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18 Feb What and Who are sighted People?

People who use their eyes to receive information about the world are called sighted people or “people who are sighted.”

Sighted people enjoy rich full lives, working, playing and raising
families. They run businesses, hold public office and teach your
children!

HOW DO SIGHTED PEOPLE GET AROUND?!
People who are
sighted may walk or ride public transportation, but most choose to
travel long distances by operating their own motor vehicles. They have
gone through many hours of training to learn the “rules of the road” in
order to further their independence. Once that road to freedom has been
mastered, sighted people earn a legal classification and a “Driver’s
License” which allows them to operate a private vehicle safely and
independently.

HOW TO ASSIST A SIGHTED PERSON
Sighted
people are accustomed to viewing the world in visual terms. This means
that in many situations, they will not be able to communicate orally and
may resort to pointing or other gesturing. Subtle facial expressions
may also be used to convey feelings in social situations. Calmly alert
the sighted person to his surroundings by speaking slowly, in a normal
tone of voice.

Questions directed at the sighted person help focus attention back on the verbal rather than visual communication.

At times, sighted people may need help finding things, especially when
operating a motor vehicle. Your advance knowledge of routes and
landmarks, particularly bumps in the road, turns and traffic lights,
will assist the “driver” in finding the way quickly and easily. Your
knowledge of building layouts can also assist the sighted person in
navigating complex shopping malls and offices. Sighted people tend to be
very proud and will not ask directly for assistance. Be gentle yet
firm.

HOW DO SIGHTED PEOPLE USE COMPUTERS?!
The person who
is sighted relies exclusively on visual information. His or her
attention span fades quickly when reading long texts. Computer
information is presented in a “Graphical User Interface” or GUI.
Coordination of hands and eyes is often a problem for sighted people, so
the computer mouse, a handy device that slides along the desk top,
saves confusing keystrokes. With one button, the sighted person can move
around his or her computer screen quickly and easily. People who are
sighted are not accustomed to synthetic speech and may have great
difficulty understanding even the clearest synthesizer. Be patient and
prepared to explain many times how your computer equipment works.

HOW DO SIGHTED PEOPLE READ?!

Sighted people read through a system called “Print.” this is a series
of images drawn in a two dimensional plain. People who are sighted
generally have a poorly developed sense of touch. Braille is completely
foreign to the sighted person and he or she will take longer to learn
the code and be severely limited by his or her existing visual senses.
Sighted people cannot function well in low lighting conditions and are
generally completely helpless in total darkness. their homes are usually
very brightly lit at great expense, as are businesses that cater to the
sighted consumer.

HOW CAN I SUPPORT A SIGHTED PERSON?!

People who are sighted do not want your charity. They want to live, work
and play along with you. The best thing you can do to support sighted
people in your community is to open yourself to their world. These
people are vital contributing members to society. Take a sighted person
to lunch today!

Be nice to them, Some of my best friends are sighted people.