VIP Coaching In The Dark

  • Beyond 911: Helpful 3-Digit Phone Number

    Most of us know to call 911 in an emergency, but it’s far from the only 3-digit number that can make life easier. Several easy-to-remember phone numbers connect you with important services, from finding community resources and mental health support to reporting non-emergency city issues or locating buried utility lines before you dig. Keeping these numbers handy…

  • “Why are the pork chops so pink?”

    As the cook in the family, I try to make sure everyone gets fed and that there are leftovers for later. Most of my cooking happens by touch, smell, and timing these days, which works surprisingly well. It had been a busy day, and I had set aside six pork chops to cook in the…

  • Play Nice; You Live Here

    ,

     I have had the phrase, managing expectations, come to mind quite often recently, and in different situations with myself as well as with others. I’ve felt frustrated (sometimes unreasonably so) when something didn’t go the way I wanted it too, and I’ve seen people getting angry over situations that I felt their expectations were unreasonable.…

  • Best Apps for Staying Independent through Vision Changes

    ,

    Technology has become one of the most powerful tools for independence.  Especially for people who are blind or visually impaired.  At VIP Coaching in the Dark, we believe that confidence grows when people have access to the right tools and know how to use them in real‑life.  Situations Today’s smartphones offer a full toolbox of apps that support…

  • I Found the Trash Can With My Bumper

    , ,

    At first, it does not feel serious.Reading glasses just do not seem to work quite as well anymore. You secretly increase the font size on your phone, then tell yourself everyone does that now anyway. You start using the flashlight on your phone to read menus or grocery labels once in a while.  Street signs…

  • Lying Eyes Part Two

    In Part 1, you saw how your brain fills in gaps to keep the world feeling continuous. That same system does not stop at blind spots that just about everyone with average sight has. It has always worked this way. Your brain acts like an editor working behind the scenes. It takes incomplete information, smooths…

  • Lying Eyes Part One

    ,

    Your Brain Is Making Stuff Up and Committing To It With Confidence If you’ve ever waved back at someone who absolutely was not waving at you…Or confidently grabbed the “sugar” that turned out to be salt…Or had a full half-second of “oh good, there’s a person there” before realizing it’s a coat on a chair……

  • Basic Disaster Preparedness Part 2

    When You Need to Leave (Evacuation Planning That Actually Works) Sometimes, the safest choice is to leave, and when that moment comes, there usually isn’t much time to think or make a last second plan to escape. Knowing Where to Go Part of your plan is about knowing where to go, how to get there,…

  • Basic Disaster Preparedness Part 1

    Staying Informed & Staying Put (When You Can’t Leave Yet) Emergency planning doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be intentional. When something unexpected happens, most of us don’t rise to the occasion, we fall back on what we already know and have ready. This first part of your plan is about…

  • It’s Allergy Season!

     Here in western Oregon, we are now into our spring allergy season. I’ve become more aware of it when I’m talking with a group of friends and I’m now struggling to hear them. Though I have year-round allergies, for some reason spring brings fluid into my ears. If you have seasonal challenges like me, here…