If one were to look at all the developments that have taken place in the last 50 years or so in terms of designing products or interiors, he would get an impression that never has there been any consideration for those who are visually impaired. Being in small minority, blind are often overlooked when it comes to making or designing new products. It is a known fact that blind people need barrier free spaces and as little obstacles in their work place or homes as there can be, but there certainly are some more ideas that need to be taken into account when designing for these special people.
Universal design ideas are those that are created keeping in mind people with a wide range of abilities. But when designing for people who are visually impaired the designer need to incorporate cues which can be easily picked by blind people. These could be small landmarks to let blind people know where they are standing and where they need to go to have the desired object in hand.
Making use of sounds is a great idea for blind people as they can get all the information about their location with the help of bells and other clinking sounds. One thing is absolutely certain and that is to avoid furniture that has any sharp edges at all. The furniture should be rounded and a lot of foam and soft materials should be used at any place that is meant primarily for use by blind people.
It is true that blind people have sharp reflexes and their other senses save them from accidents and they make use of these senses to avert dangers in the form of obstacles that come their way. This is why there should be a greater emphasis on making use of different kinds of sounds to make these people aware of different objects in any place. With passage of time and advancement of technology, sounds have been incorporated in majority of objects used in daily life by blind people. Still there is a lot to be done in this field to make blind people more comfortable in their surroundings.