Hobbies that aren’t so ‘visual’

[AlderGirl]

I have very poor eyesight (with glaucoma and myopic CNV in one eye, which means putting quite a demand on the other eye to compensate) and I’m looking for hobbies that don’t involve doing quite so much with your eyes. I’ve been doing an art course but I’m finding this a bit too demanding visually. Ditto a German language course that I’ve been doing (too much focus on the textbook).

I can see, but would like to do some activities that aren’t so intensively demanding on close focus.

Any suggestions, anyone 🙏 ?

I've been learning birdsong from a CD by Geoff Sample. The birds are identified verbally and you hear their song. It's amazing when you get familiar and you hear a bird out and about that you can identify :)

I got my CD at a charity shop but there is likely similar on Spotify or downloadable if you look. I'd recommend Geoff Sample specifically, he has made a few resources :)

I do drystone walling and tai chi.

Something like a rock choir?
Or a book club where you can get a large print or audio version from the library/borrow box?
Hiking/rambling
Cold water swimming

Can you see well enough to do broad-brush painting/drawing/chalking?

Singing! 😃

And dancing if your peripheral vision allows?

Photography - landscape
yoga

Thank you for the suggestions ☺️
I can see well enough to do most things, but I have found the art course to require a lot of intense ‘looking’ - possibly because I’m a beginner there - and I’m out to protect my remaining good eye.

Anything musical! Piano (can learn by ear if you can't enlarge sheet music) or drums... definitely doable and there are plenty of completely blind musicians...
I use Musora (an online teaching service for both) and a tablet so I can enlarge music and teaching videos ..my eyes probably aren't as bad as yours but they aren't great even with strong glasses and it's great fun. I have a digital piano and now drum set so I can play with headphones in and not disturb anyone!

I would contact the RNIB, if you're in UK? Each area should have a RNIB community connector who can suggest things like this and other helpful things. Or you might have a Vision Support Centre near you, the one near me does art, basketry, crosswords, keep fit, line dancing, meals out, etc.

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions. I hadn’t thought of the RNIB. Our town does have a vision support centre so I will look and see what they can offer.

Do you mean a hobby to get you out of the house? I have some ideas how you can carry on learning German through listening without too much reading. And suggestions for interesting audiobook courses. But they won't get you out of the house or meeting other people.

For that I second joining a choir. Maybe a fine-dining group. Or pub-quizzing.

DH has terrible glaucoma - finger counting only in one eye and reduced field of vision in the other. Plus a prism.

He gets by with having different pairs of glasses for everything - reading, computer, sun, normal wear... Also endless eye tests. If you are finding your 'good eye' is tired then back to the optician. He costs a fucking fortune in glasses. Varifocals were a waste of money as the eye wasn't good enough for it to be worth it.

Doesn't like gardening as lack of peripheral vision means plants leap out at him - but TBH he never liked it.
Loves reading, films, computer gaming.
Walking - Nordic sticks make a lot of difference as he can't see his feet. Or I just keep up a running commentary of 'mind the bollard, mind the step, mind the toddler'
Computer - we went through what felt like 100s of keyboards until he found the keyboard of his dreams with different colours for the keys
Cycling - he can't drive anymore but says cycling is easier than walking due to where you have to look ahead of you.

There are a lot of tech solutions out there in the form of magnifiers, fancy iPads etc but so far we haven't needed them but at least I know where to look, there is usually a local low vision group.

Art - he's still very keen on art! Checking out if a museum has an accessibilty page always helps before you go. And we feed back if curatorial choices such as the dreaded white text on a grey background have made it inaccessible. Plus anything that has to be displayed in the dark isn't worth him going to. Either I read stuff out or we make a beeline for the large print booklet.

After one of his many eye operations we went to the British Museum 'to look at something big' but he was actually happiest looking at very small objects displayed in eye level cabinets.

How physically active are you able to be? I look at a screen all day for work. I’d rather be doing something in my leisure time, so my hobbies are walking, wild swimming and gardening, all of which can be done safely with low vision with some modifications/support.

So I asked DH and his suggestions are:

Big (massive) screen for desktop computer with text enlarged
He bought a grey keyboard and then a set of coloured key caps so he can easily find Return and some anchoring letters eg Q and P

Art - avoid blockbuster exhibitions as you can't stand where you want to. He finds it helps to then view the object through a camera or iPad as he can focus in on details. Can be tricky in places that don't allow photos to explain he isn't taking photos.
Or just look at stuff that is really really big eg sites in Ancient Greece

In terms of demand on the other eye he says the best thing is to make sure your glaucoma never gets as bad in that eye - mistake we made was NHS said 4 months to next appointment but it was 12 in reality and then the vision was gone. If there are any delays complain, complain and complain again.

And in no surprise to me, he thinks if you have eye strain you need new glasses. We are his opticians best customers.

Baking?
I cultivated my own sourdough starter and enjoy baking bread, muffins, cookies etc for my friends and family.

an instrument like ukulele or guitar where the music is primarily chord based. We have a local ukulele club so it can also be social.

Road running, dancing, community choir

The replies that you are coming back with are so interesting and so helpful. Thank you again 🥰

African drumming!