Accessibility: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

There are many benefits to becoming older…and hopefully wiser! We are more at ease with ourselves, and in many cases, with others. We take the time to develop skills and enjoy activities that we may have set aside in our youth.

One aspect of becoming older is the changes to eyesight that universally occur. A condition in which a gradual yellowing of the lens of the eye takes place is called the “ginger-ale effect.”

It starts, on average, around the age of 65, and not everyone is affected in the same way. The symptoms shouldn’t be confused with cataracts. As the yellowing descends over the eye, the cool colours that we see – shades of blue and green – start to appear somewhat “murky” and not clearly defined. This is especially true when these colours are used in combination with each other, in home decorating, for instance.

How to Help:

Use warm colours – reds, oranges and pinks - that are vibrant and clear
Divide the cool colours - blues and greens - with a neutral or contrasting warm shade between them
It is important to differentiate between the cool colours in any area that might possibly present a hazard
If the leg of a blue-green patterned chair sits upon a dark blue carpet, someone with this difficulty might trip when passing due to the blurred definition between the chair and carpet
The greater the contrast between an object and its background, the easier it is to see
Steps covered in a cool blue or green may also be dangerous, especially in combination with waning depth perception
Contrasting stair treads or a warm-coloured runner would help to ensure safer footing
Sharper contrasts and sharper edges around an object are needed to differentiate it from its background
Very dark flooring of any kind should not be used since this can be viewed as a “bottomless pit”; people feel very insecure when stepping into such a space
Sufficient lighting is essential in viewing any colour
To read comfortably, use high-contrast print material – typically sharp black lettering on a white or pale yellow page
Poor lighting can cause visibility problems as early as age 50
Both seniors and boomers can be affected

Submitted by Sandi Gerrard, Feel at Home Interior Redesign, Vice President, Canadian Redesigners Association.

For more information call 416.795.9840 or visit Sandi’s site.

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