Between tech internships/events and flash sales at the college bookstore, my collection of backpacks and tote bags has grown to include multiple items, all of which were chosen with my visual impairment in mind. Choosing a backpack with low vision isn’t just about making sure that the backpack can hold accessible materials (though that is a major consideration!), it’s also about ensuring that the backpack can be visually identified by the person using it and that it can be used independently. Here are my tips for choosing a backpack with low vision, which can also extend to purses, bags, and similar items.
Choose something that doesn’t blend into the floor
The first backpack I brought to college was a near-perfect match for the color of my dorm’s floor, so I often had trouble locating my backpack before I left for class or would find it more challenging to locate visually. I switched it out for a high-contrast design that was a different color than any of the common surfaces that I would leave my backpack on, such as my bed, classroom floors, dorm floor/wall, and bleachers in the stadium where band practice took place. My vibrant pink multicolor backpack stands out against all of these surfaces and I can locate it even on bad vision days where everything looks blurry.
Even though I love a good pattern or multicolored item, other people who have low vision or neurological visual impairment (also known as cerebral visual impairment, cortical visual impairment, or CVI) may find patterned items or certain colors more challenging to locate or look at. While contrast still plays an important role, preferred colors should be taken into consideration when choosing a backpack with these conditions.
Related links
- High Contrast and Low Vision
- Two of Everything: Living With Double Vision
- Paper Colors And Low Vision
When possible, find something with a high-contrast lining
My black phone charger got lost inside of my backpack lined with black fabric for longer than I would like to admit, which showcased the importance of choosing a backpack lining and/or items that provide high contrast against each other. All of my current electronics are white or other bright colors so that they can “pop” against darker linings and avoid having items get lost inside.
Related links
- How I Set Up My Tech Internship Desk: PM Intern With Low Vision
- How To Organize and Identify Cords For Low Vision
- Choosing A Phone Case With Low Vision
Measure devices before going backpack shopping
The first laptop I owned featured a 17-inch screen, which is great for viewing items on a larger display but frustrating to transport in a backpack that only accommodated a 15-inch laptop. For that reason, it’s helpful to know how large common assistive technology items are, such as a laptop, keyboard, eReader, and/or video magnifier so that the user can choose a backpack with pockets that will accommodate these items securely. It’s also worth noting that I don’t charge items while they are sitting in my backpack, even with a portable battery pack, as this can pose a fire risk.
Related links
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Laptop For College
- What’s In My College Backpack As A Low Vision Student
- What’s In My High School Backpack As A Low Vision Student
Identify where items will be stored, e.g. blindness cane
Having items in the same consistent location can be helpful for locating items with touch as well as for organization purposes. For students who use a white cane/blindness cane and bring their backpack to class, it can also be useful to think of where the cane will be stored when not in use so that it doesn’t create a tripping hazard. I have a four-segment collapsible cane that I typically store in the water bottle compartment of my backpack, or in a separate zippered pocket so that it doesn’t create a tripping hazard.
Some other items in my backpack that have a consistent location include:
- Headphones
- Charger(s) for phone, iPad, or other devices when needed
- Cell phone when not in use
- Laptop
- Bandaids and small medical items/toiletries
- Locker key (for middle school/high school)
If I’m traveling off-campus or to a satellite campus with my backpack, I typically pack a spare cane in case the one I am using breaks, and this is also stored in a zippered compartment in my backpack.
Related links
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Headphones
- How I Use My Phone As Assistive Technology In Class
- What’s In My Backpack: Commuting To Satellite Campus
- Twelve Blindness Cane Storage Solutions
Choose backpacks that keep items secure, even if they fall out of a car
I share more strategies for this in my post about choosing a backpack with chronic pain, but it’s important to ensure that the backpack can accommodate being dropped or knocked over without causing damage to the items inside. While I don’t endorse having a backpack fall out of a moving car, this happened to me during a tech internship when a shuttle door didn’t close correctly and I was so glad that I had chosen a backpack that could protect my laptop and other valuable items inside.
Related links
- Choosing A Backpack With Chronic Pain
- What’s In My Backpack: Program Management Intern With Low Vision
Add a unique texture or other labels
While none of my other classmates had the same backpack as I did, it was a very common style at my tech internship. To ensure that I was picking up the correct backpack and to aid with identification, I added a bold luggage tag with large print and a distinctive texture to make it easier to identify when retrieving it from a trunk or room with identical items. Other strategies for personalizing a backpack with low vision include:
- Adding patches with raised details
- Sewing buttons onto the bag
- Using reflective tape or strips to create patterns
- Ordering a backpack with a monogram or other personalization
- Drawing on the backpack fabric with high contrast or saturated colors
- Adding color to the backpack handle in a preferred color
Smart tags are another option for keeping track of bags, though I haven’t personally used these.
Add visual indicators to assist with opening/closing bags
Zippers can be challenging to manipulate, especially for young kids with low vision. Adding custom zipper pulls or using a zipper hook can make it easier to open backpacks, but I often found that I had trouble closing backpacks or other bags all the way shut when I was younger. One strategy to help with this issue is to add a colored visual indicator on the end of the zipper ribbon or zipper box so the user can visually verify that they have pulled the zipper all the way to the edge. This can be fabric tape, drawn on with a fabric marker, or another visual/tactile indicator.
Figure out how the backpack will be stored during the day
In elementary and middle school, backpacks were required to meet certain dimensions so that they would fit in lockers. Once I started high school, I started carrying my backpack to every class, and would store it under my desk so that it didn’t create a tripping hazard for other students, or in college I would place it in front of me if needed.
Some schools may not allow wheeled backpacks since these don’t fit into lockers, but I received a disability accommodation to use one in high school. I stopped using it as my primary backpack in college because I had fewer items to carry to each class and could stop at my dorm, plus I needed a free hand to use my blindness cane (which I didn’t start using until college).
Related links
More tips for choosing a backpack with low vision
- I don’t have any textbooks inside of my backpack because I get all of my books in digital formats. I talk more about the process for requesting textbooks in Receiving Accessible Educational Materials With NIMAC and AIM-VA and How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
- Backpacks should be regularly cleaned out to help with reducing buildup of visual clutter, which can make it even more difficult to locate items. In early high school, I often struggled with cleaning my own messy backpack because I had no idea how to sort through what papers were actually important, so I appreciated having help from a nonjudgmental friend, family member, or teacher to tackle that mess.
- My sheet music binder is too wide to fit in a backpack, so it has its own brightly colored tote bag. I talk more about accessible music in My Large Print Music Binder
Published August 27, 2019. Updated November 2024