I Am A Blind small business owner AMA

When you sleep, do you have sight in your dreams?

Yes

Have you had dreams where you are blind? If so, how often?

I don't think iv'e ever had a dream where i was blind

Do you lucid dream? If not, i think you should

/r/LucidDreaming

I think i have sometimes, not 100% certain.

Does it ever get you down? Personally I don't think I'd manage well mentally if I lost my sight.

Maybe some days but you learn to live with it.

How does being blind limit your role in the business?

We've come up with ways to work around it for the most part, the biggest thing being that we always have to have another employee here at times to help ring up customers and check stock in the back room

Where did the idea of a board shop come from if you had not riden before?

I had snowboarded since i became blind and skateboards went well with snowboards

I read the title as; "I'm a small blind business owner"

Question: What is your height?

5'6"

HI! do you ever play pranks on people with your blindness?

Yes most definitely.

Such as? Thanks for the doing the AMA.

I worked with a guy who was convinced i could smell the color of his underwear.

Wait, what?

This guy always would bend over and his underwear would show so another co-worker would tell me what they looked like then i would deeply inhale and say smells like red plaid for example.

How do you know if people walk out with what the're paying for?

We always have another employee in to help ring up customers, also we have security cameras in the place so even if you try we will know what you look like. So in short, we always have someone else in, currently its my nephew who is helping with this AMA

Use LookTel Money Reader to verify what you got handed back

That is indeed the app i use, however usually someone else is working the register.

I gotta say... Bravo nephew... I get frustrated helping my mom on the computer... And she isn't even blind. No Offense

Nephew here, im a regular redditor and am basically just reading off the screen and typing for him so its not bad.

What's it like being blind? Do you see only black, like your eyes are always closed?

I see black all the time i don't get any light. There's maybe vague outlines of things i think i see based on memory.

how do you know what black is? maybe you actually see purple?

I can remember the colors so i'm 99% sure it's black

cool! cool username too

Thanks, its the name of our shop!

There's maybe vague outlines of things i think i see based on memory.

Do you actually get these in what you consider to be your sense of vision? Or are the outlines in your "mind's eye," created from the visual memories from before you went blind?

More of the Mind's eye, since i only see pitch black

Not related to the shop, do you have any gadget/tools that help you?

On the Computer i have a program called JAWS which reads out on screen text, My iPhone has apps that identify money and that can read bar-codes to tell me what items are. I have a camera that takes pictures of typed documents and reads them out. If you kinda wanna know what its like you could enable voice-over on your phone then try and navigate with your eyes closed.

I had to develop sites for JAWS accessibility. I'm not blind but I try to emulate the experience when testing to see if the site is usable with it. I find it to be pretty cumbersome and imperfect. There's room for improvement for both developers and users.

That said, what accessibility tools do you wish existed by now?

The electronic eye that taps into your brain so i could see

Do you think it would be easier if bills were different sizes, so you would not need an app for it, or can you distinguish bills by feeling?

You can't do it by feel, unless you were to fold them interesting ways, It may be easier if they were different sizes.

Here in Canada in the top left of every bill there are imprinted dots you can feel that tell you which bill is what

Yea its just the US that sucks

Another blind redditor here. I don't have any questions but I figured I'd give this link to Chrome Vox, a screen reader you can use with Google Chrome to get on inaccessible sites like Reddit! I use Voice Over mostly, but there are some websites that are completely inaccessible to screen readers. My boyfriend told me about the free Chrome download so I've been sharing it with all my blind friends.

Will check it out for sure

By any chance did you take the go-pro footage at liberty ski mountain

Yes I did!

In Maryland? If so, where is your shop located?

In Gambrills off of route 3

Have you been blind from birth or was the cause a degenerative eye condition or an accident of some sort?

A Degenerative eye condition associated with my diabetes.

I'm sorry to hear that. When did you first start to notice a loss of vision?

My mom is blind and we don't know anyone other than her that is so it's nice to get information where I can. I have lots of questions if you don't mind :)

Sure bring the questions.

I started to notice probably in September of 2001, I started to see blood in my eye.

Is it constricting or just all gradually deteriorating? How much can you see now?

Mine gradually deteriorated, I', at the point where i don't think i could get anymore blind.

Was the blindness caused by your diabetes being out of control or undiagnosed?

out of control

If you had your sight back for just one day, where would you and what would you want to see?

I would kinda like to go scuba diving in the great barrier reef. I think that would be a cool experience.

Why do you wear goggles when you snowboard?

Mostly to keep things out of my eyes or if its windy.

How easy/hard was it to learn to deal with blindness?

And the most important question of all:
Seeing eye dog or seeing eye horse

Probably the dog because the horse makes a bigger mess

It was kinda hard, you have to completely change your lifestyle. You become more dependent on others and have to relearn how to read and such.

Have you ever taken psychedelics? If so did you "see" anything?

Nope have not.

How did you start your business? After you had the idea, what did you have to do to get the ball rolling?

We took the idea and had to apply for a federal ID number after deicded whether we wanted to be a sole proprietor, llc and what not. Finding funding was the biggest part. We got our business plan together, then found a lease space. Once we had a space we ordered stock then opened on September 26th 2012 and now we are here.

"We"'s can't be a sole proprietor. What did your business become legally? A partnership or an LLC?

We became a Corporation.

Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 or 10 years time? Much respect though for not giving up and still doing things anyone else can!

I'd like to still hopefully business in five years, i don't really know i haven't given it too much thought.

I tip my hat to you. I run a small business and I am not blind and it is very hard. I cannot imagine running one on your own, blind non the less.
Question. How do you know your marketing is effective if you cannot see it? Also (if its not to personal) what made you blind?

I ask my customers what brought them too me then i know what works.

Here's a wikipedia article on the thing that made me blind

What is the extent of your blindness?

Do you have to explain that you are blind to customers often?

Everything is pitch black. I don't have to 80% of the time people have no idea

"Board At Work", nice one.

What are the ups and downs of your business? What was the biggest lesson you learned during your career?

Don't overbuy. Don't get more stock than you can sell.

Loving the Heiniken layout too. Did you come up with this yourself or did someone else at the shop design it?

We had someone who is no longer with us design it

We had someone who is no longer with us design it

The longer you're blind, do your thoughts and images in your mind change over time? Like do you have a more abstract view of daily things, ie trees or anything.

No I don't really think so.

have you ever had a situation where a employee has tried to take advantage of your handicap either financially or personally?

No most of the people hired are people i know and trust.

You should read "The Mind's Eye" by Oliver Sacks. It's a collection of case studies involving neuroscience and vision. It's amazing how different people with vision problems represent the world in their minds.

Do you think you've retained a visual mental picture of the world around you, like for navigating your house and thinking about the people in your life? Or have you stopped thinking about the world in visual terms and come up with a new mental representation?

Well I didn't have a visual record of where i live now other than a general of the area. I have some past representation of what i remember and have to make up new representations based on description for new things.

If I cover my eyes you can't see me

ok

Have you heard of LookTel Money Reader? It's an iOS app to help the blind identify currency using your phones camera

I have, that is in fact the app that i use!

Has becoming blind put other problems into perspective? And has being blind affected you positively in anyway? Like with your attitude or thoughts.

I guess, im not real concerned about car insurance and i save a ton on lightbulbs.

Is your house .. completely dark all the time?

No haha the lightbulbs was a joke, but i live with my girlfriend so its not dark all the time.

Do you have a heavy northern accent? If so, how well does the software and iPhone apps handle it? Oh, and I love the name of the business!

No i don't think i have a heavy northern accent, the apps and such handle my accent if i have one just fine.

What's your main form of entertainment? Do you own a tv or computer at home?

Movies for the most part. ^{Thevoicesinmyhead}

Since no one has asked the obligatory question I will:

Would You Rather Fight a Horse-Sized Duck or a Hundred Duck-Sized Horses?

I would fight 100 duck sized horses using a bushhog.

What happens if you lose something? How do you go about finding it?

Usually i kinda feel around for it. if ive dropped something ill make circular motions with my foot to feel around for it.

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We used intuit website, It's pretty simple and has attracted a number of people to the store.

After losing sight did your other senses become better? Can you smell trouble coming in your shop?

Yes my other sense became better, as far as smelling trouble coming in i can usually smell when i'm in trouble but not before

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Very little, I've graduated high school, I recommend going to college, i also went to a school for the blind.

"Looking back", is there anything you could have done to avoid your present vision loss?

Yes, not ignoring diabetes for 12 years.

Can you ride a skateboard?

Not well

This question might sound like a joke but I am dead serious I really want to know...... How do you know when you are done wiping?!

I asked reddit before but no blind people responded!!!! I'm actually way too excited to possibly have this answered!

I have a wiping buddy who checks me, when my finger tastes clean. when it feels dry in all seriousness

Since being blind, what has been your biggest success? Starting the business or was it something else???

My biggest success would probably never having to be the designated driver. I guess it was learning to snowboard.

I've always wondered this, but what do you see? As opposed to closing your eyes with sight and simply seeing black, is that the same as what you see? I've been wondering this for ages...

Earlier i sorta explained this, its pitch black and then vague outlines of things i think i see based on memory

Interesting, actually! Thanks, my curiousity is resolved!

Anytime pal. My nephew who is a regular redditor who is helping me with this thought people would be interested so i obliged.

Why are you closed Mondays?

Because I want a day off

do people steal shit right infront of you off your own desk and then later on you dont know who it was?

Not typically. I usually have someone trustworthy with me at all times. sometimes something will get misplaced but otherwise no.

if i worked for you i would have to play some pranks on my boss. like put a banana where the phone is and shit. anyone ever done that? you would have to laugh

I have had people mess with me, yes i did laugh.

How hard is it to tie ur shoe laces, or are u a loafers man know?

I don't have an issue tying my shoes, i just wear mostly slip-ons because i'm lazy.

Who is more pro-small business in your opinion, Democrats or Republicans? Who supports you more?

Honestly i have no idea.

your inspiring, sir.

Thanks!

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You need to have a VERY good business plan. You work with your local SBA representative. Talk to as many local businesses that have been around and ask questions about how they handle things. Work with your local chamber of commerce to make connections in the community.

You should dump radioactive stuff on your face and become daredevil.

but will it give me acne?

second blind person to make an AMA today o.o

Really? didnt see the other one

Did you see the recession coming?

Yes I saw it in a dream

How are you using a computer right now? Like how do you see the screen?

Nephew is helping, but i also have a program called JAWS that reads on screen items

Have you ever tried lsd or any other psychedelic?

this was answered earlier, the answer is no

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Sweet man thanks, swing by sometime and check us out!

Do you still skateboard? Where do you do it and how scary was it when you first got on it (or back on it).

Props my man!

I didn't skateboard nor do i currently i do however snow board. However i only had snowboarded once before my blindness, so i guess it was more like learning the first time.

That's awesome, but you need to grab a longboard or something and get dragged around the city by a dog or simply ride with your son/nephew. I often close my eyes and feel the smooth or rugged road through the board and it's one of the best feelings.

I'm sure you'd love it as much as snowboarding.

Maybe will some time.

Nephew here: I own a longboard and know that feeling i may look into helping him out with it.

What everyday task is hardest for you in your shop and/or daily life?

Determining whats in unmarked packages and containers, like cans.

Why skateboards?

I get into it more for the snowboarding aspect it just happened to be a nice pairing.

Did you ever see owning a business in your future. Sorry if the question sounds kinda dicky.

Should have asked what his vision is for his business, or if he ever envisioned owning a business... Both better questions. Even the blind guy can see what you did there...

I never really envisioned myself owning a business.

How are you reading our questions to reply to them?

If you read the opening paragraph my nephew is reading and responding for me.

What colour is your front door?

White

Two strange questions:

1) Thinking back to how it was when you first became blind, do you think you would have rather lost a different sense (deaf, mute, etc)?

2) After your blindness started, did you ever go through a period of depression?

Not being able to talk wouldn't be horrible it could be worked around.

Nephew here: My vote would be to lose smell

Yea i would say i went through a period, wasn't real long but once i got used to it then it wasn't bad.