Cooking and Kitchen Safety
For People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired
This section is full of practical tips to make cooking and meal preparation safe and easy for people with blindness or visual impairments. Information covers the full range of activities: grocery shopping, kitchen accommodations, selection of appliances, and techniques for measuring, pouring, and cooking.
Below are the topics you'll find in this section. Click on a title to jump to a specific topic.
Kitchen Organization, Food Preparation, and Cooking
Adapting the Kitchen, Lighthouse International
http://www.lighthouse.org/livingbetter/kitchen/
Practical advice for organizing the kitchen, using appliances, pouring liquids, cooking, and setting the table; includes links to demonstration videos and online classes.
Your Kitchen, American Foundation for the Blind – Senior Site
http://www.afb.org/seniorsite.asp?SectionID=65&TopicID=299&DocumentID=3244
Kitchen organization ideas and simple steps for streamlining kitchen chores.
Cooking & Meals: Master Your Kitchen, American Foundation for the Blind – Senior Site
http://www.afb.org/seniorsite.asp?SectionID=66&TopicID=303
Practical suggestions for grocery shopping, setting the table, safety, serving food, and eating out; includes a video on kitchen activities.
Doing Things Differently in the Kitchen, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
http://www.cnib.ca/en/living/independent-living/kitchen/Default.aspx
Practical tips for safety and independence in the kitchen.
Lesson 1--The User-Friendly Kitchen
http://www.lighthouse.org/livingbetter/lesson-1
Lesson 2-- Let's Cook Together
http://www.lighthouse.org/livingbetter/files/living_better_with_vision_loss/obj
These lessons use illustrations, text, and an audio narrative to present food preparation techniques, products, and tools, and demonstrate preparation of a sample recipe.
Low Vision Cooking Tips, Center for Educational Networking
http://www.cenmi.org/msdb-LIO/downloads/ILSResources/CookingTips.doc
Ideas for organizing the kitchen, preparing food, cooking, and baking; includes a list of adapted equipment and tools.
What's for Dinner? Iowa Department for the Blind
http://www.blind.state.ia.us/howto/dinner.htm
Suggestions for baking and using the stove top.
Tips for Cooking with Low Vision: Adaptive Techniques for Visually Impaired People to Use in the Kitchen, Associated Content, Inc.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/53243/10_tips_for_cooking_with_low_vision.html?cat=22
Rhonda Brantley, who has retinitis pigmentosa, shares her cooking techniques.
Cooking Tips, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_cookingtips.hcsp
Helpful hints for grocery shopping and meal preparation.
Cooking Tips 2008, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_leisurefscooking.doc
Suggestions for cooking, shopping and labeling; plus information on special products and adaptive equipment.
Measuring, The Carroll Center for the Blind
http://www.carroll.org/2008/07/29/measuring
Tips for measuring liquids and weighing ingredients.
Microwave Ovens, Vision Australia
http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1512
Features to look for when selecting a microwave for a user who is blind or visually impaired.
Pouring Liquids and Making Hot Drinks, Vision Australia
http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=798
Strategies for pouring liquids neatly and safely.
Tips for the Kitchen, American Foundation for the Blind
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=40&TopicID=217&DocumentID=2229
Simple techniques and precautions to make kitchen tasks safer and easier; available in English and Spanish.
The Safe Chef: Helpful Techniques, American Foundation for the Blind – Senior Site
http://www.afb.org/seniorsite.asp?SectionID=66&TopicID=303&DocumentID=3256
Extensive information on a range of kitchen safety topics, including cooking, cutting and chopping, measuring, pouring, peeling, and baking.
Cooking, American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
http://www.actionfund.org/ohsay/saysee33.htm
Cooking adaptations specifically for those who become blind later in life.
Cooking and Other Kitchen Safety Tips for the Visually Impaired, Associated Content, Inc.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/280488/cooking_and_other_kitchen_safety_tips.html?cat=12
Drawing from her own experience in adjusting to vision loss, Angela Kimball shares advice for working in the kitchen.
Crockpot Cooking Tips, Fred's Head--American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
http://www.fredshead.info/2008/02/crockpot-cooking-tips.html
Michael McCarty shares tips for cooking with a crock-pot or slow cooker.
Organizations and Resources to Explore: Cooking
Cooking without Looking, Vision World Foundation
http://www.visionworldfoundation.net/default1.asp
Tailored to people who are blind or visually impaired, this streaming video/audio program features guest chefs who demonstrate cooking techniques and recipes.
Sue's Kitchen, The Accessible Friends Network
http://www.tafn.org.uk/kitchen/cookery.htm
Sue Pallett shares accessible recipes, cooking tips, and other useful information for people who are blind or visually impaired.