Interior design


Where colour contrast can help to identify where an object is, it can also create a trip hazard


floor might also appear like a hole and prevent them from crossing the threshold. Ensuring that adjacent floor surfaces and crucially any threshold strips are similar in LRV will address this and ensure that residents feel confident moving from one place to another without fear of tripping and falling.


Maximising light


your vision is monocular rather than binocular. The brain readjusts over time, but it makes judging distances a challenge. Simple tasks such as pouring water from a jug into a glass can be difficult since the spout and the glass will appear to be close when in reality they are not. Using stairs and judging heights can also be a challenge. Colour contrast is key to enabling people with poor sight to better make sense of their surroundings by providing them with visual clues as to where doors, handles and controls are. All surfaces reflect light in different ways depending on their colour and finish. The measurement of this is known as light reflectance value (LRV), where zero indicates no light reflectance (black) and 100 is at the white end of the spectrum, although LRVs rarely sit at either extreme. To achieve the required contrast between two surfaces for a person with


impaired vision there should be a 30 degree LRV differential. Examples of where this is critical would be where skirting must contrast with the floor, doors contrast with the architrave, grab rails and toilet seats in bathrooms contrast with their background and stair edging contrasts with the tread. I know that decking steps can be a nightmare. On a visit to Brighton Marina shortly after my sight loss, my husband found me standing frozen to the spot at the top of a flight of timber decking steps, which just appeared as a flat expanse of horizontal lines ahead of me; I could see no definition in the steps. Where colour contrast can help to identify where an object is, it can also create a trip hazard. Two adjacent contrasting flooring surfaces might create the illusion that there is a step. Similarly, for a person with cognitive decline, a black door mat on a lighter


January 2018 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


Unsurprisingly, people with impaired vision need more light to see properly. Maximising natural light is the logical starting point. Curtains should be kept dressed back and clear of the reveal, using Roman blinds where possible, which are fitted above the window reveal rather than within it. When it comes to artificial light sources, ensure a good flood of general light for movement around a room and task light for focused work such as food preparation or reading, placed to ensure there are no shadows over work surfaces. Table lamps add a homely touch and combined with good general lighting help to ensure that there are no dark corners in a room. The addition of lights within wardrobes can also be helpful and stairwells must be well lit, especially at the top and the bottom.


Most of us would be dazzled by a bare light source, but for somebody with poor sight, glare can be a real issue. As we age, our eyes become less responsive to changes in light levels, so it takes longer for our eyes to adjust as we move from a brightly lit space to a darker room. We have all been in the garden on a bright sunny day and then come inside, only to have to take a few minutes for our eyes to respond to the drop in light levels. In younger people, pupils dilate and contract quickly, but these muscles work less efficiently as we get older so it takes longer to adjust. Artificial lighting is commonly a source of glare and for an older person with even a small degree of sight loss this can be disorientating and cause confusion and stress. Not all rooms require the same light levels, but ensuring that changes are


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