When planning a funeral service, it is important to keep family members who have sight disabilities in mind. They deserve to have a comfortable space where they can mourn the loss of a loved one. Their sight disability should not be a barrier when attending a service at your funeral home.
There are many things funeral directors can do to cater to these family members’ needs. By providing quality care, family members with sight disabilities can feel at ease and properly grieve.
Make the Space Easy to Navigate
When setting up chairs, make sure none of them are obstructing the aisle. Evenly setting everything up will make it easier for people who have sight disabilities to move around. Offer to help them get to their seat, making sure to sit them at the end of the row so they can easily get in and out of their seat.
Provide Legible Programs
For family members with sight disabilities who have partial vision, it is important that the funeral programs are easy to read. Using contrasting colors (i.e. white background, black font), a simple font (i.e. Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman), and a large font size will make the programs more legible.
For family members who are blind, you could offer funeral programs that have braille transcriptions embossed on them.
Encourage Descriptive Eulogies
Encourage those who are giving eulogies to use descriptive language. Rather than being dependent on visuals like a PowerPoint or slideshow, have them describe who the person was. Reading a poem, playing meaningful music, or sharing a memory are all ways to honor a loved one without visuals.
Set out Textured Objects
Oftentimes, families want to display photographs and other memorabilia of their loved one. Suggest that they lay out some of their loved one’s belongings that are special to the touch. Items could include a beloved baby blanket, a soft stuffed animal, their favorite sweater, or an embossed card.
Communicating with the families and having a clear understanding of their needs will make this day comfortable and safe for everyone.
If you have any other ideas on how to better serve families with sight disabilities, please share them in the comments below!
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