online dating for blind

Tips and advice for online dating if you have sight loss

When you’re blind or partially sighted, dating apps can help you meet new people. However, many of us find the process intimidating and are hesitant to dip our toes into the digital dating pool.

So, if you’re considering trying online dating, here are a few hints, a true story, and some encouraging advice.

Tips to get started

1. First, stay safe.

Use trustworthy sites, preferably those that undertake member identity checks and monitor messaging to suspend users who violate their online conduct standards.

Don’t give your phone number out too soon. To gain a better feel of who the individual is, start by exchanging messages on the site.

The first few times you meet your match, go somewhere secure and public, not somewhere private, and tell a friend where you’re going. Above all, trust your gut instincts. If you feel uneasy at any moment, pay attention to it. Make a courteous yet quick exit.

2. If you’re worried about accessibility, use specialist platforms that are designed for disabled or blind people.

Glimmer’s purpose is to provide a secure and welcoming environment where people can be open and proud of who they are. Users can choose to reveal their impairment up front on their site, so there’s no guesswork about when to tell a match that you’re blind. Other notable choices are the VI Singles Facebook group and the websites Disabled Dating 4 U and Whispers4U.

3. Many people with sight loss don’t feel that it defines who they are. To broaden your opportunities, go to the sites with the highest volume of users.

Tinder is used by an estimated 50 million people per month, according to Wikipedia. Because some functions aren’t compatible with Apple’s in-built screen reader VoiceOver, blind users may need to enlist the help of a trusted friend to create a profile – or search for possible matches.

You could also wish to get opinion from a friend on which photograph best portrays you. Consider how you want to appear in the images and what areas of your life you want to highlight.

4. Don’t spend too long on messaging before you meet. It can give a false sense of how well you will get on with a match.

It’s easy to be clever and flirty in writing and feel drawn to someone online, only to find that when you meet in person, or even over the phone, everything falls flat. A good potential match can sometimes be determined by the first chat, and for many people, having the proper voice is an important part of the package.

Telegram and Facebook Messenger are two systems that allow you to exchange voice messages without exchanging phone numbers.

5. Remember, dating apps may be massively popular, but they aren’t the only way to meet people.

Find like-minded people through making new contacts, joining a particular interest group or club, striking up a discussion in a coffee shop, or using social media. But don’t worry if you don’t feel like doing any of this. According to a Mintel survey from 2017, 70% of singles in the UK have not actively tried to find a companion in the preceding 12 months – and that’s just fine.

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