I belong to a support group for people who have sight challenges. Each month we gather around a large table. There are often around twenty of us and apart from the person sitting directly beside me, I can’t see enough to identify the others. That is why I find it so helpful when the meeting begins and the mic is passed around for each of us to say our name. I like to know just who is there.
This practice of saying aloud the names of other people in a group is fairly common in a group of people where most don’t see well. It is part of describing our surroundings and especially helpful when we would like to interact with the other group participants. The voices also give us a clue as to the size of the group. It’s more helpful than the leader just announcing the attendance or reading a list of names. Even on a zoom meeting, the personal identification of others on the call is helpful.
I also go to a drop in chair yoga class. Last week was my first time back after my stroke. The class usually spreads out around the auditorium and although I know that I know some of the others by name, I can’t see any of them. I was so pleased last week when for the first time, someone suggested that we go around the circle and each person said their name. That way we would all know who was there.
Because I self identify as someone with limited vision, my friends know that they need to say who they are when they meet me – especially when the encounter is unexpected. I appreciate this. It is equally as helpful when I am part of a group. I like to know just “who is there”.
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