One for the optometrists on here?

[#1]

How do illiterate folk have eye tests?

[#2]

There is no reason why an illiterate person can't say whether a letter is in sharp focus or not.  There is, or at least used to be, a chart with line drawings of animals in decreasing sizes to test the eyesight of small children.

There is also the automatic eye testing machines where you look at an image, usually a Christmas tree, and the machine works out your degree of short or long sightedness.  I understand this is not as accurate as the full eye examination (opticians would say that, wouldn't they? )

[#3]

Here you go 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=eye+test+chart+illiterate&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb...

[#4]

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chuffchuff wrote:

How do illiterate folk have eye tests?

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EYE wz goint reply, but i cudnt reed wot u sed.... so EYE ast IRIS,  a PUPIL of mine,  wot it wz.

[#5]

I see

[#6]

Several years ago I met a chap whose occupation was HGV driver. I know nothing about the requirements of the test  other than he drove his very large tanker into where I worked. When presented with a sheet to read and sign he scribbled a cross on the bottom of the sheet. Later I spoke with him about his journey as he had come quite some distance. During the conversation he told me that he always used the same route and checked his direction by referring to the tops of telegraph poles.The reason, he told me, was that he had never learned to read or write. I was aghast, not at the fact that he could not read nor write, but that in 20th century Britain there were adults that were illiterate.

That he followed the same route obviated the need for map reading to some extent as most road signs are wordless. But the telegraph poles? Well, he told me that he had joined the army in the early '50s and had learned to drive tank transporter's thereby acquiring his HGV licence. In the army he had been taught that at the top of the telegraph poles were some ceramic connectors. The latter always faced towards London, so wherever he was in the country he always knew which direction he was going in by referring to the tops of the telegraph poles.

As he was leaving he mentioned that he was not able to see as clearly as he used. The lorry he drove - a huge thing with lots of triangular warnings on it to the effect that it would create a large hole should anything happen to it.

[#7]

This is a bit like what did people think before there was a language.

I mean you generally think in words and when walking around I have virtually a running commentary in my head.

So I can't really imagine what people thought before language.

Pictures maybe but I can't see how that would work well for a fairly intelligent species.

[#8]

I was going to make a post here but changed my mind so as not to make a spectacle of myself.

[#9]

I guess language developed from basic grunts and groans but the main means of communication would have been NVC or non verbal communication between people, facial expressions, pointing at things, making a noise to attract attention, in short similar things to what animals do.

We have developed NVC to a high degree in humans and before someone even speaks we can form an image of that person, even more so if they are in uniform. ( That image could of course be entirly wrong) but people can be judged by the company or particular group they belong to.

[#10]

I've encountered some of these people in my working life, sadly not everyone's evolved passed NVC.

[#11]

@Mook  Did you say something  ? ? ? ? ? 

[#12]

@shutter - Mmmm!

[#13]

Having been hard of hearing most of my life I have found it surprising how often and not always knowingly I have used those 'hidden' signals and situations to work out what is going on. Made some right corkers of mistakes though but never as bad or as embarrassing to be told "we were just talking about that, don't you listen?" or as a kid being told you only hear what you want to hear..... although to be honest, sometimes that was true 

Much easier and less embarrassing now that I'm older as I don't mind so much being seen wearing a hearing air - or my trusty walking stick for that matter which after my slight stroke I don't really need any more - but it sort of goes with the flat cap!

[#14]

@Minivanman

Flat cap ?

You don't wear clogs and own a whippet do you ?

[#15]

Do they wear clogs and own whippets in Wales  ? ?