6 ms·

My daughter (7) has a "sighted" (almost completely blind) friend that she loves dearly... I found it was an interesting challenge to try to think of birthday pa

My daughter (7) has a "sighted" (almost completely blind) friend that she loves dearly... I found it was an interesting challenge to try to think of birthday parties for my daughter that could suit the scenario where a 7 yr old sighted child could participate. What I think I've figured out is that my expectations of how these children will could have fun was completely different to the children's expectations of how they could have fun. ie, I was over thinking it. Just invite them, let them figure it out for the most part. (but obviously things like movie viewings or go carts we not really in the running.)

omgbananas 9y ago
Possible games during a party: Pin the tail on the donkey Piñata Make sure the sighted friend wears the blindfold too to make it a shared experience, and so other children who don't understand know the friend isn't cheating.
- GordonS 9y ago
  > Make sure the sighted friend wears the blindfold too to make it a shared experience Thise are good ideas, and this is quite a nice thought. On a somewhat related note, as far as possible, we try to let our disabled daughter experience age-appropriate activities that her peers engage in (even if they have to be modified somewhat). This models good behaviours for her, and often helps encourage her to do things she'd otherwise be unwilling to eveb try, for fear of failing.
tempestn 9y ago
I've never seen "sighted" used that way. I would have assumed sighted is the opposite of blind. Is it commonly used to mean almost completely blind?
- verylittlemeat 9y ago
  >Sighted >adjective >(of a person) having the ability to see; not blind. Seems that his definition of sighted is non standard. It could be a neologism on the euphemism treadmill. Example: "neurotypical" not "normal."
  - tarboreus 9y ago
    I'm blind and seems to me like this is a simple misuse or misunderstanding. "Low vision" is usually the accepted term for this in the US.
- jerf 9y ago
  It might be a reaction to the fact that the common English word "blind" tends to convey total inability to see, whereas many legal and medical definitions involve "merely" serious impairment of certain definitions. One of my sons is legally deaf and legally blind, which puts us in somewhat rarified territory even by disability standards on the one hand (merely a few hundred in the state of Michigan), but on the other hand, he lives life mostly like a person with sight and hearing. When we go to some of the gatherings, many of the other "deaf blind" people are also able to significantly function with at least one sense. He is neither "incapable of seeing at all" nor "incapable of hearing at all".
  - stordoff 9y ago
    Would "partially sighted" or "largely blind" (or similar) not cover that, depending on severity? It certainly seems like a better choice, or more likely to be understood, than using a word that has the opposite meaning in common use at least.
tarboreus 9y ago
Sighted is the term used to talk about people who are not blind, low vision, or visually impaired. The best ter for the person you're talking about is probably low vision, but many low vision people use the term blind as well. Most blind people are not, in fact, totally blind, only about 10%. I call myself low vision, for example, but sometimes use the term blind.
Angostura 9y ago
Many courses have 2-seater go-carts. I think that could be an absolute blast. Have you tried games that involve blindfolds - pin the tail on the donkey, blind man's buff. I suspect your daughter's friend might find that rather funny.

omgbananas 9y ago

Possible games during a party: Pin the tail on the donkey Piñata Make sure the sighted friend wears the blindfold too to make it a shared experience, and so other children who don't understand know the friend isn't cheating.

GordonS 9y ago
> Make sure the sighted friend wears the blindfold too to make it a shared experience Thise are good ideas, and this is quite a nice thought. On a somewhat related note, as far as possible, we try to let our disabled daughter experience age-appropriate activities that her peers engage in (even if they have to be modified somewhat). This models good behaviours for her, and often helps encourage her to do things she'd otherwise be unwilling to eveb try, for fear of failing.

tempestn 9y ago

I've never seen "sighted" used that way. I would have assumed sighted is the opposite of blind. Is it commonly used to mean almost completely blind?

verylittlemeat 9y ago
>Sighted >adjective >(of a person) having the ability to see; not blind. Seems that his definition of sighted is non standard. It could be a neologism on the euphemism treadmill. Example: "neurotypical" not "normal."
- tarboreus 9y ago
  I'm blind and seems to me like this is a simple misuse or misunderstanding. "Low vision" is usually the accepted term for this in the US.
jerf 9y ago
It might be a reaction to the fact that the common English word "blind" tends to convey total inability to see, whereas many legal and medical definitions involve "merely" serious impairment of certain definitions. One of my sons is legally deaf and legally blind, which puts us in somewhat rarified territory even by disability standards on the one hand (merely a few hundred in the state of Michigan), but on the other hand, he lives life mostly like a person with sight and hearing. When we go to some of the gatherings, many of the other "deaf blind" people are also able to significantly function with at least one sense. He is neither "incapable of seeing at all" nor "incapable of hearing at all".
- stordoff 9y ago
  Would "partially sighted" or "largely blind" (or similar) not cover that, depending on severity? It certainly seems like a better choice, or more likely to be understood, than using a word that has the opposite meaning in common use at least.

tarboreus 9y ago

Sighted is the term used to talk about people who are not blind, low vision, or visually impaired. The best ter for the person you're talking about is probably low vision, but many low vision people use the term blind as well. Most blind people are not, in fact, totally blind, only about 10%. I call myself low vision, for example, but sometimes use the term blind.

Angostura 9y ago

Many courses have 2-seater go-carts. I think that could be an absolute blast. Have you tried games that involve blindfolds - pin the tail on the donkey, blind man's buff. I suspect your daughter's friend might find that rather funny.