Orientation and Safety at Home

Your home is meant to be your sanctuary. This is especially important for those of us who have any kind of disability, not just a hearing or visual one.

However, this only works if your home meets your personal needs. So how can we ensure a home meets the needs of a DeafBlind individual?

Let's imagine for a second, dear reader, that you are in our shoes. Put on a blindfold (more extreme, I know) and some ear defenders or earplugs, then try to navigate your home. Do you realise how much you rely on cues from those senses? Was an object in your way?

That's what it can feel like for many of us. Unpredictable. Especially if there are other people in the home. Toys, furniture, shoes and bags all seem to magically grow legs and position themselves perfectly for us to trip over.

For many of us, these seemingly simple things can make navigating our own homes feel startlingly similar to navigating busy public streets. The good news is that simple tricks and habits can dramatically increase the ease and safety of moving through your home.

This practical guide explores simple methods to improve orientation and safety at home, whether you live alone, with family, are supporting someone with a visual impairment, or simply have a visually impaired guest visiting for the first time.

What is Orientation?

Orientation is the ability to understand where you are in relation to your environment. It involves creating a mental map of your surroundings and using cues from sound, touch, lighting, smell and memory to move around safely and confidently.

For most visually impaired individuals, these skills are often acquired without us even realising it. We're so used to constantly adapting to every curveball, whether minor or significant. For example, we might know that the sofa is three steps from the edge of the rug, or that after six steps up the stairs we need to turn right. We might even know which room we've entered based on familiar sounds such as the washing machine, fridge or kettle.

Good orientation makes it easier to move around independently whilst simultaneously reducing risk.

Keep Layouts Consistent

One of the easiest ways to improve orientation is to keep large furniture in the same locations. From sofas to kitchen tables and desks, although moving things around can be fun, it's this unexpectedness that adds mental fatigue to our daily lives.

Consider:

• Keeping furniture in the same location.

• Moving chairs back once you're finished with them.

• Storing everyday items in consistent places.

• Asking family members to avoid leaving items in walkways and to warn you if something has to be temporarily moved.

Consistency might seem obvious to some people, but for us it's vital. It allows us to build a reliable mental map that's unlikely to change significantly from day to day. No more stepping into the unknown in the one place where many of us don't routinely use canes or other mobility aids.

An additional thing that might seem small to some is the humble coffee table. These are often low to the ground, lightweight and equipped with sharp corners. Whilst they may look great in a room, they can easily sit outside someone's field of vision and become a hazard if their mental map is even slightly off.

An end table is often a safer alternative. However, if you want to keep your coffee table, corner protectors or bumpers even a rounded table can help reduce the risk of injury if you do accidentally walk into it.

Create Clear Walking Routes

Even with a consistent layout, clutter can quickly turn a familiar route into an obstacle course.

Think about the paths you use most often throughout the day. These are likely routes between your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room and the exits of your home. Keeping these areas as clear as possible can make a significant difference.

Common culprits include:

• Shoes left by the door.

• Shopping bags waiting to be unpacked.

• Laundry baskets.

• Pet toys and beds.

• Electrical cables.

• Boxes and deliveries.

Many of these items are harmless when we know they're there. The problem comes when they appear unexpectedly.

If you live with other people, it can help to establish a simple household rule: if something has to be left in a walkway temporarily, let the visually impaired person know.

Organisation is Your Friend

Have you ever spent twenty minutes searching for your keys, only to discover they were in a completely different place than normal?

Now imagine doing that multiple times a day.

Giving commonly used items a permanent home can save both time and frustration.

Consider assigning specific locations for:

• Keys.

• Wallets or purses.

• Mobility aids.

• Medications.

• Remote controls.

• Chargers.

• Important paperwork.

The goal isn't perfection. It's consistency.

Knowing exactly where something should be means you spend less time searching and more time getting on with your day. Over time branching out so almost everything has a home can massively reduce household friction yet at the same time making it easier for others to put belongings back. 

Use Touch to Your Advantage

Most people naturally rely heavily on vision to navigate their surroundings. When vision is reduced, touch becomes an incredibly valuable source of information.

Many visually impaired people unconsciously use tactile landmarks throughout their homes.

These might include:

• The edge of a worktop.

• A door frame.

• A handrail.

• A rug.

• A particular chair.

• Changes in flooring texture.

Some people choose to add additional tactile markers to make identifying items easier.

Examples include:

• Bump dots on appliances.

• Raised stickers on remote controls.

• Tactile markers on washing machines.

• Labels on cupboards and drawers.

You don't need to label everything. Often just marking the most frequently used controls is enough.

Lighting Matters

This section won't apply equally to everyone because sight loss varies enormously.

Some people may benefit from brighter lighting, whilst others may find bright light painful or overwhelming. Personally, glare can often be more problematic than darkness itself.

The key is understanding your own visual needs.

Some useful adjustments may include:

• Additional task lighting for reading or cooking.

• Motion-sensor lighting in hallways.

• Better lighting on staircases.

• Blackout curtains to reduce glare.

• Positioning lamps to avoid reflections.

Don't be afraid to experiment. What works brilliantly for one visually impaired person may be completely unusable for another.

Stairs Deserve Extra Attention

If there is one area of the home that deserves special consideration, it's the staircase.

A simple trip on a flat surface is bad enough. A fall down the stairs can be far more serious.

A few simple precautions can help:

• Keep stairs completely clear.

• Ensure handrails are secure.

• Improve lighting where possible.

• Avoid carrying large items that block your remaining vision.

• Repair loose carpets or damaged flooring promptly.

If you have pets, it's also worth checking where they like to sleep. A sleeping dog or cat on the stairs can become an unexpected hazard very quickly.

Consider Accessible Alerts

Safety isn't only about moving around your home. It's also about ensuring important alerts can be detected.

Depending on your level of hearing and vision, you may benefit from:

• Flashing smoke alarms.

• Vibrating alarm clocks.

• Smart watches that provide vibration notifications.

• Flash alerts on phones and tablets.

• Video doorbells with app notifications.

Many modern devices already include accessibility features that can improve awareness and safety without requiring specialist equipment.

Emergency Planning

Nobody likes to think about emergencies, but having a plan can make a stressful situation much easier to manage.

Ask yourself:

• Could you quickly locate your cane if needed?

• Do you know multiple ways out of your home?

• Are emergency contact numbers easy to access?

• Would you notice a smoke alarm or doorbell?

You don't need elaborate plans. Even spending a few minutes considering these questions can improve your preparedness.

If You Have a Visually Impaired Guest

Perhaps you aren't visually impaired yourself but have a friend or family member visiting.

One of the most helpful things you can do is offer a quick orientation tour when they arrive. This doesn't need to be anything extensive. A minute or two can make a huge difference.

Consider showing them:

• Where they can sit.

• The location of the bathroom.

• The kitchen and where drinks are kept.

• Any stairs or changes in floor level.

• Exterior doors and exits.

• Areas where pets are likely to be resting.

This allows the person to begin building a mental map of your home and often reduces the need for them to repeatedly ask where things are later.

It's also helpful to mention any unusual features such as low ceilings, glass doors, steps, narrow spaces or temporary obstacles.

A quick "The bathroom is the second door on the left" or "I've left a box by the sofa" can prevent an accident before it happens.

Try not to be offended if they ask questions about the layout of your home. They're simply gathering information and building a mental map, just as you would if the lights suddenly went out.

Most visually impaired people don't expect a perfectly adapted home. Clear communication and a brief orientation are often far more valuable than any specialist equipment.

Final Thoughts

Creating a safer home doesn't necessarily require expensive adaptations or specialist equipment.

Often, the most effective changes are the simplest ones. Keeping layouts consistent, reducing clutter, organising everyday items and understanding your own needs can dramatically improve both safety and independence.

Every visually impaired or DeafBlind person is different. What works for one individual may not work for another. The important thing is finding systems that work for you and those around you.

After all, your home should be the place where navigating the world feels easiest, not hardest.