Kitchen Adaptations

by: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated April 7, 2020

There are many simple adaptations that can be made to a kitchen to allow individuals who are blind or have low vision to access it.

Kitchen Materials & Storage

  • Avoid busy patterns in tablecloths or place mats.
  • ​If the individual has some vision, purchase measuring cups and spoons with bold markings and high contrast.
  • If the individual is blind, purchase ones measuring cups with tactile markers or apply markers. ​​
  • Hang most frequently used pots and pans with easy reach. 
  • Store knives in a knife holder or keep protective sleeves over the blades. 

Adapt the Stove, Oven & Microwave

  • Adapt controls on stove, oven and microwave by using raised, tactile markers to indicate the most frequently used settings (e.g. off, lite, 350 degrees or other depending on foods most frequently cooked)
  • Tactile overlays can be purchased and placed on appliances.
  • When cooking on a stove-top, encourage the individual to center the pan over the burner when the burner and pan are still cold to ensure it is centered. The alignment can be checked using a wooden spoon (use 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock position) to ensure the pan continues to be centered. 
  • ​Instruct the individual to fry one item at a time and use a double spatula. Advise the individual to push the food against one side of the pan to stabilize it on the spatula. Have the them practice the skill first with a cold pan.
  • Instruct the individual to use long, fire-resistant oven mitts and pull the oven rack out prior to placing pans in. 
  • Have the individual turn off the burner before removing the pan from the stove. 

Cleaning Tips

  • When cleaning floors, clean in a systematic approach using furniture, walls, and windows as reference points.
  • Likewise, when cleaning counter tops, use a systematic cleaning pattern: left to right, and top to bottom.
  • When clearing the table, keep hands low and curved to avoid knocking over glasses.
  • Wash knives separately from other dishes to prevent cuts.
  • Load the dishwasher from the back to the front and ALWAYS load knives and forks point-side down.

Labeling Foods

If your family member has usable vision, they could use magnifiers to discriminate food items. For those who don't have usable vision, braille labels can be applied or textured tape. Another option is to use rubber bands to attach braille/texture labels to packages.

Food Preparation Tips

  • ​Finger guards can be purchased to prevent accidental cuts.
  • It may be easier to use kitchen sheers to cut some items instead of using a knife.
  • For persons with low vision, use colored or tinted containers for pouring and drinking.
  • For persons with low vision, use a dark-colored cutting board for light-colored foods and a light-colored cutting board for dark-colored food.
  • For persons with low vision, prop the light or dark cutting board against the wall to provide a contrasting background for pouring.

Determine if Food is Done

  • Teach the student to learn the cooking times of frequently prepared foods. The student can monitor the peak smell of properly cooked foods and can also check the texture and feel of meats and crusts as well as listen to the sizzling sound. 
  • If the student has useable vision, use large-print times. Alternatively, use tactile or auditory timers. Tactile timers can be created using tactual dots. ​

Teachable Moments

  • Let the student feel the ingredients and how the mixture changes (but only if this is the student's individual serving!).
  • Talk about the smells of the ingredients, before and during cooking.
  • Create print, braille or picture recipe cards.
  • Encourage the student to visually or tactually scan to locate needed utensils, materials, and ingredients from shelves, the refrigerator or counter.
  • Encourage the student to refine their tactual discrimination and fine motor skills as they stir ingredients, turn/twist knobs, push buttons, squeeze frosting, etc.

Material Resources...

Picture of picture recipe cards
Making Picture Recipes, available from APH, provides cooking instruction for students with low vision, nonreaders, and beginning readers.  It includes bold-line, simplified illustrations of common foods and ingredients, cooking equipment, and cooking processes on 3 1/2 x 4 inch cards.
Bump ons
Bump Ons are clear bumps that can be used to provide a tactual marker to oven dials, microwaves, washing machines, dryers and more.
Picture
A Talking Food Thermometer announces the temperature and also has a digital display.
Picture
AbleSee Large Print Overlays are in inexpensive way to increase button sizes on the microwave, washing machine, cryer or throughout the kitchen. These stickers are great for people with low vision. Similar labels can be brailled for brailler readers,
Picture
A Talking Digital Food Scale announces the weight of food and is ideal for students who are blind or visually impaired.

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