By the age of 60 we need three times more light than in our twenties
As we age, nearly all of us face the challenge of sight loss. Experts generally agree that the easiest and most effective aid to improve their vision is the right, good quality lighting. And it’s not just more light that we need, but effective and good quality light too.
The amount of light needed varies from person to person. To find the right level for you, start with the task light further away from the object you need to see and then move it closer slowly until you find the amount of illumination comfortable for you.
Tips for effective lighting:
- Have several lights in a room rather than one bright light and position them to get an even spread of light with no dark corners.
- Keep some background light on when using task lighting to reduce glare and fatigue.
- Shade bulbs so that they do not shine into your eyes. Check the maximum bulb rating for light shades to make sure you use the correct bulbs.
- Round paper shades are good at diffusing light in the room. Avoid using lampshades or spotlights where you can see the bulb.
- Use uplighters to bounce light onto the ceiling and back into the room.
- Spotlights are effective for lighting specific areas in a well-lit room but can cause confusing bright and dark patches and glare if used in isolation.
- Dimmer systems can be used to vary the amount of light needed.
- Halving the distance between an object and the light will create 4 times more light on the object.
- If you are using a magnifier with a task lamp, keep the magnifier parallel to the light so that you look through it onto a well-lit object. Don’t put the magnifier under the light because this causes annoying reflections and pools of light on the object.
The Daylight company have designed lights that are dimmable to provide optimal brightness choices. They all have a light with a colour temperature which maximises contrast and clarity. They are ergonomically designed, and can be effortlessly positioned to exactly where the light is needed, with minimal glare and heat emission.
For the past 20 years the Daylight company have worked closely with the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) local Macular Societies, and low vision clinics in the UK, Europe and US, to understand the needs of people with sight loss. Their accumulated knowledge, together with this continuous research, is the basis on which they design lighting products.
