Can I travel with vision problems?
YES, you can travel the world with vision problems and NO, your traveling doesn’t have to be ruined or come to an end because of having poor vision. Continue reading this post to find out a bit more about my eyesight problems and how I manage to handle them on the road.
My experience
You may not know that but I have been struggling with my eyesight since I entered high school. I was reading a lot of books and studying at night, using screens all the time and not really looking after my eyes. Things got worse when I started my university. I couldn’t see presentation slides sitting in the first row. I figured it was time to take care of my eyes and get a pair of glasses.
I hated wearing glasses. It felt awkward. I found it lame, but it indeed helped my eyesight.
Then it was time to hit the road for the first time. China! At that time I thought that having poor vision could harm my travel experience or at least make everything more complicated. Wearing glasses felt so uncomfortable when taking pictures! Switching to contact lenses, how would I get the new ones while traveling? – I was afraid of not being able to get them when I get stuck in a poor / underdeveloped country. As it turned out, I was so wrong.
How to deal with your vision problems when traveling the world
Inform people around you about it
I must say that informing people around you about your vision problems is the key. You can still hit the road and enjoy your travels even when struggling with your eyesight but you need to let people know about it. Otherwise you may not get the help you need.
Make sure your travel agent and travel companions know about it. They can be a great help in case you need it. Secondly, don’t forget to mention your vision problems to the company when booking your flight/travel/coach. They can assist you when entering the plane/bus/coach, but they need to know about it in advance, though.
Be well-prepared
Before you hit the road you may want to do some pre-departure research on the places you are going to visit. For example, try to find accommodation that is safe for you. There are plenty of hotels that are fully adapted to accommodating people with vision impairment. When it comes to daily activities, search for those that are secure for you and where you can get full support and needed assistance. Preparation is the key here.
Have you ever been traveling with vision problems? How have you been coping with it?
12 thoughts on “Can You Still Travel the World with Vision Problems?”
Just don’t forget about the health of your eyes! If you are a contact lens wearer, you need to be diligent about getting regular health assessments. Your doctor will recommend how often. This can range from every 6-18 months.
That’s a good point, thanks a lot Colleen for mentioning it!
Great post! Since I mostly wear contacts it can be annoying if you’re in a dirty hostel since you need a clean environment to put them on. I usually see my eye doctor once a year when I’m at home in Canada, but this sounds great for people who are constantly on the road!
Agree!
Before I could get my driver’s license test they concluded that I needed glasses in order to drive a car. Now I have to wear them behind the wheel. I can see things fine from faraway…it’s just reading road signs that’s the problem! When I start traveling I probably won’t even bring my glasses, I can read airport signs just fine when I get close enough to them or from squinting far away (I know, I’ve already tested this). Take good care of those glasses though, they can be expensive to replace!
That’s nice, Katarina. I agree with taking a good care of my glasses. Indeed, they can be super expensive and you don’t want to spend much when travelling on a budget :).
Interesting piece! I’ve never really thought about it but I always wondered about people with contacts in dry dusty places. I’ve been so lucky (so far) to have good vision. If you love something nothing will stop you!
Lucky you, Andrew!
As someone with vision issues myself, thank you for this post :)
You’re welcome! I see I’m not the only one here!! :)
I’m long sighted so I always have to put reading glasses on now to read menus and signs – thanks for the useful article
Thanks for sharing, Suze!