As an active member of my local blind and low vision community, I am frequently engaged in discussions and activities that highlight the unique challenges faced by individuals with visual impairments. I also have many fully sighted friends who are always eager to understand and learn about these daily trials. Recently, we had an extensive conversation about dining options for an upcoming cruise.

Buffets are typically the preferred dining choice for many cruise lines and all-inclusive resorts. However, individuals with vision impairments often face significant difficulties when navigating buffet settings. The layout of the food stations, the variety of dishes, and the need to independently serve oneself are only a few of the obstacles those with limited vision can face in this challenging situation. Let’s talk about why buffets are difficult to navigate and how they can be made better.  

Who is this article for?

If you are fully sighted and interested in understanding the experiences of those who are blind or visually impaired, particularly why buffets can be a source of anxiety, you’ve come to the right place. For those who are visually impaired and seeking tips to make navigating buffets easier, this guide is here to help. Additionally, if you work in the hospitality industry and want to make your buffet more accessible for blind or visually impaired guests, keep reading.

Why buffets?

For cruises and all-inclusive resorts, buffets make financial sense. Guests have a wide range of dietary needs, and a buffet can cater to almost everyone, from keto dieters to vegetarians and everything in between. With the right buffet menu, properties can provide meals that satisfy nearly every guest. From a staffing perspective, properties can employ less skilled servers and train them to handle the relatively simple operations of a buffet. As long as the chafing dishes are kept full, things usually run smoothly. Aside from special stations like an omelet bar or carving station, guests typically don’t need to place special orders if there’s a good variety of dishes available.

Buffets also benefit properties by offering predictable food costs. For example, they know that Mondays will feature Italian cuisine and can plan the menu in advance. This allows the property to adjust the quality and variety of food accordingly, helping them remain profitable, especially since food expenses are one of the most significant costs in operating an all-inclusive property or cruise.

Not good for everyone

Think back to a time when you dined at a buffet, and the kitchen ran out of a dish. Perhaps you approached a chafing dish that was supposed to have mac and cheese, but instead, it contained something entirely different. Maybe the sign still said mac and cheese, but the food inside was clearly not. You might have tried to identify the mystery dish by smelling it or poking around with the serving spoon.

Now, imagine not being able to see the contents of the chafing dish or read the sign. While many visually impaired individuals have a keen sense of smell, the multitude of aromas at a buffet can make it nearly impossible to distinguish one dish from another. Without a sighted person to describe the layout of the dishes, those of us who are visually impaired will struggle to identify the contents of a chafing dish.

Some people might suggest that blind individuals can use their sense of touch to feel the dishes through the serving spoon. However, the next time you are at a buffet, try closing your eyes and see if you can tell the difference between the dishes in front of you. Chafing dishes are often large, and finding that last piece of chicken can be quite challenging.

For me, the most frustrating part of buffet dining is the salad section. I love a good salad with all the fixings, but there’s nothing more disappointing than getting back to your seat and discovering you’ve ruined your salad by putting blue cheese on it instead of ranch. Yuck. To those of you who enjoy blue cheese—how do you eat that stuff?

Serve yourself

If you manage to identify a dish at the buffet, the next challenge is serving yourself. While buffet servers are trained to place the spoons back in front of the chafing dishes, they can’t always be present. A blind or visually impaired person often cannot tell which way the serving utensil is facing, given that some people are left-handed and others are right-handed. This means that a person who cannot see the serving utensil in front of them has a 50/50 chance of grabbing either the handle or the serving end. It’s quite unpleasant to accidentally grab a handful of mashed potatoes or mac and cheese. This situation is not only embarrassing for the visually impaired individual but also raises hygiene concerns for others in line.

If the person before you doesn’t place the serving spoon correctly, it can be dangerous for a blind or low vision person to locate it. Many buffet lines use heated water under the chafing dishes to keep food warm, making spoons left on the side hot—a safety issue for everyone. Feeling around the edges of the chafers for the serving spoon can result in steam burns. This has happened to me more times than I can count, but I keep returning to buffets despite this.

Once you find the serving utensil, the next issue is gauging how much food is left in the chafing dish. Unless the servers are attentive and promptly replenishing dishes, there will be times when food remains only on the edges, leading a visually impaired person to believe the dish is empty.

Juggling Act

Remember the last time you were at a big Las Vegas buffet and didn’t want to wait in line twice, so you grabbed a second plate to hold the overflow dishes? For those of us with sight issues, this often isn’t an option. We usually have to navigate the busy restaurant with a plate in one hand and either a mobility cane or a guide dog in the other. Unless you’re an experienced buffet-goer, you’ll likely face challenges with food sliding around your plate as you head back to your seat. The only upside to food falling off your plate is that it makes guide dogs very happy. However, it’s a double-edged sword because they may lunge for the stray chicken nugget, potentially tripping you up or veering off course when they’re supposed to be guiding you back to your seat.

Back at the Table

A pro tip for eating at buffets is to find out where the eating utensils are located. After you’ve been seated, determine if your knife, fork, and spoon are on the table or if they are somewhere at the buffet line. It can be frustrating to go through all the hassle of getting your food and navigating your way back to the table only to find out the eating utensils were at the buffet. I always make sure I have a pocket to store them because I have enough to handle with the plate, cane, and/or my guide dog.

Tips for success

Buffets are not all bad. With a few tips and tricks, you can enjoy a great dining experience and even try some exciting new dishes. Here are my pro tips for a successful buffet experience. If I missed anything, feel free to share your tips via the social media links at the end of this article.

Asking for Help: Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. When you speak to the host or hostess, ask if someone can spend a few minutes helping you identify what’s on the buffet and where items like utensils are located. While in the buffet line, request that servers behind the bar describe the dishes for you. Once they realize you’re visually impaired (yes, the cane or guide dog should signal that, but just to be sure), they might help by placing the serving spoons correctly, making the process smoother.

Location, Location: Buffet food is often grouped into distinct areas like main dishes, salads, and desserts. Ask where each station is located and what food items are at each station when someone guides you to your seat. This way you won’t miss out on any of the delicious offerings.

Your Plate: To avoid burns from hot chafing dishes, ask where to place your plate while navigating the buffet line. Some buffets have a ledge or track to hold plates as you move along, while others require you to hold your plate while serving yourself. Knowing this in advance can make things go  smoother as you put together your dinner offerings.

Sliding Food: As you return to your seat, food may slide around. Use dishes like mashed potatoes or pasta to create a stable base for items that might shift during transit. Place something like chicken-fried steak on top of the mashed potatoes to maintain structural integrity. Likewise place that slice of pizza or the chicken nuggets on top of the pasta dish to keep things where they belong.

Don’t Get Frustrated: The dishes you want might be hard to find or out of stock. Keep a positive attitude no matter how challenging the situation.

Be Willing to Try New Things: If you’re usually a picky eater, use this opportunity to try something new. If you don’t like it, go back for something else until you find something you enjoy. I always make it a point to try at least one new thing at a buffet.

Making Things Better

It’s often said that making environments more accessible for those who are visually impaired can benefit everyone, and buffets are no exception. Buffets can be intimidating and frustrating for those of us who are blind or visually impaired. Proper training for your staff on how to effectively assist guests with visual impairments can significantly enhance their dining experience. Offering help without being intrusive, reading the names of dishes, and providing clear communication about the locations of essential items like utensils can greatly improve a guest’s experience.

Signs: Although including braille labels might not always be feasible, ensuring that the labels on the food are accurate can help guests using AI readers to identify dishes.

QR codes: Consider implementing a QR code at each station that gives information about the offered dishes. This is good for those who have a vision impairment and those who are fully sighted. This QR code could even offer ingredients for the dish, which would be good for those with food allergies. Inclusion of approximate calorie counts could also aid guests in making better choices in their food.

Serving Utensils: Make sure your staff consistently places serving spoons and utensils back where they belong, such as on the plate in front of the chafing dish. This can make the buffet experience less stressful for those with vision impairments.

Food: Keep the food well-stocked and easy to serve. Guests shouldn’t have to search all over the chafers to find what they want. If a dish is running low, remove it from the line until it can be refilled.

Plastic Wrap: While it might seem obvious, it’s important to remove plastic wrap from food before service starts, as it can be difficult for visually impaired guests to navigate.

Eating Utensils: Establish an industry standard location for eating utensils. Ideally, servers should place utensils at the guests’ tables. If they need to be on the buffet line, standardizing their location at the front with the plates can reduce the amount of juggling guests need to do while navigating back to their seats.

What Can I Do?

 If you aren’t a food service worker but want to help, kindly offer to read the names of dishes to someone who can’t see them. You don’t need to serve them; just providing this information is a big help.

The simplest and most effective thing you can do is to place the serving spoon back where it belongs, rather than leaving it in the chafing dish. This not only makes it easier for visually impaired guests to serve themselves but also reduces the workload for the servers tending the buffet line.

Conclusion

The thought of eating at a buffet can be stressful enough to discourage someone who is blind or visually impaired from wanting to eat. However, I encourage seeing the buffet as a challenge to be overcome. If you have strategies that you use which aren’t on my list, please share them with me here or through my social media links below, and I’ll add your tips to the growing list.

Safe Travelers fellow wanderers.