The kitchen is the heart of nearly every American home, where we gather to visit, plan, prepare, and share meals. For people living with blindness or low vision, working safely, efficiently, and confidently in the kitchen is enhanced with evolving tools, techniques, and skills. Because vision loss can sometimes lead to isolation, loss of independence, and increased anxiety and depression, for people with blindness or low vision, maintaining cherished traditions and connections is especially important and presents unique challenges.

A vision rehabilitation specialist can help you organize, assess, and label food, tools, and appliances. A specialist can also recommend which adaptive tools and aids would work best for you.

Kitchen Organization: Creating an Accessible Cooking Space 

Accidents can happen no matter how careful we are. Falls, cuts, abrasions, scalds, burns, and electrical shocks occur in thousands of kitchens annually. For people living with vision loss, the risks can be even greater. Making your kitchen safe and accessible starts with organizing, decluttering, and labeling, including:

• Maximizing space and ergonomics to create a safe, comfortable, and familiar workspace by eliminating trip hazards (such as area rugs) and minimizing kitchen furnishings. Maintain consistent safety rules, such as keeping the area around the stove and other kitchen hot zones free of clutter, pets, and children.
• Labeling appliances, tools, food, and ingredients takes the guesswork out of meal preparation and cleanup. Develop a system to more easily identify food, ingredients, and equipment. Organize and track grocery and pantry items by assigning each a consistent go-to space. Categorize, label, and store cooking equipment and tools in specific drawers, cabinets, and containers. Using different types, shapes, and sizes of containers, along with large-print, braille, talking, smart, or tactile labels, can further aid identification. When in doubt, apps such as Be My Eyes’ new AI feature can help identify items and read labels.
• Tactile labels for appliances and tools come in many formats, including braille, raised letters, symbols, numbers, and images, which are available in various sizes and materials. To maximize safety, when labeling kitchen items, don’t forget your cleaning tools and cleaning products.
• Using contrast and lighting to improve visibility helps people with low vision maximize their remaining vision while performing key tasks such as chopping, carving, and sautéing. Assess task lighting and ambient room lighting and consider the best bulb type and strength (fluorescent, incandescent, colored, or LED) for varying tones and illumination quality—from softer, warmer to brighter, cooler, and everything in between. Assistive kitchen tools offer enhanced safety. A wide array of braille kitchen tools, such as cookbooks, measuring cups, and spoons are also available. Other assistive kitchen aids include auto measure spouts, baking grid pans (eliminating the need to manually cut baked goods), bread cutter boards, and other specially designed, non-slip adaptive cutting boards, liquid level indicators, large-number digit clocks and timers, and talking scales and food thermometers. These and other assistive tools are available from a broad range of online stores.
• Smart and assistive kitchen appliances and voice-activated innovative technology. These internet-based solutions can be easily controlled remotely through a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Some of the latest examples include voice-assisted smart appliances, such as voice-controlled thermostats that offer an accurate, hands-off interface. A wider range of smart, talking, and voice-activated appliances is now available, from major appliances such as stoves and refrigerators to countertop appliances that provide safe, convenient solutions.

Meal Prep and Food Safety: Safe techniques for cutting, chopping, cooking, and cleanup often require a minimal financial investment and maximum attention to detail. Tips for kitchen safety for people living with blindness or low vision include:

• Adaptive tools, such as specialized choppers and knives (some with guides and guards, or made of hard plastic rather than steel), are used to reduce the risk of injury during meal prep. Wear finger guards, cut-resistant Kevlar gloves or longline sleeves, and heavy-duty rubber gloves for safety in prep, serving, and cleanup. Use heat-resistant mats for counters and tabletops. Pot stabilizers will keep pots in place while you stir. Turn pot handles to the back or side of the stove while cooking to help prevent injury from hot liquid and steam. Keep kitchen towels, oven mitts, and other potential fire hazards away from the stovetop.
• Preparing one-pot meals in crockpots, slow cookers, and counter-top roasters saves time during prep, serving, and clean up.
• Use non-skid cutting boards or mats, as well as a variety of cutting boards in varying sizes and contrasting colors, to reduce the risk of cross-contamination during meal prep.
• Your kitchen should have a smoke and carbon monoxide detector with auditory alerts. Make sure to have easy access to your kitchen’s dedicated fire extinguisher and/or fire blanket—affordable safety measures that every home should have.

Preventing Cross-Contamination and Spoilage in cupboards, refrigerators, and freezers starts with organization and labeling. Options include low-tech (smelling, touching, tasting for content and freshness) and the latest technology.

Designate a place for every item and be consistent about returning it to that spot. Organize items by purchase date, frequency of use, and type of food, condiment, or beverage. Use baskets and containers of varying shapes, sizes, and textures. You can also label and make notes related to expiration dates, then capture and read later with the help of the Seeing AI app, which reads details aloud for products that you scan. The WayAround app for smart devices is a tag-and-scan system that uses WayTags—stickers, buttons, magnets, and clips—that makes identification easy.

Accessible Grocery Shopping: Services and Technology 

Accessible tools, such as a voice assistant, braille notetaker, or smartphone app, can help you create and manage your shopping list with ease. Shop during off-peak hours for an easier, more leisurely trip down the aisles and greater access to staff.

AI-Assisted Product Label and Barcode Readers are helping to revolutionize the retail experience for people living with vision loss. If you have a friend or relative who can take you shopping, that’s great! For other times, apps such as WeWalk WeAssist can connect you with sighted volunteers with your smartphone. Be My Eyes’ Be My AI, and other AI-assisted services can help you identify items audibly on your smartphone camera. A handheld barcode scanner and barcode apps can help confirm product information when you need it.

In-Store Shoppers, Home Delivery Services, and Online Apps and Pick-Up are offered by an increasing number of stores, including Walmart and most major grocery chains. Many stores offer other types of shopping assistance for people with vision loss. If added support would be helpful, call your local store to see if a team member could assist you during your next trip.

Accessible Self-Checkout Innovations

Target has introduced the first-ever accessible self-checkout designed for people with disabilities, including blindness and low vision. Many banks and the US Postal Service also offer accessibility features in their self-service kiosks, including audio guidance, headphone jacks, and braille keys.

Eating well and sharing meals with the people who give our lives meaning are key to maintaining good physical and mental health. Although preparing meals presents unique challenges for adults living with vision loss, an increasingly wide range of assistive tools, adaptive techniques, equipment, and safety practices can ensure meals are prepared safely and confidently.