The Tape Mastering Handbook for the Braille and Talking Book Library is a manual for making cassette tapes of printed matter. It explains in mind-numbing detail the correct way read a vast range of published formats. Section E, page 3.2.11 discusses what the narrator should do upon encountering a crossword puzzle. Here's an excerpt from that section:

"Read the clue statement, say 'Blank,' and give the number of spaces for the answer. Read all of the ACROSS statements first, then all the DOWN statements ..."

Incredible as it seems, the meaning of this is exactly what it seems to be. Blindness doesn't stop true crossword fans -- they do the puzzles in their heads.