Suppliers & Resources

(Updated 11/3/98)

Recently, several people have written to suggest a mailing list of people who are interested in the simulation of blindness. If you want to be on such a list, please contact texbdguy@aol.com

Contact Lenses Online sells "Special Effects" contacts, such as the white lenses shown below. These will let light in, but will block out almost all the useful information that you would otherwise get. They're a bit pricy, and you do need to have a prescription (but your regular contact prescription will do, if you already wear contacts) but for simulating blindness, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a better solution.

[Note about contact lenses: Many companies make what are called "Opaque" contacts. These are not for blocking vision, they are for changing the color of your eyes. People who have darker eyes and wish to go to a light color wear opaque contacts, which block part of the iris, allowing the lighter color of the lens to be seen.]

National Federation for the Blind is a national organization for blind and visually impaired persons.

Access 20/20 has a number of references for those interests in Braille, as well as a copy of the Braille alphabet. The neatest thing at this site is an on-line Braille translator!

Autofold Makes canes and mobility accessories for visually impaired, including the classic "white cane"

Sleep masks & Blindfolds on the web

Eye Pajamas makes a great selection of sleep masks, in a wonderful assortment of styles, from the romantic, to the humorous. Definately work a look!

Slumber Comforts makes a simple, effective sleep mask.

"Adult" Suppliers

Many suppliers of adult toys and bondage items can provide good blindfolds. A quick visit to www.yahoo.com can provide many excellent links if you search on the Keyword "Bondage". When choosing a blindfold, make sure it is appropriate to what you want to use it for. For example, a blindfold that puts a lot of pressure on the eyes would not be good for long-term wear. Some people are also allergic to the sheepskin lining found in some blindfolds, and others are irritated by the synthetic substitutes. Best bet, of course, is to find a friend who has lots of different blindfolds you can try, and see which type you like best! (The one pictured above is available from Catherine Coatney Designs.)