inexpensive gifts for people with low vision. Assistive devices like easy-to-use cell phones or an oversized universal remote control are both affordable and beneficial.
Lastly, think of gifts for people with visual impairments that might enhance their sense of independence. Cane holders or GPS devices specifically designed for the visually impaired make fantastic options. You don't need to break the bank to bring joy. Consider items such as tactile puzzles, textured stress balls, scented candles, or even a subscription to a sensory-friendly magazine. These thoughtful gestures show that you care without straining your budget.
In summary, choosing the right gifts for visually impaired people involves understanding their needs and daily life. With a little thought and creativity, you could certainly find a gift that brings joy, convenience, and a touch of luxury to your blind friend or family member's life.