What modifications can I make to my home to compensate for my vision loss?

Vision problems may make it difficult for people to pick out details in their environment. Things may look foggy. People may be able to observe only large items, or to distinguish only shadow and light. Glare from highly polished floors and highly reflective wall coverings may be blinding, as may bright light from direct lighting or from windows. People may not be able to see adequately at low levels of lighting. Further, their eyes may not respond quickly to abrupt changes in levels of lighting. For example, they may be unable to see well when entering a dark area from a well-lighted one. Depth perception too, may change. Here are some suggested modifications:

• Provide more lightning.
• Introduce task lightning (heightened or special illumination of selected spaces) in the kitchen, in reading areas, in the bathroom, and on the stairs. Among the possibilities are stick-on or screw-on fluorescent lighting under kitchen cabinets and along stairwells and hallways; plug-in wall sconces or lamps; and plug-in ceiling swag lights. This will help assist those with low vision.
• Install light switches that glow in the dark so they are easy to locate.
• Add rheostats, devices that adjust the intensity of lighting (for more or less brightness, as needed).
• A skylight can illuminate even the darkest room. Less costly than a skylight but giving the effect of one is a new technology, the light tube, a packaged lighting device that can be installed through a roof.

To reduce glare, install:

• Coating on windows
• Non glare or low-gloss finishes on floors
• Textured wallpaper or matte paint on walls

Additional suggestions:

Enhance color perception. For example, bright, contrasting colors might be used to differentiate walls, floors, and counters. Similarly colors or contrasting patterns might be used to distinguish the risers on stairs (the vertical parts) from the treads (the horizontal parts).

Replace visual cues with other sensory cues. Different floor surfaces can offer tactile cues for navigation: for example, tile in the entrance foyer, carpeting in the living room, hardwood in the hall, vinyl in the kitchen, and so forth.

applied to the smooth surface of a microwave oven's pressure pad: one to each of several frequently used functions, such as Reheat, 1 minute, Start, and Clear. applied to the smooth surface of a microwave oven's pressure pad: one to each of several frequently used functions, such as Reheat, 1 minute, Start, and Clear.

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