Around a year ago Guide Dogs started running an advert on TV for Gifts in Wills. They used pieces of film they had previously taken from various partnerships for varying campaigns and fundraising activities. The member of staff who contacted me for permission to use a piece of film from when Waffle won Guide Dog of the Year – Life Changing category in December 2014 did not appear to be aware that I had lost Waffle less than six months after her award. I have always been determined though that Waffle’s legacy will continue so am always happy for footage to be used, albeit with a sizeable lump in my throat when I view it especially when she is happily running around. A lady I sometimes see on the local bus said weeks ago to me that she had seen the advert and recognised me because of the hat that I’m wearing in the advert. Another unknown lady approached me in the park and asked if I was the person in the advert because she was sure it was the same hat I was wearing that day to the one she had seen in the advert. Three other people I have never met or spoken to previously, two in Edinburgh and one locally, also spoke to me for the first time after recognising me from my hat!

Many of my visually impaired and blind peers have blogged and vlogged their tips for technology that assists them. And, more recently, the hash tag #Blind PeopleUsePhones was sparked by an image on social media of a lady seen with a long guide cane using her phone – the insinuation being that the two items were incongruous at best, and she was faking her disability at worst. My own eye condition means that I am both highly light dependent to optimise my remaining vision while also being highly light sensitive (photophobia) so am for ever trying to optimise levels of light for my own needs. One way I do this outdoors is with my hat – the one I wore for the Guide Dogs filming is a black cord Baker Boy style hat from Marks and Spencers.

(Photo of my black cord Baker Boy style hat sitting on my bed)

I have more hats in a similar style than I have pairs of shoes!

(Photo of all my Baker Boy and hats with peaks sitting on my bed)

The peak of the hat helps to level out the amount of light that gets to my eyes so reduces glare blindness as well as limiting direct sunlight which totally blinds me (and also damages my eyes). Wearing a hat also keeps my hair from obscuring my small window of sight on windy days. So for me, hats are an essential tool to help me safely and comfortably mobilise outside, as well as of course being an accessory of choice. The peak of this style of hat is also a good safety accessory for me not otherwise hitting my head off something (or someone!) as my eye condition can make judging distance difficult and my severely restricted field of vision can mean objects surrounding me are in my blind area and thus I do not see them.

I have a smaller than average head size. On my (in)famous black hat (the one I wore for the Guide Dogs filming) I used a brooch to pull in the head band to make it fit.

(A close up photo of the faux cameo antique brooch I used to reduce the size of the head band in my hat)

Many high street shops sell only one size hats, but Accessorize often have hats in my preferred style with an elasticated back which means without extension of the elastic, the hat is a good fit.

(Photos of my new ‘favoured’ hat which is in the Baker Boy style and is a mix of black, cream and brown check colours; the second photo shows the elasticated back to the hat).

I have also bought hats from Village Hats, and along with Marks and Spencers they also sell hats in various sizes. Both retailers sell sizing bands that help you optimise the fit – M&S sell a “custom fit” band that attaches with buttons into the hat’s inner head band and Village Hats have Hat Sizers with a sticky back to them that you can put either on the front aspect of the inner head band of the hat, or the back of it to find your perfect fit. A milliner once told me that you can optimise the fit of a hat using a piece of Velcro (the hook part) sewn or stuck in to the hat to help the hat grip your hair…it does work, but it also makes my head incredibly itchy and uncomfortable.

(Photos showing the M&S custom fit band (left photo) and Village Hats hat sizers (right Photo) sitting on my bed)

My like of hats does not end with the Baker Boy style and I use my prescription sunglasses with bobble hats and berets which I also have in a range of colours.

(Photo showing many of my hats laid out on my bed).

I also have many pairs of gloves that match or co-ordinate with my outfit, most of which are fingerless to aid working with Sadie, eg giving a small food reward to Sadie is much easier when she completes a task I’ve asked her help with with bare fingers than gloved ones. And needless to say, I have a range of scarves in different colours, patterns and weight of material to go along with them too.

(Photo showing some of my fingerless gloves; I have at least as many with full fingers in them)

I am as much a technophobe today as I was when I wrote my first blog post (I still haven’t found the answer to why use of technology is not included in visual impairment rehabilitation given how useful it is, but not intuitive to someone like me) but my hats are essential tools for me to aid my safe mobilisation and independence. I do believe though that I got my love of hats from my much missed Grandma who always wore a hat when going out, and all day on a Sunday as she made the frequent visits to the church at the top of her street for the various services. I spent many happy days and weeks with my Grandma through my formative years, and in many ways she was a more influential adult when I was growing up than my parents were. I might wear a hat for very practical reasons, but I know she would approve of me having my head covered, which she maintained was one of the ways “a lady differentiated herself”.

[“If you want to get ahead, get a hat” was the advertising slogan in the 1940s by Dunn & Co hatmakers. The advert showed a man going for an interview, the suggestion being that to make yourself stand out, you should wear a hat…something that would have met with my Grandma’s approval].

#Hats #MarksAndSpencers #VillageHats #Accessorize #BlindPeopleUsePhones #GuideDogs