In many cases, good household and kitchen organization can reduce the need for extensive labeling and marking. For more information about organization and labeling, see Household Organization, Home Modifications, and Organizing and Labeling Clothing on this web site.

If you still want or need to label household items (such as food, clothing, and medication) after trying our household organization and home modification tips, here are some questions to ask yourself before you begin to label items in your home:

• Should the labeling system be permanent?
• Can the labels be reused?
• Does the labeling material have to be durable and withstand laundering and/or daily use?
• How will the label be attached to an item?
• Will the placement of the label interfere with the use of an item?

There are a number of labeling systems that you can implement with regular household or office supply materials or specialty labeling products.

If you have low vision, try using any of the following household or office supply materials:

• White or fluorescent unruled 3" x 5" index cards
• Jumbo colored paper clips
• Colored adhesive labels
• Colored Dymo labeling tape
• Colored electrical or plastic tape
• 20/20 pens
• Wide-tip markers
• Flair felt-tip pens
• Laundry markers
• Polymark fabric/craft paint

If you are blind or if your vision changes from day to day, try using any of the following household or office supply materials to create raised or tactile markings:

• Safety pins
• Rubber bands
• Pipe cleaners
• Velcro
• Self-stick magnetic tape
• Velour pads/furniture protectors
• Iron-on patches
• Foam alphabet letters
• Polymark fabric/craft paint

There are also many specialty labeling products for people who are blind or have low vision. You can learn more about obtaining the following specialty products in Find Labeling Products on this web site:

• Aluminum Braille Clothing Identifiers: Durable and washable white plastic tags with braille and corresponding black print. They can be sewn or pinned on to the garment. Learn more and purchase these Aluminum Braille Clothing Tags.
• Braille Labeler: Embosses braille on 3/8" or 1/2" labeling tape. The upper rim of the dial is brailled; lower rim has standard print alphabet.
• Bump Dots: Black, orange, and clear raised plastic dots with adhesive backing to mark appliances, computers and keyboards. Learn more and purchase a Basic Bump Dot Assortment.
• Color Mates Clothing Identifiers: Package of 160 tags, 16 colors in different shapes to identify, mix, and match wardrobe items.
• Talking Color Identifier with Light Probe: This small device detects about 100 colors. Learn more and purchase this Talking Color Identifier with Light Probe.
• Hi-Mark Tactile Pen: A three-dimensional plastic liquid that makes raised lines, dots and shapes to identify clothing, canned goods, frozen foods, and mark the settings on appliances.
• Identi-Buttons Clothing Identifiers: Package of eight buttons, one button per color, all different shapes.
• Loc-Dots: Clear raised dots to mark appliances, computers, and keyboards.
• Match Makers Clothing Identifiers: Plastic covers with large tactile dots are bonded to nickel-plated brass safety pins. 200 pins per package. Learn more and purchase.
• Maxi-Marks: Black plastic dots and slashes with adhesive backing to identify appliances, computers, and keyboards.
• Spot 'n Line Pen: A three-dimensional plastic liquid that makes raised lines, dots and shapes to identify clothing, canned goods, frozen foods, and mark the settings on appliances.
• Touch Dots: Black, white, red, yellow, and orange raised foam dots with adhesive backing to mark appliances, computers and keyboards.
• Touch-To-See Labels: Braille and tactile adhesive labels to identify medication and food. Each reusable label contains a raised letter or number with corresponding braille. Learn more and purchase.
• VOXCOM III Voice Labeling System: Record audio talk labels and messages by depressing a button and inserting a card into the unit. The card attaches to canned goods, medication, clothing, food, and household items. You can find the VOXCOM III at Maxi-Aids

Identifying and Labeling Household Items

You can label household and kitchen items by using any of the following methods:

• Place a rubber band around a can of corn to distinguish it from a can of green beans.
• Use a black wide-tip marker, a laundry marker, or a felt-tip pen to write in large, bold letters on plain white 3" x 5" index cards. Use these labels to differentiate household supplies that are stored in similar spray containers, such as window cleaners, bathroom cleaners, and all-purpose cleaners. Attach each card to the appropriate container with a rubber band, as illustrated below:

• Use brightly colored electrical or plastic tape, pipe cleaners, Velcro, fabric or craft paint, or velour pads/furniture protectors to place markers on canned goods.
• Use any of the specialty labeling products for people who are blind or have low vision that are listed above. You can learn more about obtaining these products in Find Labeling Products on this web site.
• Create tactual labels for bolts, nails, or paper clips in individual containers by gluing one of each item to the outside of the container.
• Place a different number of rubber bands around each different container.
• Transfer items to different shaped containers.
• Tie different-textured ribbons around the neck or opening of each container.

Organizing and Labeling Medication, General Health Safety

Accurately identifying medications is a crucial safety and health issue for many people. Before implementing a labeling system, try using any of the following organizational systems:

• Always keep medication in the original bottle or container.
• Organize your medications in alphabetical order.
• Separate your medications by location: keep breakfast pills in the kitchen and evening pills in the bedroom.
• Store duplicate medications in a separate location.
• Separate medications that you use infrequently from those that you take every day.
• Keep all medications away from excessive sunlight, heat, and humidity, such as in the bathroom or on a windowsill in your kitchen.
• Maintain a listing of your current medications and dosages. Include all vitamin supplements and over-the-counter medicines.
• Dispose of old or outdated medications promptly.

In addition to organizing your medication, be aware of your overall health safety:

• Some medical conditions may require you to watch your weight or weigh your food accurately. You can find talking and large print scales at Independent Living Aids.
• If you have low vision, use a large print calendar to track your medical appointments and treatments. Keep the calendar in a central location so family and friends can also use it. See Large Print for more information.
• Investigate adaptive medical equipment, such as talking thermometers, talking pedometers, talking or large print blood glucose meters, and talking or large print blood pressure monitors. See Sources of Products for Independent Living for more information.
• Learn about adaptive techniques for measuring liquid medications. To learn more, talk with your doctor or contact a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist.
• Stay in control of your health. Create personal progress logs or reminder charts using large print, braille, or audiocassette. See Reading and Writing, All About Braille, and Audiocassette Tapes, CDs, and iPods for more information.
• See How To Manage Diabetes and How Do Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Affect Everyday Activities for suggestions that can help you manage your diabetes, including adaptive techniques for measuring your insulin levels.

You can also label your medications by using any of the following methods:

• Use rubber bands to differentiate medications that are stored in separate containers.
• Use use rubber bands to keep track of your daily dosage of a medication. For example, place rubber bands around the bottle or container equal to the number of dosages you take each day of that particular medication. Remove one band each time you take the medication. Replace the bands at the end of each day to begin the system again.
• Use raised or tactual markings: Attach different numbers of rubber bands, tape, or paper clips to your medication containers to tell them apart, or use a Hi-Mark Tactile Pen or a Spot 'n Line Pen to make raised lines or dots on each container. You can learn more at Find Labeling Products on this web site.
• Use large print or braille labels: Label your medication by name or usage. You can learn more about the materials for making these labels at Braille and Handwriting on this web site.
• Ask your pharmacist to place a large print label on your prescription container. You can also request large print instructions and different-sized bottles or containers for each pill.
• Ask if your pharmacist will place your medications in a blister package to help keep them organized.
• Use a pill organizer: Many styles are available in drugstores or supermarkets and have raised or large print markings.
• Use a talking medication identifier (pictured below):
  • The Tel-Rx Talking Prescription Recorder from Maxi-Aids attaches to any size prescription bottle and records the prescription number, date filled, and doctor's instructions, with a 20-second recording time.
  • The Talking Rx accommodates 13-dram, or 1 1/8" containers only. The doctor or pharmacist records prescription information, with a 60-second recording time.

  

  Additional Resources for Labeling

  • For additional instruction in labeling techniques, contact a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist. See Vision Rehabilitation Services on this web site for more information.
  • Find Vision Rehabilitation Services
  • Home Modifications
  • Organizing and Labeling Clothing
  • Sources of Products for Independent Living
  • Find Labeling Products
  • Reading and Writing
  • How To Manage Diabetes
  • How Do Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Affect Everyday Activities?