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Whether it’s partial or complete deafblindness, when they’re home people with hearing and sight difficulties need to feel comfortable, safe and completely in charge of their surroundings.
Acquired deafblindness can be frustrating and scary. It forces people to rethink their habits, their needs, and their environment. To help deafblind people gain their independence, we’ve hand-selected 7 ways to adapt your house in order to accommodate them. 
1. Lighting Changes
Whether they live in a studio, apartment or house, one of the first and most important changes for a deafblind person’s environment should be lighting.
Changing the placement of light fixtures can also help better illuminate dark spaces: • Choose the brightest light bulbs. These will come in handy in darker spaces where accidents tend to happen such as the bathroom or on the stairway. Invest in fluorescent bulbs – they emit a more powerful light and they last longer. • Be generous with the light fixtures. Illuminate the house entirely, including the hallways, closets, and outside. 2. Interior Design Adjustments
The home of a deafblind person should be a safe haven. Here are some tips to help you create exactly that.
3. Appliances
Electrical items can be tricky to get used to. But it’s not impossible for deafblind people to use them.
Here’s how you can make it go smoother for them.
4. Bathroom Adaptations
This type of adjustment is essential for safety.
Here’s how to adapt a bathroom for deafblind people:
5. Hallway Adaptations
Hallways shouldn’t be overlooked when you are working on adapting a home for a deafblind person.
Here’s what you should know about corridor adaptations:
6. Outdoor Adaptations
To make it easier to deafblind people to go out or access the garden, here’s what you should keep in mind about outdoor adaptations:
7. Security Adaptations
There are special alerting systems designed for people with hearing and sight difficulties that keep them informed about what is happing: phone ringing, smoke alarm going off or someone at the door.
About the Author: John Stuart works on behalf of raisedfloor.co.ukin outreach and content creation. He creates engaging content that help businesses connect with their audience and stand out from the crowd
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There are millions of people in the world who live with some degree of sight loss either from birth, or caused by an injury or old age. All of those people want both their indoor and outdoor spaces to be completely safe and secure so that they can be independent in them.
When it comes to outdoor spaces, visually impaired individuals need a space that’s free of clutter, well-lit and well-marked. Designing such a space doesn’t have to be difficult and expensive. It only needs some careful planning and a few useful tips that will allow their inhabitants to live and move more comfortably outside. Here’s how you can do it for your outdoor space. 
Use Color as a Guide
Many legally blind people can see up to a certain point, and they can see bright colors and changes in lighting. These can help them as guides through their outdoor space.
The use of bright contrasting colors is especially helpful to partially-sighted people to differentiate between different areas and spaces. For instance, garden paths can be made out of red or orange pavers to provide a good contrast with green lawns. You can also opt for outdoor furniture in different colors and textures to prevent bumping into it. If you have a green thumb, make sure all of your gardening tools are painted in bright colors that will make locating and identifying them much easier 
Be Organized
Good organization and tidiness is the key safety element for people with complete blindness or visual impairments. If everything is nicely organized it’s easier to remember where everything is located.
You must always know where all your sharp gardening tools are, and you can even consider creating a database of your garden inventory. If you love to take care of your plants, you can create neat little labels for them in Braille or use vivid colors to make signs. This way, each individual plant will get exactly the right care. Also, always know exactly where your fire extinguishers and telephones are when you’re outside. Eliminate Hazards
In order to eliminate as many hazards as possible, make sure that your front yard and your garden are well maintained to avoid any inconvenience. Your outdoor paths should be wide and perfectly flat. As soon as you notice some bumps or broken pavers or bricks, have them removed and replaced. Additionally, try to keep your greenery well maintained, and avoid letting your plants overgrow and cause obstructions in the path or on the stairs. It’s way easier to move around without all these obstacles blocking your way.
Another thing you should consider is removing all cables and watering hoses from pathways. They can be hard to spot if you leave them on the ground, and you can easily trip or slip on them. Lastly, you can secure the slippery surfaces with non-slip rubber matting and be sure that no matter the weather, the outdoor living space will be hazard-free. 
Get Smart with Lighting
Visually impaired people greatly benefit from good lighting, so make sure to incorporate it in your outdoor spaces. If nothing else, at least illuminate your pathway and the entrance.
Also, pay extra attention to your stairs. Make sure to install LED lighted handrails and lights on each step. The best solution for your stairs are linear lights that are easy to install and offer great illumination. Also, use better lighting near your outdoor furniture to make it easier to spot and avoid it. 
The Importance of Handrails
Every set of stairs in your outdoor space should have sturdy handrails. You can even use linear lights and gently illuminate the handrail so you can spot it more easily. Another great way to ensure outdoor safety is to put up rope handrails along your garden paths or use them to make barriers. Ropes look amazing in any garden, plus they can give you an additional sense of security. If you implement these safety tips into your outdoor space, you or your visually impaired family members can enjoy it without any worries. About the Author 
Catherine is a passionate home design consultant from Melbourne. She loves making homes beautiful and buildings sustainable, but she also like sharing her advice and knowledge with people. That is why she is also a regular contributor to the Smoothdecorator blog. Besides all this, she loves reading and enjoys a superhero movie from time to time.
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For most people home décor is not something they plan to change whenever a new style becomes trendy. But when decorating their home, the up-and-coming fashion will certainly be something they follow and respect. The catch though is that when you decorate after a while, you really don’t have to change everything to make your home trendy and fashionable, but just a few things here and there to refresh the look.
Therefore, check out these timeless décors which will keep your home always in style and admired. 
1. Art is forever
Sure, many homes buy artworks just for decoration or because they are trendy at that moment, but if you want to save your budget from overspending on future décor, the simplest thing you can do is to make your art personal.
If you personalize the art in your home you will gain more than saved money - you will add emotional and personal value to those pieces and thus make it timeless. What you can do is upgrade it a little or refresh it, for example by changing frames on paintings or changing their places. 2. Natural materials
This year’s trends in interior design are all about organic environment, meaning that natural materials have become a highly desired commodity. Truth be told, they were always in, since the furniture, flooring and fixtures made of natural materials are considered to be of the highest quality. Marble, wood, leather, ceramic or terrazzo are all natural and will keep your house interior in good and long-lasting shape.
Their price may be a bit higher, but the quality is unprecedented and will also give a special charm to your home. The most interesting fact about these materials is that their worn out state or a few marks on the surface only add to their exclusivity 3. Built-in shelves
When you plan for storage space, think about built-in shelves. They are incorporated in the overall design and can easily adjust to any change. That’s why they’re the perfect and lasting solution for storing your books or other belongings, without having to buy new shelves.
The other plus is that they make your home look bigger and spacious, since they are out of the way, but also classy and cozy. For that extra added value, play with the symmetry or use a different color for their background. 
4. Great lighting never goes out of fashion
One of the most important parts of any décor is lighting, and the best thing about it is that it never falls out of trend. Natural daylight is irreplaceable and the more you can invite into your home the better. Tall windows and a mirror positioned to reflect the light can do the trick.
Today, there are many great solutions on vertical blinds online and in stores which can dim sunlight and still let it brighten up the room. But if you don’t have too much sunlight, use lighter warm colors on walls and furniture which will brighten up the space. 5. Good old soaking tub
The one thing that seems to never go out of style is a bathtub. They have class, luxury and commodity that will last you a lifetime.
Freestanding tubs are a bonus, since they always breathe elegance into a bathroom. What attests to their popularity is the fact that they even make them for small bathrooms and with shower heads, all because people don’t want to stop soaking and enjoying the relaxation they provide. And if you choose those made of quality materials and by a renowned manufacturer, you’ll enjoy these benefits for a long time Lastly
When it comes to interior design, it’s all about that year’s trends and fashion. But even that big of an industry can’t deny the charm and magic of some vintage and everlasting pieces.
The best thing about that is that you don’t have to compromise the first time you decorate your apartment, or think about pieces of your home becoming obsolete. With just a few little adjustments they will not only fit right in with the new design, but also give it that extra spice to make it unique, original and only yours.
When you’re trying to make cozy and fully functional surroundings for people with low vision, there are some practices you should always keep in mind. These practices are considered as the universal design – the design that can be beneficial to all of the potential users of the space.
The main goal behind the principles of the universal design is to make everything accessible to people that have low vision. Setting a place for blind or visually impaired people doesn’t have to be impossibly hard. You just need to understand the basic needs of the potential space users and you need some time to plan out everything. Some of the things you can think about are smart use of lighting, contrast, colors, and space in general. We’ve scoured the web and we have managed to gather some of the best suggestions you should keep in mind when thinking about readapting your space to fit the needs of visually impaired people. Hopefully, this article will point you in the right direction when it comes to home renovations needed for people with low or no vision, so without further ado, let’s jump in. 
Image source: Pixabay.com
Eliminate hazards
One of the biggest problems for the visually impaired people is moving around the place. It gets easier as they get used to space, but there are some things you can think about right from the start. First of all, you need a clear traffic area – a part of the house used for navigating. With clearly defined traffic area that has no obstacles along the way, it’s way easier for people with low vision to move around.
Rugs can be quite a nuisance for the visually impaired, as they practically represent an obstacle on their way. Make sure your rugs are taped down and immobilized, or even better, get rid of it. Another thing you should consider is removing all the electrical cords from pathways and hallways. You can tape them down, or lead them over the ceiling to avoid making any kind of obstacles for visually impaired people. Don’t wax the floors, use products that don’t make your floor glare and keep the chairs pushed under the desks and tables. Take care of lighting
Visually impaired people, especially elderly people whose eyesight is not totally lost need a lot of lighting in order to function properly. Think about that when you’re designing your house interior. Keep in mind that any kind glare in any combination should be avoided, as it makes life more difficult for the visually impaired.
Use adjustable blinds and curtains so you can adjust the natural light more easily. Place the mirrors around the house in such a way so that they don’t reflect or create glares. Use the general light, but also use a number of smaller lamps around the house to make sure there are enough light sources. Also, use lighting near furniture so it’s easier to spot for people with vision loss. Bigger modifications
If you’re living in a house, then there are some great things you can do to adapt it for people with vision loss. These modifications can prove to be beneficial to everyone, as you can both upgrade your household and help any household member that has impaired vision.
Think about changing your windows for bigger ones, and try to let as much light in as you possibly can. Another great thing is renovating your roof. As the roof is one of the most important parts of the house, you can add roof windows to let more light in, and while you’re at it, make sure it’s been painted properly to extend its lifetime. As the experts from ASAP Roof Painters in Sydney have noted – well-painted roof with enough roof windows can significantly elevate the value of your property. Use color and contrast smartly
Using the color and contrast to your advantage can help you a lot when you’re visually impaired. Usually, people with vision loss can notice highly contrasted items, so place light objects in front of a dark background and dark ones in front of the lighter color. Make sure that the doorknobs are in contrast with the doors and mark all the steps and sharp edges with a contrasting color so they’re easier to spot.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, making house modifications that can significantly help people with impaired vision is not impossible. It requires quite some planning and it requires a full understanding of the needs that visually impaired people have. The process of adaptation is not that hard once you know everything that needs to be done.
Another really great thing about these house modifications is that they show you care and that support is what helps quite a lot of visually impaired people deal with anxiety and stress that follows the slow or total loss of vision. Hopefully, these guidelines will help you get a better picture of what’s really needed in the home of a visually impaired person.
Many people want to lose weight, yet they don’t know how to do it effectively. Some have engaged themselves with different kinds of indoor cycling, exercises and foods; some were helpful, while some didn’t achieve any result.
In this short article, we are going to reflect best 8 super foods that will do the magic for you. Dieting can help you lose weight than aerobic exercises. These foods have been tested and trusted over the years Pickled Vegetables
You may have eaten pickled vegetables before or you may not even know about it, but the truth remains that they will really be helpful to you. They are made with vinegar, they contain no calories- this is one of the reasons why they are good for you.
During the fermentation process, pickled vegetables release lactic acid, and this produces enzymes which go a long way to enhance your healthy lifestyle Edamame noodles
You can never go wrong by taking edamame noodles because they contain about 17 grams of protein. Relatively, they are very low in carbohydrates.
This is part of the reason why a good number of people are using it while taking their favorite sauce. Oat bran
Oat bran is highly beneficial to your health - it aids in digestion, burns calories, has more thiamine, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iron, calcium, protein, riboflavin than regular oats.
Try taking oat bran in the morning before you begin your daily tasks, and you will be amazed at the volume of calories it will burn. Black beans
Black beans are packed with foliate, fiber, potassium, and vitamin B6. Their benefits are multiple, they aid in digestive and heart health.
If you pair it with lean protein, you will discover that it will satiate you for hours. Low-calorie desserts
Eating low-calorie desserts will help you to burn calories and lose weight faster.
They are nutritious and have in recent times become popular as great foods; they lower your stress level, enhance your motivation and stimulate the release of a molecule in your brain. Hemp Seeds, Chia seeds
Hemp seeds contain many healthy nutrients such as zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, fiber, protein, omega 3 etc. Hemp seeds have the capacity to lower your blood pressure.
On the other hand, chia seeds have the capacity to jumpstart your weight loss just like hemp seeds. They have gained popularity over the years as veritable sources of iron, magnesium, calcium, protein, fiber and omega 3. You can eat them plain as they are like hemp seeds; however, keep in mind that they absorb more water, unlike hemp seeds. If you are dehydrated, they may make you experience some stomach cramping. You will experience a high level of satisfaction after eating them. Green Tea
This is a suitable alternative to coffee, which contains a wide range of antioxidants. It can aid you in minimizing free radicals.
Green tea is a great energy booster; you can have it anytime preferably during your breakfast. Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts contain a high amount of Vitamin C, and this aids your skin health, vision, and Vitamin K, which enhances your bone.
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These days, nearly everyone has a side job. It’s a fun way to make some extra cash! Some people write blogs, some sell artwork on Etsy, and some run drop shipping businesses from the comfort of their own homes
Whether you’re looking to supplement your income, gain financial freedom, or simply seeking more work-life balance, becoming a wholesale supplier is a great way to pay the bills and be your own boss. But how do you do it?
Let’s start with the basics: What is A Wholesale Supplier?
A wholesale supplier partners with manufacturers to provide customers with the manufacturer’s products. This happens two ways: the supplier has a warehouse, in which they store, manage, and ship the product; or the supplier manages an online store, where they take orders from customers and arrange for the manufacturer to ship it directly (also known as drop shipping).
Becoming a wholesale supplier is not as challenging as it sounds. In fact, you can become a successful supplier in as little as 30 days - as long as you follow a few simple rules: Step One: Find Your Product
Before you can start supplying, you have to decide what you will sell. Are you interested in novelty toys? What about party Supplies? Will you be a wholesale cleaning supplier? Once you choose a niche, you can begin.
Take some time to learn about various markets, including B2B and B2C (business-to-business and business-to-customer, respectively). Look for something with room to grow your business, a consistent demand, and - arguably the most import aspect - something that you’ll enjoy. Step Two: Set Up Shop
Once you’ve decided what you will sell, you’ll need to create the place to sell it. If you are a dropshipping wholesale supplier, you will need a website to showcase your products, take orders, and communicate with customers.
You will also need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) in order to establish an official business with the IRS. Apply for this ID number online, and make sure to obtain a resale certificate and state sales tax certificate. Step Three: Find Your Manufacturer
Let’s say that you have decided to sell cleaning products. That’s a great choice - but now where can you turn? You can find your products and start selling your wares by heading directly to the source: the manufacturers.
If you want to be a wholesale janitorial supplier, get in touch with manufacturing companies that sell bulk-quantity cleaning products. Ask if the company is looking for a wholesale supplier, and do your best to build a partnership. Step Four: Establish a Routine
As I mentioned before, drop shipping is not as hard as most people believe. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that it is easy. A wholesale supplier has to wear many hats, acting as a marketer, accountant, head of shipping and receiving, and customer service representative.
Time management is paramount to success as a wholesale supplier. Make sure you are carefully planning your days, giving yourself time to accomplish your goals without overworking yourself. If you’re not organized, you put your whole operation at risk. Step Five: Build Relationships With Everyone
The folks at Emerge recently said that distribution businesses had been “done to death.” In some ways, they’re right; there are thousands of wholesale suppliers all over the country, operating in various consumer and product sectors.
So, the question is: what will make your business different? The best way to make your business stand out is with superior service. Build strong, friendly relationships with manufacturers and customers alike. If you treat the people you work with kindly and with care, you’ll have repeat business as long as you’re in operation. Now that you know these tips and tricks, get out there and become the best wholesale supplier you can be. Who knows - you just might find your true calling out in the world of commerce. |
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