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.Handbook for Women with Visual Impairment - 5.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED WOMEN
By
A.K. Mittal & Dr. Anil Aneja
If we have really to strive towards enabling women with visual impairment to acquire their rightful place in society, we must lay adequate emphasis on the development of their skills and capacity to communicate effectively with others. No individual in the world can live in total isolation and this is no less applicable to women with visual impairment.
Yes, being able to communicate well with others is essential for everyone, yet its importance is so much greater in the case of visually impaired women striving for equality of opportunities in a developing country like ours. However, before we proceed further, let us first pause for a moment and think about communication in general.
DEFINITION:
The American College Dictionary defines communication as: `the imparting or interchange of thought, opinion or information by speech, writing or signs`. According to Leagen, in essence, it is the act of getting a sender and a receiver tuned together for a particular message or series of messages.
It would, thus, be evident from these definitions that `message` is the most important component of communication. Effective and meaningful communication can take place only if one has something to communicate, be it an idea, an emotion, information, impression, opinion or thought.
SIGNIFICANCE:
The process of communication as defined above is of equal significance to men and women alike. However, in our particular context we must emphasize that the process has special relevance for women with visual impairment. There are several reasons for the process to have particular relevance to them. Firstly, for centuries, visually impaired women, especially in developing societies like India, have been deprived of their due rights of economic advancement and financial recognition. Their voices have either been stifled or largely ignored or they have been almost `conditioned` to keep a low profile. `Speak very softly`, or `do not speak at all in the presence of strangers` has been the dominating theme in several homes especially those having girls with visual impairment.
Secondly, due to prolonged social prejudices, most visually impaired girls and women are forced to lead a sheltered life, primarily, within the confines of their families or special schools. This, in most cases leads to barriers in the natural development of the process of effective communication.
Thirdly, owing to general neglect, even suppression, at times, girls with visual impairment are not able to acquire the necessary skills and self-confidence so crucial for enabling them to cope with the realities of the world around them and so vital for successful interpersonal communication. There is also the added challenge of developing alternative strategies among our groups for meaningful non-verbal means of communication, such as gestures, facial expressions, body language and so on. Opportunities for picking up such non-verbal elements of verbal communication are not easily made available to the group.
It is of paramount significance that in order to become equal and contributing members of society, visually impaired girls and women are prepared to break these age-old shackles of prejudice, neglect and misconceptions and provided all possible opportunities for fruitful interaction, based on the principle of reciprocity. Effective and workable communication skills hold the key to such liberation and empowerment and hence, the crucial significance of the art of good communication for visually impaired women.
MODES OF COMMUNICATION:
It goes without saying that the primary channels of communication are the same for all-disabled or non-disabled, men or women. The major difference, if any, as would be evident from what we state hereinafter lies in a shift in focus or emphasis or the medium used in the case of the visually impaired, in general and women with visual impairment, in particular.
However, before we take up various communication modalities with reference to visually impaired women, let us for a moment, briefly touch upon a few fundamental rules of communication. Known as the `C’s of communication`, these must be observed if one wishes to be a good communicator, irrespective of the channel being used. These `C’s` are: clarity, completeness, compactness, consideration, courtesy, correctness and consistency.
Clear and correct expression, lack of ambiguity, observance of proper proportion in speech or writing, a sense of adjustment for the situation of the person being communicated with, treating others with the required respect and dignity, use of apt phraseology and language and avoidance of contradictions in our statements-all these sum up the basic intent and purpose of these `C’s` of communication. There are three primary means of communication-verbal, written and non-verbal.
SOME TIPS ON EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:
While what we state here is of relevance to all groups, yet, it is necessary for us to place special emphasis on these little points of interest to facilitate rapid and consistent development of communication skills among our target audience-the visually impaired women. Let us, then, take up the above channels one by one:
VERBAL COMMUNICATION:
This includes, among other things, personal and telephonic conversations at various levels, group discussions, meetings, lectures etc. Some general rules need to be kept in mind in such communication. These are:
Be clear in your thoughts before you start speaking, otherwise you may sound confused.
If you are addressing an audience, jot down in Braille or enlarged print, as per your requirement, some focal points, which you could elaborate upon.
Speak at a moderate pace, neither too fast nor too slow.
Learn to modulate your voice according to the requirement of your subject-matter and your audience.
Avoid being carried away by the intensity of your feelings-do not be too enthusiastic or too despondent, while speaking.
Choose the right words and diction to suit the occasion and the profile of your audience.
If you feel more comfortable in the use of your native language, do not hesitate to express yourself in that language; it is wrong to believe that good communication can take place in English only.
Give adequate pauses in your speech for proper effect.
Let the other person also have sufficient opportunity for expressing himself/herself. Communication is after all, a two-way process.
Always be considerate and courteous, even while expressing your displeasure or dissent.
Be particularly cautious of the reaction/response of others to your point of view, as a visually impaired communicator. Excessive silence or whispered conversation could be indicators of the flagging interest of the audience. Perhaps, intermittent queries or humorous anecdotes could help a visually impaired communicator to know if her listeners are with her.
Obtain beforehand information about the positioning of the public address system such as microphones etc. to ensure proper voice quality, while addressing an audience.
Similarly, find out in advance the seating arrangements of the Chairperson/guests and audience at a function with reference to your standing position before the microphone, so that you are able to address them properly and turn to them at the required time.
In casual conversations also, make it a point to turn to the person speaking to you.
Make a conscious effort of breaking away from the bounds of diffidence and shyness as also undue reserve, usually associated with women with visual impairment and speak out confidently and with requisite poise and self-assurance.
Avoid all undue feelings of self-consciousness, which are usually the outcome of the nagging fear of being watched by others.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION:
Writing is an inescapable mode of inter-personal communication these days, especially, among literate/educated persons. Blind persons, particularly women need to be especially alert to the challenges and demands of such communication. Inability to read and write ordinary ink-print material has been one of the most talked about restrictive effects of visual disability and it is necessary to mitigate or eliminate this restriction for effective empowerment of the visually impaired-men and women alike. We wish to lay special stress on the following few points, which are, generally, not considered (though erroneously) useful for visually impaired girls and women:
Acquire utmost proficiency in reading and writing Braille in your native language as also in English. Researches and observation have tended to demonstrate that Braille skills are not so efficient among comparable women groups as their male counterparts. This has to be rectified and girls and women with visual impairment must be provided every opportunity at school and elsewhere, to acquire good Braille skills.
One of the essentials of success in Braille is the availability of interesting reading material in Braille in the desired numbers. While we expect visually impaired women to learn Braille to the best of their abilities, we also wish to urge concerned authorities and printing houses to produce in Braille reading material of special interest and concern for women.
It is a widely recognized fact that a large number of women with low vision would need to be provided educational material in accessible format such as enlarged print. Such groups as self-help organizations of the blind, must lobby actively for provision of textbooks and other reading material in such alternative formats, wherever essential. In fact, Braille and large print need to be viewed as complementary as per the visual condition of the user.
Access to computers is as vital for visually impaired girls and women as their male counterparts. The use of speech softwares and other adaptive technologies would contribute immensely to placing men and women with visual impairment at par with others insofar as independence in written communication is concerned. What is of special relevance, here, is that due cognizance is taken of the extremely vulnerable economic condition of visually impaired women and their families, in particular, and special arrangements are made to provide access to them to such assistive devices at affordable cost.
It is often observed that visually impaired students are not very good at spelling the words correctly. This is so, since, traditionally, they have depended on requisite material being read out to them either live by sighted volunteers or through recorded books. Visually impaired women as also men must make all possible efforts to learn correct spelling, which is possible to a great extent, by reading Braille extensively or using computers with special softwares. A conventional method is to use manual typewriters and get the scripts checked by a sighted well-wisher.
A Braille slate and stylus or, if possible, a Braille writer must be a constant companion of every Braille-using visually impaired individual.
Correct grammar and punctuation, appropriate formatting and margin-setting coupled with occasion-specific language and style is the key to fruitful written communication as also preparation of important documents.
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION:
An important aspect of wholehearted communication, especially, verbal communication, is that it is, at times, accompanied by elements which are totally non-verbal in nature and which, nevertheless, play a vital role in giving out messages subtly and succinctly. Facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, and other forms of body-language constitute such non-verbal communication components.
In order to ensure full participation in community life at par with socially and culturally determined norms, it is essential that visually impaired girls and women (and, of course, men too) imbibe these communication imperatives and integrate them into their overall process of interaction. Now, it is admitted that these elements are mostly visual in nature and learned, largely, by visual imitation. However, with a bit of extra effort and application, it is possible, even desirable, for our visually impaired girls also to use these modes in a natural and convincing fashion. For this purpose, the following suggestions are set forth, here:
1) It should be possible for persons with low vision including girls and women, to make it a habit to establish eye contact with the interlocutor or at least look towards him/her, while engaging in conversation. Continuous practice would help in this regard.
2) For men and women with total loss of sight, it is desirable that they always make it a point to at least `pretend to look` at the person in conversation by clearly facing him/her while exchanging views. For this purpose, what is necessary is to know beforehand the direction in which the interlocutor is placed with reference to the person with visual impairment. Such advanced planning and skill in addressing the interlocutor in the right direction would help raise the profile of the visually impaired women in particular, to a great extent, since this is something normally, considered beyond their reach.
3) Facial expressions, of course, are a matter of pure practice. The same applies to the requirement of making context-specific gestures. Research has shown that participation in dramatics and play-acting helps persons with visual impairment including women, to conduct themselves naturally in such matters. It may also be advisable to get the help of sighted well-wishers to obtain feedback and advice in regard to appropriate gestures and expressions.
4) The point being emphasized here is that visually impaired girls and women should not take these non-verbal elements lightly or casually. As stated earlier, proper planning, practice and consistent care could enable visually impaired persons too to conform to a great extent to these social demands and parameters, which help to facilitate `total communication` on the part of the visually impaired.
PREPARATION FOR COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
While some attempts, though sporadic, have been made to include communication skills in the education and training curricula for visually impaired youth, a lot still needs to be done for their female counterparts. It is through a determined and concerted efforts on the part of all supportive institutions that visually impaired girls and women would find it possible to become effective communicators. Almost everyone concerned with them, has a role to play.
First and foremost, it is the responsibility of parents, especially the mother and other siblings of the visually impaired female child to place her on the right track towards the acquisition of the required skills, from very early on. However, it is a matter of a great anguish that these female children receive very little support and positive help from a majority of households in most developing countries like India. Therefore, a coordinated campaign of parent-education is the prime need of the hour for initiating proper early intervention and training activities for female children with visual impairment.
Secondly, in view of the present regrettable situation of parent-apathy, it is necessary for schools-residential as also inclusive-to take on the responsibility. Educational institutions must make it a point to include communication skills-oral, non-verbal, written-in their curricula as indispensable activities and allocate necessary resources for the purpose.
Last but by no means least is the responsibility of visually impaired women themselves as also self-help organizations of the blind. Many successful and well-placed women-achievers with visual impairment could work as role models for their neglected sisters and take up lobbying and advocacy work in a big way. Self-help organizations could conduct model training programmes in leadership and personality development with particular focus on the development of communication skills for visually impaired women. These programmes could be replicated by other institutions subsequently with necessary continuous prompting and encouragement from such organizations.
Thus, visually impaired women themselves, organizations of the blind, educational and training institutions, peer-groups, siblings and parents have all to join hands in the challenging tasks of helping visually impaired girls and women become effective communicators, which is essential for their ultimate empowerment.
