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“I’m constantly bumping into people” is one of the most common complaints from people who have lost an eye. These collisions almost always happen when you make a sudden turn toward the side where you’re missing an eye. So always turn your head first, and then your body. Check your blind spot before turning. The habit of checking your blind spot will eventually become second nature. But try to get into the habit right from the start of always checking your blind spot whenever you change direction. This applies to activities such as swimming, skiing, cycling, ice skating, or boating—and especially to driving.
Left-handed people often choose a seat at the table where they won’t get in the way of their right-handed neighbor while eating. In the same way, you can choose a seat that’s optimal for your dominant eye. That way, you’ll feel more at ease—and therefore a little more confident!
But even if you’ve chosen the best spot, that’s still no guarantee that everything will go smoothly. Pay special attention to the waitstaff: they might suddenly appear on your blind side, which can lead to awkward situations. So always take a quick glance in that direction before making a wide gesture. It’s not exactly pleasant to have a bowl of soup spilled all over you!
When cycling, you need to be especially mindful of your limited field of vision on the affected side. For example, when turning left or right, you won’t have a clear view of any traffic approaching from behind. A good side mirror can help with this, so you don’t have to turn your head too far. Be sure to check out this article or this webinar from our online library about cycling with one eye.
You try to shake someone’s hand, but—unfortunately—you miss. Yet this is easy to avoid. All you have to do is move your hand forward in a straight line toward the hand you want to shake, until you make contact. Of course, you can also be the first to extend your hand.
You can learn to estimate the distance needed to pour neatly from a bottle into a glass with a few simple exercises. Place the spout of the teapot against your cup as you pour.
Also keep color contrast in mind. It’s easier to pour milk into a red cup than into a white one. The color contrast makes the difference in level between the liquid and the rim more visible. It can also help to hold a cup, mug, or glass with one hand while pouring with the other. You can also practice using your sense of hearing when pouring. As a glass, cup, mug, or bottle fills up, the sound will become lower in pitch. In this way, your sense of hearing can also help you when filling a bucket, the bathtub, the kitchen sink, etc.
There are very old tools for threading a needle. A threader—known as a “Wilhelmientje”—is a small device into which you insert the needle and slide it through to thread the needle. You can order one online.
If you don’t have a “Wilhelmientje” at home, try this: Hold the needle straight in front of your good eye and try to thread the needle from front to back. So not from right to left, as you may have been used to doing in the past.
Everyone knows it: in modern traffic, pedestrians are often the ones who get run over. Even if you have two good eyes. A particular risk for someone with only one eye is cars and cyclists that suddenly appear on your blind side. The only way to deal with this is to get used to looking both ways at the very last moment—and especially toward the side with limited vision.
Anita Hol-Bubeck has vision in only one eye. In this video, she shares practical and personal tips on seeing with one eye.
The OOG in OOG Association provides information, organizes meetups, offers advice, and advocates for your interests. See what we do for people who see with one eye.
There are glass and plastic eye prostheses. What are the pros and cons of the different types? And where can you have them made?
If you’re about to have an eye removal procedure, you often have a lot of questions. What exactly will happen? What are the consequences of the surgery? Which doctor should I see?