If Blindness Comes: Marking Dials and Tactile Labeling

If Blindness Comes: Marking Dials and Tactile Labeling

Marking Dials and Tactile Labeling
Raised markings can be put on dials in a variety of ways and
may be helpful to a blind individual. Dials on the oven, stove
burners, washing machine and dryer, electric mixer, dishwasher,
electric skillet, etcetera may be set more exactly if some special
markings are used. It is possible to take a sharp scratch awl and
make lines on a plastic or metal surface around the outside of the
dial, so that the pointer on the dial can be turned toward these
marks. Small daubs of fingernail polish or glue or a commercial
product called Hi-Marks can also be used. Notches or bumps of one
kind or another can be used to mark almost any dial. It is not
necessary to write words or numbers on the dials as is done in
print. The blind person will decide what setting should be marked,
so he or she will know what they mean. Furthermore, it is not
necessary to have every possible dial setting marked. For example,
it may be desirable to put Braille markings on an oven dial at 275,
350, 425, and broil. With these four settings marked, it is
possible to set the oven dial between them for more accurate

Many dials may not need special markings. If the dial clicks
as it turns, or if a series of buttons are used for settings (in
the fashion that is common on many blenders), no additional
markings will be needed. In addition, many dials can be set
accurately by a blind person even though there are no special
markings. An example of this would be the dial for a gas stove
burner which can be turned a half or one quarter turn from off to
high flame. As the dial is gradually turned, the flame gets higher
or lower. Sometimes a blind person can feel printing on a dial.
Even though you cannot read these letters by touch, the roughness
of the print and the spacing between the letters or words may be an
adequate guide for a blind person in setting the dial. Plastic tape
may be used to mark a dial, but other kinds of tape are likely to
pull off or wear out quickly.

Some appliances and other devices have been marked in Braille or adapted especially
for the blind by the manufacturer. In most cases, however, you can use whatever
you have on hand just as well as something that has been adapted for use by
the blind. For example, a kitchen timer has been adapted for the blind with
raised dots on it to show how many minutes it is set for. At most hardware stores,
it is possible to purchase for less money kitchen timers that have raised numerals.
These can be felt and the timer can be set very accurately. If you already have
a kitchen timer with print numerals that are not raised, you can probably still
set it accurately. On a 60-minute timer, when the pointer is straight down,
it is set for 30 minutes; straight to the right is 15 minutes; halfway between
15 and straight up is 7 1/2 minutes. This timer can be marked with a scratch
awl or fingernail polish at 15, 30, and 45 or in some other way. However, many
blind people would be able to use it without any special markings. It is largely
a matter of personal preference. Other examples similar to this could be given,
but the kitchen timer shows why you may not need a special device for the blind,
even if you hear it advertised.
If a blind person knows some Braille and wishes to make
markings with Braille letters this can be done by using Braille
dymo tape. Braille dymo tape can be used to mark records, canned
goods and other firm surfaces. Canned goods can also be sorted by
location on the shelf, or Braille magnetic labels can be purchased.
Packages of frozen food can be labeled in Braille, the label held
against the package with a rubber band. Plastic Braille labels of
this kind can be reused. Of course, it is adequate for many people
simply to sort frozen items by arranging them in a certain order in
the freezer.
Generally, clothes do not need special markings. You can
identify shirts, slacks, sweaters, jackets, skirts, dresses,
etcetera, by the feel of the fabric, the style, buttons, and other
features that vary from one garment to the next. Exceptions to this
may be t-shirts or socks. If t-shirts of different colors are
otherwise identical, the simplest means of distinguishing one from
the other is to tear out the tag on one, leaving it in the other.
It would also be possible to sew a small piece of fabric at the
back of the neck. Some blind people prefer to wear primarily one
color of socks, all black, all white, all blue. In many dime stores
it is possible to buy small rings to use when doing the laundry to
keep socks mated together. This makes sorting several colors of
socks simple, since they should not get mixed together. If you have
a slip or undergarment that contrasts with several that are a
different color or shade you may wish to mark it in the same way
you would mark a t-shirt, so you don't inadvertently wear it under
something light-colored or sheer.

Although it is possible to label almost anything in Braille or with raised
markings, do not let yourself become a slave to such markings. You may find
you really don't need very many.
Back to top

Copyright © 1994 by the National Federation of the Blind All Rights Reserved.