Children who cannot see these displays do not understand their significance and may not be able to handle feelings of being left out of an experience. Some activities will cause a blind person to feel unhappy or anxious. This may be particularly important to remember if the blind person has recently lost vision and tends to be uncomfortable with new environments or activities which remind him of things he previously enjoyed but feels unable to enjoy now. Give him an opportunity to discuss feelings of anxiety or distress and offer to help to make the activity inclusive, but respect his feelings if he chooses not to participate. Holiday Dinners Blind people can participate fully in the preparation, serving, and enjoyment of holiday dinners.
Most blind adults can contribute a dish to a family pot luck dinner.
Blind children and teens may enjoy helping older siblings or parents to prepare dishes as well. Besides including the blind child in the activities, this also provides an opportunity for the child to learn about meal preparation. Orientation to the place where dinner will be served is vital to the blind person's positive experience at holiday meals. No one enjoys feeling helpless or being discouraged from doing things himself. However, this happens often when blind people are not familiar with the environment or when people assume that the blind person cannot serve himself.