The document discusses the experiences of a blind user named Tordis that the assistant has been working with. The assistant finds Tordis to be defensive and angry in their interactions so far, and thinks she is recently blind and finding it difficult to adjust. The document then provides information on blindness in general, and discusses some of the common frustrations blind people face, such as others talking loudly or treating them like children, offering unsolicited help, and interfering with their canes or guide dogs without permission.

1. invisible space phase I : material + user

2. The Frustrating Side of Being Blind blindness: experiences

3. My first experience with blindness was more or less with 10 years old. A girl who played the piano at the same music school as me, fell in love with me. She said she liked me and that I was the most beautiful boy in the world. For me it was hard to accept that situation. I couldn’t understand … I said “How can you know that?” Children are not educated to live with the difference! But we can change it…

4. My user is blind. She name’s Tordis. My experience with her can be resumed to 2 calls and the process of approximation is being difficult. She is defensive when she talks to me and I can ear some anger in her voice. It makes me think that she is recently blind and this is being difficult for her. She is like a “shell” … I’m sure that my future meeting with her will be difficult, but this just makes me work harder. In this moment I know that my future materials will be tough, hard and not malleable.

5. Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors. It is estimates that in 2002 there were 161 million visually impaired people in the world (about 2.6% of the total population). Of this number 124 million had low vision and 37 million were blind. In order of frequency the leading causes were cataract, uncorrected refractive errors (near sighted, far sighted, or an astigmatism), glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.

6. The frustrating side of the blindness

7. Many blind people get asked the question: "What frustrates you as a blind person?" Talking to a Blind Person The number one frustration of being blind is how other people talk to you. Commonly, sighted people will do one of three things when talking to a blind person. 1. Talk loudly, as though the blind person can't hear. 2. Talk to the blind person like they are a small child. 3. Talk to the person about the blind person to any sighted people that blind person is with, as if the blind person cannot talk for his or herself. You should treat someone who is blind as you would anyone else.

8. Giving Help Another huge frustration with being blind is people who give help to you before you need it, or even without asking. Help is often much appreciated, but be sure to ask first, and make sure the blind person would like help before you assist them. It is also frustrating that in the blind community there are people who refuse help, and may be very rude to anyone who offers it. Interfering with Canes or Guide Dogs When you see a blind person with either a white cane, or a guide dog, be sure not to pet the dog, or touch or grab the cane. This is actually quite common, particularly petting a guide dog. Understand that touching the dog, or moving, or grabbing the cane can distract the blind person or the dog, and could be dangerous. Not to mention, interfering with a cane is really unnecessary and may be viewed as rude or irritating to the blind person. If you would like to look at a white cane, or pet a guide dog, or have any questions about either, most blind people will be more than happy to show you, as long as you ask first.

9. Sometimes a guide dog is the only way that a blind person has to not feel lost. They are not pets, they are workers.